River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-10-03
A sensation At CANTON
Alleged Attempt Made to Dynamite
Tomb Where Lie Remains of
President Mckinley.
GUARD HAS ENCOUNTER WITH TWO MEN
Shot Fired But Suspicious Characters
Get Away-Friends of Family of
Late President Discredit the Idea
That Attempt Was Made TO Desc
crate the Tomb

That Attempt Was Made 10 Desc
crate the Tomb.
Canton, o., Oct. 1.-Friends of the
family of the late President Mckinley
emphatically discredit belief in the
idea that the shot reported fired by
Guard Deprend at Westlawn cemetery
Sunday night was on account of any
attempt 10 desecrate the tomb. They
do not attempt to explain the strange
story of the guards or account for the
firing of the shot which cemetery Off
cials and other residents near by say
they heard, and they do not believe
that two men would undertake to make
an attack on the vault with 40 soldiers
on guard or near at hand.
1t is believed that the military au-
thorities will make a thorough inyesti-
cation of the stories told by the SOL
diers on guard Sunday night. There
are unconfrmed rumors that the shot
was fired on account of an accidental
fall and also that it was the result of
personal differences. The officers in
charge early instructed soldiers not to
talk Of the affair.
Guard Was Mistaken.
Canton, o., Oct 1.-Shortly after
noon Monday Capt. Biddle, command
ing the guard at Westlawn cemetery,
thanked the reporters for the fair and
correct manner in which they had de-
scribed the. incident at Westlawn Gem
etery Sunday night. He said, after
careful investigation Monday:
Il think the sentinel deceived himself in
the occurrence. 1 do not think it probable
that an attack such as he stated actually
occurred When daylight came we could
find no evidence of a struggle"
Sensational story of the Guard.
Canton, O., Oct. Military men
guarding the Mckinley vault report
an attack upon the guard early Sun
day night by armed and masked men,
carrying a package supposed to con-
tain explosives. 1t is thought an at
tempt was made to blow up the vault.
Guard De Prend, a private in the
company of regulars from Fort
Wayne, Mich. while on duty at the
rear of the vault, about 7:45 o'clock,
noticed a man peering from behind
tree about 40 feet from the vault. He
watched it for 20 minutes and then
challenged the intruder, who made no
response, but lodged behind the
tree. The soldier then advanced, chal-
longing a second time, and the man
came out and ran toward De Prend,
sheltering himself behind a second
tree IL feet nearer the vault.
De Prend, noticing that the fellow
was carrying a package wrapped in
white in one hand and a glinting in
strument in the other, took no fur
Their chances, but brought down his
rifle and fired.
Just as he did so, another man, APP
preaching from behind, and whom he
had not seen, struck up the rifle and
at the same moment dealt De Prend
terrific blow on the body with
some instrument. and a second blow,
this time evidently with knife, cut
through his overcoat and blouse,
abraded the skin and sent him tum-
bling into ravine near the vault.
Meanwhile the shot had aroused
other members of the guard. Lieut..
S. Ashbridge, officer of the day, and
others ran to the spot, but owing to
the fact that they had to climb
steep hill the marauders had disap-
peared before they arrived.
De Prend, who was recruited in
New York four months ago, is said to
be an excellent soldier His record is
such that he is out for commission.
His superiors have not the least
cause to doubt his story. On the con-
trary, others say they saw men about
there in the evening that answer his
description. The man who attacked
De Prend was masked The other, he
says. he could eas:ly recognize.
Stories are afioat in the soldiers
camp that stranger was overheard
to say in the cemetery that there
are many people who would like to
see the vault and body blown up"
While no one knows what the mo-
tive of the attack on the guard was
or what the man behind the tree had
in his package, the theory advanced
is that it was an attempt to blow
up the vault in which the presidents
body lies. Military men agree that it
looks like that Capt. Biddle, com
manding, after vain search OF the
cemetary, has put extra guards on
duty and the entire company Of IS
is ready TO turn out at any alarm. 1t
is thought by some that the intrCd-
ers may have been men who broke
Jail early in the day, but the authori-
ties say the theory is hardly tenahle,
as guarded cemetery would be the
last place in which fugitives from
Justice would be likely to seek refuge.
Has Not Dole's Resignation.
Washington, Oct. Henry E.
Cooper. secretary of Hawaii, has ar
r;ve8 here and Monday denied the re-