The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-29
ESCAPING PRISONER SHOT.
MORTALLY WOUNDED n MARINE
GTARD on 4 CRcW DED PIER.
Slipped = Handcun on and Made . Dash
for Freedom Prom the Od Dominica
Liner Hamilton " ouidn't Halt and
Guard Ftred shot AnEerci Truck mcn.

Guard FIRED shot Ansercd Truck mcn.
Charles 4. Meiner. a United States marine
under arrest for desertion, who was being
taken to tho prison ship al Norfolk, Va A.
with fifteen other d.--rterr. was shot 10y
one Of the guards in making a daring at
tempt TO escape from the Old Dominion
Line steamer Hamilton. half an hour before
she sailed yesterday afternoon. ho II
L. the Hudson street hospital. MORALLY
wounded. the doctors say
Meinsr's break for liberty was dramatic.
and II created great excitement. He sue
oscded In getting on th" ship and ran 200
yards along the pier before ho was shot
The bullet that brought him down was
Aired 10y Private Edward Harley Of the
Marine Corps. attached 60 the receivins
ship Columbia at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
OF the sixteen deserters Mciner was the
only one In civilians dress. Acrowd Of angry
truck drivers and hackmen thought he had
been shot without p~rovocation and they
Threatened Harley with bodily harm.
Meiner wa shot In the back. through the
left side. the bullet coming out t.roush tins
abdomen. The oISTauon OF laparotomy
war performed ia the Hudson street ho-pi-
tai, with scant hope 81 saving the mans
life.
The sixteen de-erters wore marched on TO
the Hamilton about 2 30 O'Clock d =
guard 90 ak marines In of Lieut..
John 7. Bishop. Jr.. 81 the receiving ship
Columbia. Thirteen Of the prisoners were
from the Columbia and thTes from the
marine barracks NJ the brooklyn Navy
Yard. All were In Uniform except Meiner
Why he Wa not wasn't very clear last
night. About three months ago he tHed to
escape from the Columbia by swimming
the Nsllabout Canal, but wa captured 10y
. guard before he sw am half the distance.
since then he had been confined m double
irons. Abou n week ago he was court
martialcd and got a sentences of a yeaT and
q half.
When the prisoners were leaving the
Navy Yard. Sergt. Duny Of the guard that
had charge Of them, asked Meiner why he
did not have on q uniform.
-Oh,- he said. You ought To know l
tried 10 &c, a uniform. but 1t seems | didn't
sc, your consen,
We'll, you don't want TO. try any funny
business remarked Duhy. remembering
Meiners previous attempt to escape
we're going to keep a pretty close watch
on you
Nothing occurred on the trip from Brook
lvn until tho party reached the Old DO
mlnion pier al the foot of B@ach street
North River III sixteen prisoners w.re
hAndcuNcd IN pairs. Two of tho guards
marched in front down the pier, two on
either side and two guards brought up the
rear. The long covered pier was crowded
| with ff1lCh~s Dll TIC IhIAN moNtA hAblk
without incident TO the main deck OF ths
Hamilton. IL was lust half al hour b-
fore sailing time AMI ~ verifying on bosrd
and on the pier was hustle and confusion.
Meiner was Ia tbs last file Of hAndcufed
prisoner
few minutes when there was a cry OF 'Pris-
oner escaped INSTANTLY tn. marines drew
their revolver. hut apparently Meinef
had not told any OF the other prisoners that
Ia =. - o.. w.r "A "a a. ~ a. Ia nod
they weren't going To- taxi ths chance for
there was no attempt al n general break Tor
frsdom. Meiner. however, had got free
Of the handouf that eDcircled his left wrist
and h, made a dash acrOss deck foI
the pi.r. A. 70 how I've got the i1a tcuS n
Lis wrist there we're two SeniuiIs One
Was that he broke the hsndcuf which was
a chain affair This other was that he
slipped HE hand through the cuf. which,
according to The marines At th- Brooklyn
Navy Yard would he quite possible
A. soon a. u was noticed that Meiner was
fr-. Private Edw ard Harley and another
guard started after him. The fact that
Mrinsr did not have on a uniform, aided
fhim In his dash for the shore. He lodged
among the s~tevedores. who were putting
fr-ight aboard, knocking some OF them
down. and finally reached III. angway
Then for the fret time HIS pursuers got q
good view of him. but they did not IRE at
oncs.
Meiner got a good start, and on the pier
4, Was even harder for Harley and the other
MARINES 20 follow his progre~s He dodged
IN and out bet w.en the trucks, and the two
marines did the hest to catch up with him
Everybody on board the Hamilton stopped
work IN watch the chase.
After running about 200 Yards Neiner
was oVught In n lane b.tween two Inns
- trucks and followed this toward West
street
Halt. or I'll shoot Harley shouted
60 him
Mein.r didn't stop A second time
Harley called out that lie would shoot II
creased his spesd Then Harlcy's pistol
spoke define staggered, throwing ms
arms Ia the air
nv God. I'm shot he cried.
He fell on the pier within n short dis
tunce Of the West street opening In
stantly there was the widest coinmotion.
The truck drivers, who we're not aware
that tho mar in civilians dre~ was a de-
refter. crowded around Harley and made
all sorts 81 threats They sermai 70 think
that the injured man Was some inonensive
I-rsnn who had offended a soldier and had
isen shot for Il Harley was pushed and
iosilcd about and some OF ths uuckmen
struck al him
squad. who il stationed at the pier. and
sun, Icyland 81 the old Dominion Line,
went Ia Harley'r aid and kept the crowd
IN. Then somebody telcphoned Tor All
ambulance.
When Dr. johnson of tho Hudson street
hospital arrived MeiII-r Was unconscious
I The Doctor found tho, the bullet had entered
I the mans hack and had passed. clear through
hs body He took Meiner la tie hospital
aud a message wac sent TO tho Brooklyn
Navy Yari for a surgeon IL was thought
best not tn await for the SUI geon's arrival,
however, and lapaIatOmy was performed
by Or Percy X Bolton Of the hospital
stan The hullct was not found The
int.stines wer. perforated. Meiner was
still under ether at a late hour last night.
and there was scarcely a chance for his
recovery.
After tho shooting Lieut.. Bishop and
Private Harley went To the Leonard street
poli~ station, where Lieut.. Bishop stated
that Harley was perfectly justin, q Ia shoot
ing Meiner Neither Ii'ut bishop nor
Harley was detained After they harmed
that Mriner was bsirE taken care az AT tho
hospital they hurried back to the Old Do-
minion pi.r They wcrr In time 20 catch
the Hamilton beforc she sailed nj o'clock
Meiuer j. - year old lie i the son 81 a
machinisi. who lives AZ lockwood and
Arlington avenues, Nonknrr He enlisted
lat January and has bFen nt his fathers
home several TIMES since un f~urlough-
His family went la the hospital last night