The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-14
FORTY DESERTERS.
United States Cavalry Loses
a Detachment Eight
Killed.

Forty cavalry horses belonging to the
Fifth U. S. Cavalry, en- route from Porto
Rico, San Juan, and other points of the
West Indies to Fort Myer Virginia, broke
out of the Central stock yards last night,
and in accordance with their training in
army manoevring in close order dashed
with breakneck speed through Jersey
City, from river to river Three were
captured by bold policemen Eight met
their death in charge across the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
tracks at Kearney.
The forty deserters belonged to a band
of three hundred and twenty troop horses
which arrived at the Central stock yards
yesterday in charge of Major Thomas and
six privates of the cavalry. They had
been shipped on the Transport Pennsyl-
vania. They arrived at the stock yards
in the morning.
All We're In high spirits. Their close
quarters on the transport had benumbed
their limbs and the trip from the trans
port to the enclosed yards apparently
whetted their appetite for exercise in
accordance with their athletic training
Anyhow, number of them kicked down
the side of a planked enclosure, and forty
of them, flank to flank, dashed up the
board walk to the foot of Sixth street.
That section of Sixth street, below Hen
derson, has been piled with view to the
construction of a relief sewer. The stumps
of the pile protruded foot or so above
the roadway. Here and there the recent
heavy rains and the jar of the pile driver
have caused excavations.
1t was rough road up which they
dashed. Some stumbled and fell but
quickly regained their footing and they
reached the level roadway above Hender-
SON street in splendid order. Here they
were encountered by several policemen
and a mob. They didn't seem to notice
little thing like this but in close or
der pushed on at breakneck speed
A block or so further Police Sergeant
Finnie managed to capture one that had
injured itself by a stumble into an exca-
vation Two others, insimilar condition,
were nabbed by a couple of patrolmen.
The three deserters were taken to Burk's
livery stables.
The rest Of the detachment filed on up Sixth
street through Newark avenue, through a mob,
and like we'll trained soldiers, instead of tax
ing to the meadows. pushed in close file along
lodged a trolley car crossing the Hackensack
River bridge.
When they reached the Sanford street cross
ing of the Delaware Laclsawanna and Western
Railroad they were subjected to an enfilading
cross fire. AT this point the steel trestle of
the Jersey City and Newark turnpike road
trolley line crosses the grade tracks of the
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad.
A flying trolley car was bearing down upon
them from one point and iron steam horse
drawing train came flying at them from an
other. But they never budged They pressed
forward.
The next moment the iron steam horse was
plowing its way through the band. A lyddite
shell falling in their midst could not have
occasioned greater slaughter. Carcasses were
hurled into the air. Dsemboweled chargers
were thrown right and left dead pony was
impaled on the whistle of the locomotive The
rest scattered. Eight were killed.
Yardmaster Kenny. of the Central stock
yards, at SIXTH street, Jersey City, sent out
band of men on horseback, this morn
ing, to round up the horses They crossed
the Hackensack, and are now supposed to
be roaming about the State somewhere
between Jersey City and the Orange
Mountains.