Waterbury Democrat., 1901-09-30
STILL A MYSTERY.
No Clue to the Marauders at
 Canton Last Night.
CAPT RIDDLE INVESTIGATING.

Supposition is That There Was to be
 an Attempt to Blow Up the Vault
 Where Rest the Remains of the Late
 President Mckinley Private Prend
 Attacked Struck on the Back, Cut
 With Knife and Thrown Down a
 Hill.-Family of Dead President Dis
 credit the Whole Report
 Canton, O., Sept While the greatest reticence is observed by the officers of the guard at the Mckinley tomb relative to the mysterious inci- dent last night, it is learned that no cleW leading to the identity of the marauders has as yet been discovered. Captain Biddle who is in command of the guard, is making thorough inves- tigation to-day.
 Canton, Ohio, Sept 30-Private De Prend, who was doing guard duty be- side the vault in which the body of President Mckinley rests, was mys- teriously attacked last night by two men. Captain Riddle. in command of the company of regulars, thinks an at tempt was made to blow the vault to pieces as one of the men carried a white package While one of the strangers engaged the attention of the sentinel, the other struck him over the head and also attempted to stab him. It was nearly s o'clock when Guard De Prend saw q prowler in the rear of the vault behind tree and i'll a shad- ow. Upon being challenged by the soldier, the man remained motiOnless behind a tree. He was then about forty feet from the soldier De Prend advanced. made a second challenge l and brought his gun ready to fire The man in the meantime had lodged away to second tree about ten feet distant from the first. The soldier renewed his challenge and fired. but as he did so the gun was struck up by q second man who had stealthily come behind the soldier. This man then struck the soldier with heavy instrument i'll the back and attempted to stab him. A gash 'L" shaped and about two inches long each way was cut through | the clothing, including the overcoat, and small scratch was made on De l Prend's body. The blow was so hard | that De Prend was knocked down a | small hill and was unable to gain his feet before the men disappeared in the l darkness. Lieut. Ashbridge. who was | officer of the day. as soon as he heard | the challenge and shot. rushed to the assistance of the guard, followed by
 other soldiers
 The sentinel attacked. however, was in the rear of the vault on q hill and
 before the relief force could climb the hill the men had escaped A hunt
 was made for the providers, but no l trace could be found of them. The vault is but short distance from the
 western edge of the cemetery and the men evidently escaped from there into the fields and woods nearby
 | The man who dodged about the tree. De Prend says. carried shining wea- l pon in one hand. and a package done up in white in the other. He says he could recognize the man if ever seen ! again. The man who attacked him
 was masked
 That Captain Riddle believes an at- tempt was made to blow the vault to
 pieces is shown by the fact that he put
 on an extra guard around the vault
 and in various portions of the cemetery
 the balance of the night. All the men of the company seyenty-fve in num- Der, were ordered to be ready to turn
 out on the first alarm sounded
 Canton, Sept 30.-Friends of the
 family of the late President Mckinley | emphatically discredit the belief in the idea that the reported shot fired last night by one of the privates guard
 ing the grave of the president at West
 Lawn cemetery, was fired on account
 of an attempt to desecrate the grave | of the dead president