The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-01
M'xINLEY GUARD OvERwR0UGHT
Iluie Cresience IN the story That prs~ters
We're Near the Temb.

CANTON Ohio Sept So.-Capt. Biddle.
Company c Fourteenth Infantry Y. y A.,
now guarding President McKinley's tomb.
aid to-day regarding the firing OF a shot
by a sentinel last night:
Il think the sentinel deceived himself.
l do not ;hink an actual attack wa made.
When daylight came there was no evidences
Of n struggle
This NJ atement made by Capt, BLddle h
the only expression In which any OF tho
officers ~ far have allowed themselves
to be auoted la connection with the strange
story that came from Westlawn Cemetery
last night. Private Deprend. who fired a
sho, that aroused the whole camp. said
Ina his aim was directed at n man s,ealthily
approaching hts posi- and that another man
caught his gun and Attempted to stab him
IN the abdomen. He still adhere- to tho
story. Al least one commissioned man
also believes that an attack was attempted.
lie said
1T was the real thing and was the re
suit Of pun. cl--ednsss. Some people
would like to zee everything here destroyed
to bring further reproach upon the Gov
ernmcnt .
Most 81 the other soldiers have passed
from conviction last night to doubt tonight
while disbelief - the prevailing sentiment
among the people Of the community None
II more tnltlilhiN w fhIIfNnipnN VI W.
balief In ans real intention on any ones
part To de~ecrate the tomb than the family
Of the late President Mckinley and their
most intimate friends Probably tho most
| common Relief Is hat Sentinel Deprend
fired n shot at n phantom which the lone.
illness Of his position conJurrd Ia front OF
him, fell over with the discharge OF tho gun
and rolled down the hillside to the vault
gates. his imagination supplying the second
man who caught the gun and made the
| knife thrust AZ well rs the other details
which were reported .
This Is b.lieveI TO lie the theory % several
OF the officers all Of whom seem TO think
well % Deprend and that h" told what
he believed to be a true story lie was
Obliged 10 60 over the whole narrative time
after time to-day and II II said never varied
even IN the matter Of minor "details
A close investivation waS made a. 10 his
sohriety NJ the time which was ~ Established
heyond reasonable doubt Close inquiry
A. also made without result a. To whether
parsonal troubles between soldiers might
not have cau-s-i the incident. one theory
has been advanced along the line 81 local
men seeking revenge from the soldier
who hav. succeeded ~ winning cOn-idJa able
attention from Canton women. When
the camp was first established women
visitors were numerous and the uniformed
boys made many efforts AZ Irritation. A
few dayS ago the oficerS In command
iSsuet orders prohibiting all women from
crossing he camp lines without passes
The whole matter has hs-an reported
In detail Ia Gen. Otis AZ Chirsgo, who com
mands the department Ia which the guard
il attached Whether a military inquiry
will b" conducted depends upon how the
GENERAL views II. Officers here have eN-
pr,--.-d the hops tina, since no rial harm
has e~ultssi no formal action will II. taken.
Can't. Blddle'- doubt of the story began
after his Investigation was well under wsv
today. last night hs a. well a. his fellow
believed that providers had been seeking
the vault for purposes unknown lh'
pos, where D-prend was on duty was neal
the vaults ventilator. a shaft e~xtsnding
from the top 10 the hill To the roof 81 the
vault l, il a lonely spot after nightfall. iso,
lated from the other guards and one well
calculated Ia work upon IN" nerves IL y
understood that hereafter the guard vii
bo increased so that no one will b- obligec
10 he so far from his comrades.