Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-17

CROTON LANDING, N. Y, April 16.
The first bloodshed as the outcome
of the strike at the Cornell Dam was
the life blood of Sergeant Robert
Douglass, of the eleventh separate
company, of Mount Vernon, who was
shot dead by an unknown assassin
while he was relieving guard at ten
minutes to nine tonight. The widest
excitement prevailed throughout the
camp as soon as the news of the as
sassination spread to the different
tents and the soldiers are frantic over
the crime. The point where the SER
geant fell is known as Post Ten.
which was in charge of Corporal Nc
Dowell 1t is situated on top of the
hill near Little Italy, where armed
strikers were seen drilling or march
ing about early this morning brand
ishing 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 and 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: Load
boys; I'm shot," and then fell to the
ground. 1t was pitch dark at the time
but Mcdowell and the others fired a
volley into a clump of bushes nearby
without hitting anyone. No one saw
the flash or heard the sound of the
shot which killed Douglass and 1t was
most mysterious affair. Meanwhile
the men picked the fallen sergeant and
carried him down the hill on a stretch
er, but as soon as they reached Doug
lass tent the poor fellow died without
saying a word. Lieut. Glover, with
squad of men went up to the hill top
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 ex-
ception of those placed at the cable
station where the shooting took
place.
Vague rumors of the intended use
of dynamite by strikers to break the
old Croton dam, and food the Croton
valley were current throughout the
night There is no doubt the striking.
Italians are in possession of a lot of
dynamite and they are accustomed
to the handling of the explosive.
When the result of the conference
at New York was circulated among the
men last night and they knew that the
militia were ordered here the spirit
Of the resistance visibly increased and
the recognized leader made the boast
that the fight would be continued I'M
til the men got what they demanded.
A meeting of the strikers was called for
four o'clock this morning but only a
few of the leaders turned up.
They talked excitedly with each 9TH
er and then returned to their homes
without having agreed upon any plan
of action.
1t was learned that applications for
warrants for the arrest of the leaders
had been made and arrests may occur
at any time. About o'clock this
morning about $50 of the strikers
gathered on the top of the hill near
what is called Little Italy" and they
were talked to in Italian by the lead
ers. About forty of the men on the
hill were armed with rifles and shot
guns. Many of the others carried re-
volvers and two of them had hatchets.
The leaders refused to talk with re-
porters of their plans.
The Mount Vernon and Yonkers mil
itiamen, 100 strong. are camped on an
elevation near the quarries. Their com
ing was not attended by any demon
stration.
Squadron A, 225 strong, and Com
pany A, of the First Provisional reg
iment. and Company B, of Mount YER
non, belonging to the same regiment
numbering 100 men, are also here.