The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-01
THE CANTON CANARD
OFFICERS NOW DOUBT STORY or
SENTINEL.
DEPEND WAS DREAMING.
OR HIS IMAGINATION GOT THE BET
TER OF HIM.

Daylight Revealed No Evidence of n
Struggle Mt the vauIt--Private De-
prend sticks to His story, but II Is
Believed That His Lonely and Iso-
lated Position Wrought Upon His
Nerves-More Sentineis VIII Be
Hope There VIII he No Investiss-
ton.
Canton, o., Sept. 30.-The officers and
men of Company C of the Fourteenth
United States Infantry, on duty at
West Lawn cemetery, guarding the
resting place of President Mckinley,
worked diligently to-day 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, i'm
posed by military regulations, which
prevented the officers and men from
making detailed statements concerning
the incidents last night, was operative
to-day. From interviews with all the
commissioned officers, several nom
commissioned officers 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 Pri-
Vate Deprend last night and really be-
lieved that the providers were about the
vault with no good purpose. To-day
only one of the commissioned officers
adhered to the belief that an attempt
had been made upon the sentinel for
ghoulish purposes.
Think Deprend Is Straight.
All the men who were seen express
ed the belief that Private Deprend
acted in good faith and that he related
only what he believed to be the real
circumstances. With the captain and
others he went over the details of the
whole affair at least a dozen times
and, 1t is said, he did not vary in a
matter of Importance. Particular in
quiry was made as to his sobriety at
the time, and it is said that II Is es-
tablished 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
sentinel was overweight by the lone
illness of his position, that his nerves
were overtaXed and that imagination
contributed some of the details related
in good faith. The post was regarded
by all as particularly Isolated and de-
pressing to the man guarding 1t at
night, and it is understood that more
sentinels will be stationed at the point
in the future.
Reporters Get Thanks.
Capt. Biddle thanked the reporters
for what he called the fair manner in
which the incident had been described
ir the morning reports, saying they
gave a full 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 Deprend. but
of the correctness of the conclusions.
Capt. Biddle authorized this state
ment:
Il think the sentinel deceived himself
as to the occurrence. do not think an
actual attack, as related by him, &C.
CURED. When daylight came no evi-
dence of a struggle was found
The after has been reported in full
to Gen. Otis at Chicago, commanding
the department to which the guard Is
attached. Whether there will be for
NAL inquiry into the matter remains
for Gen. Otis to determine. Officers at
the cemetery expressed the hope that
inasmuch as no actual harm had been
done, no formal action would be taken.
The usual guard and patrol was on
duty to-day. Last night after the story
was told by Deprend the force was in
creased by the addition of ten men.
Lieut.. Ware arrived from Fort Wayne.
Mich, to-day. and relieved Lieut..
Avery, who went back to the fort.