The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-01
SENTINEL At THE
VAULT ATTACKED
One of the Company Guard
ing McKinIey's Body.
MANS STRANGE STORY
A Struggle With Two Prowlers Near
the Grave.
WAS HE DECEIVED BY HIS IMAGINATION F.?
This is The Belief of His Companions, II is Said,
But Meanwhile the Guard at The
Vault Has Been In
creased.
(By the Associated Press.)


Canton, Ohio, Sept. 30.-The officers
and men of Company C of the Four
teenth United States infantry on duty
at West Lawn cemetery, guarding the
resting place of President Mckinley,
worked diligently today investigating the
strange story in which private De Prend
who was on duty at the top of the vault
Sunday night, figured so prominently
The same reticence, imposed by military
regulations, which prevented the officers
and men from making detailed state
ments concerning the incidents last night,
was operative today. From interviews
with all the commissioned officers, sew
eral non-c commissioned and a number of
privates the following was gathered:
All the commissioned officers and the
members of the company in general ac-
cepted fully the story, related by Private
De Prend, last night and really believed
that the providers were about the vault
with no good purpose. Today only one
o fthe commissioned officers adhered to
the belief that an attack had been made
upon the sentinel for ghoulish purposes.
All the men who were seen expressed
in good faith and that he related only
what he believd to be the real circun-
stances. With the captain and others he
went over the details of the whole affair
at least dozen times, and it is said he
did not vary in a matter of Importance.
Particular inquiry was made as to his
sobriety at the time, and it is said that
it is established beyond all reasonable
doubt that he had not been drinking,
and that he was in his normal condition.
The most common belief is that the SEN
tinel was overwrought by the loneliness
of his position: that his nerves were
overtaxed, and that imagination contri-
buted some of the details related in good
faith. The post was regarded by all as
particularly isolated and depressing to
the man guarding it at night, and it is
understood that more sentinels will be
placed at that point in future.
Captain Biddell thanked the reporters
for what he called the fair manner in
which the incident had been described in
the morning papers, saying they gave a
fun and complete statement of facts, so
far as revealed last night. He was fully
Convinced last night of the truth of the
story as related, but after investigation
entertained doubts, not of the sincerity
of Private De Prend, but of the correct
ness OF the conclusions.
Captain Biddell authorized this state
ment:
- think the sentinel deceived himself
as II the occurrence. do not think an
actual attack, as related by him, oc-
Cured. When daylight came noaevidence
of struggle was found
Io0
General Otis at Chicago commanding the
department TO which the guard is at
tached. Whether there will be a formal
inquiry into the matter remains for Gen.
eral Otis to determine, officers at the
cemetery expressed the hope, that mas
much as no actual harm had been done
no formal action would be taken.
The usual guard and patrol was on duty
today. Last night after the story of Pri-
vate De Prend the force was increased
by the addition of ten men. Lieutenant
Ware arrived from Fort Wayne, Mich,
today and relieved Lieutenant Avery,
who went back to the fort
This is the story, as told in a Sunday
night dispatch from Canton, of Private
De Prends experience:
Private De Prend was on guard duty
on top of the vault at a point command
ing the entrance below and the approach
from the rear. Shortly before 73O he
saw what he took to be the face of
man peering from behind a tree about
forty feet from his post He watched it
for twenty minutes, he says, and at 745
saw the man hurry to a tree ten feet
nearer. He challenged the man to halt,
but this was not needed and the fellow
approached nearer. De Prend leveled
his gun and aimed to shoot for effect, but
just at this instant another man, who
came towards him from the opposite
side, caught the gun, threw it up and the
bullet was spent in the air. This same
man struck DePrend on the right side of
the abdomen with knife or other sharp
weapon, cutting an Il cash in his
overcoat an inch and half long each
way and small one in his blouse. TIE
esh was not broken, but was bruised
under the cuts in the clothing De
Prend in the struggle fell and rolled
down the side of the vault. Lieutenant
front of the vault and rushed to the top
on hearing the shot, but the men made
good their escape. All members of the
company on hearing the shot hurried TO
the vault and, besides searching the
cemetery, the guard was increased.
DE Prend is a recruit enlisted in New