Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-27
ROSSLYF UNDER GUARD
MOUNTED DETAIL FROM FORT ON
DUTY.
Result of Threats of Soldiers Against
the Saloons-Alleged Assail-
ants Of Troopers.

1t is tated~today that Col. E. l.. lug
gins, commandment at Fort Myer, was adj
vised that the soldiers at the fort had
threatened to burn all saloons of Rosslyn,
Va, as a means of revenge for the shoot
ing of Private Harry C. Pancoast and for
the assault upon Privates McManus and
Owens. Col. Higgins thereupon detailed
mounted patrol, it is stated, under Lieut..
Martin, to keep order in RoSsyn last
night. The rumor of the intended raid
round Its way to the ears of many of the
residents, and, fearing that the town would
be wiped out of existence, they went it is
said, to the commanding officer of the mill
.ars reservation and requested that he take
the action stated
Tony Simmons was arrested yesterday
afternoon at,rRosslyn by Deputy Sheriff
harry l. Palmer and Special Officer How
ard A. Smoot of Alexandria county on the
charge OF shooting Private Harry c. PAN
coast Tuesday night last. 1t has devel-
oped that number of soldiers offended
MISS Mabel simmons, cousin of the ac-
cused, at the dance held at Geary's dane
ing pavilion early Tuesday evening and
That 1t was for this reason that the artil-
ment.
Later on in the night it is stated Sim
mons met Private Pancoast some distance
from Gearys establishment, and accused
him OF oelng one of the soldiers who had
given o1ense to his relative. 1t was further
stated that Simmons Immediately drew his
revolver and shot Pancoast, who fell to
the ground Simmons then fired two more
snots INTO the soldiers body and kicked
him. The comrades of Pancoast il is said
thought he had been treated in this fashion
oy the managers of the dance, and they
Gf!n aan,. sWore vengeance against the
their threat Wednesday night by demolisb-
ing Geary's saloon, as was stated in yester-
days Star.
About an hour after the artillerymen had
tuyn sfc,,n
men-Privates Patrick j. McManus and
George r. Owens-while on their Way to
Fort Myer from Washington, were halted
about a quarter of a mile from the Auue-
duct bridge by two men, whom the soldiers
have since identified as Tony Simmons. the
man charged with the shooting of Pam
coast, and Elvin ]. Marcy. The two SOL
diers were accused of being participants
In the saloon affair by Simmons and Mar
cey. This accusation McManus and Owens
denied, and said they knew nothing of the
Washington all the evening. McManus
stated this morning to Star reporter that
he was then called a liar. and was beaten
over the mead and In the face with the butt
of shotgun by Marcy.
He also stated that at the same time his
comrade Owens was beaten over the head
by Simmons, and that Simmons broke the
stock of his gun On Owens head. Both SOL
diers were afterward found and taken to
the Fort Myer Hospital for treatment
McManus and Ovens were at the Alex
andria county court house this morning and
positively identified Simmons and Marcy
as their assaifantsi Willard Burch and Will
lie McKeever, two civilians and Privates
Taylor, Dain, Crowell, Sullivan Riley and
Gilbert, who are said to have witnessed the
affair." also identified Simmons and Marcy
as the parties who assaulted the two sol
diers. 1t was stated by the civil authori-
| ties this morning that they have the names
OF number of persons who witnessed the
shooting of Paneoast by Simmons.
INN nd la
hearing Monday afternoon at O'Clock be-
fore Mr.. E. #. Thompson, justice of the
peace. Marcy was formerly a constable of
Alexandria county and lives at Balston,
Va. He is fheayy-built man and appears
to be about thfrty-five years old. Simmons
is also resident of Rosslyn, and is about
thirty-two years OF age. He is rather short
but appears to beevery muscular. Both men
are confined in the Alexandria county Jail
at Fort Myer Heights and Deputy Sheriff
Palmer is keeping close watch on them.
AS to the condition of Private Pancoast,
it was stated to Star reporter about noon
today that the wounded man is progressing
toward recovery very satisfactorily, and it
was thought he would soon be out, if no
complications set in.
Sheriff Palmer reported the result of his
investigation of the trouble of both Tues
day and Wednesday evenings to Judge J.
NJ. Love this morning.
Colonel Higgins has assigned Captain
Sibley of the I'd Cavalry and Captains Har-
rison and Foote of the 4th Battery, Field
Artillery, to probe the saloon affair and to
discover the names of the soldiers who par
ticipated. court of inquiry was in pro-
gress yesterday at the fort and all soldiers
who left the reservation the night of the
riot were called up to explain where they
had been that evening.
1t was stated this morning that officials
of the quarterm1ster's department of the
army have visited Geary's bar room with
view of ascertaining the exact amount of
damage done.