Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-20
HERRICK'S STATEMENT
DECLARES THAT CRIME WA
DoUBLY DAsTARDLY..
Secretary Taft Orders Gen. Grant to
Make Full Inquiry and Re-
port Promptly.

ATHENS, Ohio, August 2O.-This city
and Camp Herrick are quiet today, al
though there Is much comment over last
nights clash between the United states
troops and the Ohio National Guard Dur
Ing the week there has been much Keeling
between the two classes. especially when
militiamen on provost guard duty arrested
regulars and took them back to camp!
Gov. Herrick' Maj Gen. Dick, Adjt. Cen
Critchfeld, Cen William McMaken and
others are investigating the actions of all
those who were out of camp last night
The coroner is arranging for the inquest
on the death Of Corp. Charles Clark.
Private Canyons of the 14th U. s. Artillery
is still held because he was caught outside
Of camp with loaded revolver of 3S cali
Der, the same size as the one with which
Clark was killed
Gov. Herrick said the fight was not the
result of any feeling Of regulars as a
whole against the gaardsmen. but was
the work of rowdies from the regular
troops. -
That the regulars; being armed should
attack men who they positively knew,
had no effective ammunition. made the
crime douhly daStardly. Gen. Dick said a
report was received at headquarters de-
failing the arrest OF nine men of the 14th
Regiment Of regulars.
Sergt. William Blessing is improved, but
the attending army physicians still question
his recovery. The rest of the men are i'm
proving. 2..'
Col. Ritezel ordnace officer and detailed
TO DIVISION headquarters as cOmmtSSary Of
hcer, lives in Warren and knows all the
men personally. The men are from aris-
tocratic Warren families and some of them
served In the war with Spain. Leave of
absence and transportation for a guard of
honor. composed of corporal and six men
from Company D of the 9Th Regiment. was
issued by Gen. Dick to escort home the re-
mains of Corp. Clark
The Secretary of War directed this morn
ing that General Grant in command of
the Department Of the Lakes, make a full
and complete invdstiga ton of the clash
of the soldiers of the regular army and
the members of the militia in camp near
Athens. Ohio, last night, when Corporal
Charles Clark of: Warren, Ohio, a mem
Der of Company I'D, 5th Ohio National
Guard was killed and three other MEM
berS of the National Guard were wounded.
The Secretary or War noted the press
dispatches Hthe affair in the morning
papers, and I'D not wait for an official re-
port. He sehti for'IActing Chief of Staff
Gillespie and directed that no time be lost
in making ADMINISTRATION of the affair.
Clashes between regular soldiers and
members of tile militia, who are in camps
of instruction together, of rare oc-
currence, and. 1T is''the intention of the
War Department officials to put forth every
effort to see that the soldiers of the regu-
lar army so deport themselves as to re-
duce to the smallest percentage any chance
of difficulty beings caused by them. 1t
Is the belief of the War Department Off
Gals that the Investigation will result in
clearing up the entire matter. and will
have a good effect in the prevention Of a
similar occurrence at the Manassas maneu-
vers, where there will be more militiamen
than troops of the regular army.
General Grant IS expected to take up the
investigation at once and make a prelimi-
nary, report, to the chief of staff by wtre
following 1t up with a more extended re-
port In the regular order Of business