Evening journal., 1900-04-17
STRIKERS KILL
BRAVE SERGEANT
Shot Down From Ambush in
Labor Trouble at Big
CrOtOn Dam.
COMRADES WILD WITH RAGE

EkI DOUGLASS, Of MI. EhNONs
WAS SHOT DEAD BY UNKNOWN
ASSASSIN NEAR"LITTLE ITALY, 81
WHERE ARMED STRIKERS HAD
DRILLED.
Croton Landing, n Y, April H.
The first bloodshed as the outcome of
the strike at the Cornell dam was the
life's blood of Sergeant Robert Doug
lass, OF the Eleventh separate company.
OF Mount Vernon, who was shot dead
by an unknown assassin while he was
relieving guard last night. The Wild
est excitement prevailed throughout
the camp as soon as the news of the
assassination spread to the different
tents, and the soldiers are frantic over
the crime.
The point where the sergeant fell is
known as Post 10, which was in chars.
of Corporal Mcdowell. 1t is situated
on the top of the hill near Little Italy,
where armed strikers were seen drill
ing or marching about early In the
morning, brandishing rifles and shot
guns The spot is high over the huge
pile of masonry, and from it one can
command a view of the country for
miles on each side up and down the
CrotOn valley.
Douglass was talking to Corporal Nc
Dowell and the other members of the
guard, when he suddenly clapped his
hands to his stomach and said. Lord
boys, / am shot, and felltO the ground.
1t was pitch dark at the time, but Nc
DOwell and the others fired a volley
into q clump of bushes near by with
out hitting any one. No one saw the
fash or heard the sound of the shot
which killed Douglass, and IL was
most mysterious affair.
Meanwhile the men picked up the
fallen sergeant and carried him down
the hill on a stretcher, but as soon as
they reached Douglass tent the poor
fellow died without saying a word
Lieutenant Glover, with a squad Of
men, went up to The top of the hill,
where they made a thorough search,
but failed to find any person up there.
Then the guards were called in and
concentrated IN the valley, with the
exception OF those placed at the cable
station, where the shOtting took place.
Half an hour after the murder Of
Dougless the deputy sheriffs who are
guarding the cable house on the east
side of the river saw three figures lurk-
ing near the place, and the deputies
fired their revolvers at them. The
figures disappeared quickly in the
darkness. A few minutes later, while
the deputies thought there was no per-
son near them. shots rang out from the
direction of Little Italy, but the sher-
iff's men were not injured.
An hour before Dougless was killed
three Italians were found within the
lines, and when searched by the SOL
diers each was found to have a load
ed revolver on him. The soldiers ex-
tracted the cartridges from the revol-
vers and returned the weapons to the
men, who were allowed to go away
When Sergeant Douglass was killed he
had one of these same cartridges in his
pocket. and as he was one of the men
who unloaded the weapons, it is
thought that the shot which killed him
was fired by one of the three men who
had been allowed to go free with theiI
empty pistols.
The troops reached here yester
day afternoon. There was no disturb
ance. At present the Fourth and Elev
enth separate companies are in camI
in the Croton valley and a cavalry
troop from New York is at Ardsley
Major Oliver B. Bridgman, in com
mand of Squadron A, on its way to thu
strike, was thrown from his horse anC
had his leg broken The accident oc
Cured while the troops were passing
along Kingshridge road.
Early in the morning the strikers
held a meeting, and finding that nj
effort was going to be made to worl
on the dam, dispersed. From the New
York newspapers they learned tina
troops were on the way. Before tn
hour for their arrival the Bowery wa
filled by Italians, who stood in group
and listened to the talk of the leaders
About IL a. m. a telegram was receives
by one of the leaders from Consu
Bianchi advising them to be quiet an
informing them of the fact that tn
militia was on it's way to the dam.
was afternoon when the special trai
from YOnkers carrying the troops al
rived here. Their arrival was note
by an Italian on a bicycle, who remain
ed long enough about the station {
count them, and then started for th
dam.
About half a mile from the yillae
he was met by another strike messeI
ger, on a wheel, who carried the new
about a mile, where a third messenge
rode with all haste to the Bowery. Bl
fore the deputy sheriffs about the wor
knew of the arrival Of troops in CrC
ton valley the strikers were aware
it, There was a blowing of horn
and while the troops were resting
the station waiting for the word I
move 40 armed Italians carrying a
American flag and two Italian fal
crossed the Little Italy hill to the Bow
cry. They were cheered by the men
the Bowery and watched with inte
est by the deputy sheriifs.
When the troops had been rested an
the wagons carrying the camp equil
age had been loaded the march to Il
dam wcs begun. When they were al
preaching the Bowery three nervol
militiamen accidentally discharg'
their rifles, but 10 one was hurt.
the troops swung into the narrow lal
rallied the ROWerV q strange sight m