The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-03
GUARD AT SMELLING
KILLS A PRISONER
Sentry Shoots Down Man Who
Attempts to Throw Him
From Bridge.


While defending himself against two
prisoners who attempted to throw him
over the Fort Smelling bridge, Private
edward Kennedy, of Company r.,
TWenty-first infantry, acting as sentry,
shot and killed Tony G. Wisch yester-
day morning at 10:30 o'clock.
Wisch, general prisoner, was aided
In making the assault upon Kennedy
by Lawrence Reilly, another prisoner,
who had Joined in an attempt to break
away from the guard.
Private Kennedy was placed under
arrest when he notified the officer of
the day at the post Of the occurrence,
and rigid inquiry was at once COM
menced. A board composed of Lieut..
COL Cornelius Gardener, Capt. Her
man Hall and Capt. Cromwell Stacy
Immediately convened and summoned
Witnesses of the affair. Testimony was
taken yesterday afternoon, but the
hearing was not concluded and an ad-
Journment was taken till this morning.
when II is thought the work will be
finished and a report will be prepared.
Acting on the advice of County At
torney Kane, Coroner A. w. Miller an
nounced last night that he would
swear In jury this morning to hold
an inquest. Coroner Miller visited the
post yesterday and notified the officers
that he would have to hold an inquest,
as the place of the killing was on the
bridge, which is the property of the
city and within the county line. The
investigation by the county authorities
will be entirely independent of that Of
the military court.
Kennedy Tells His Story.
While the Investigations conducted
by both civil and military authorities
are to be most searching, it is not ex-
pected, from the facts concerning the
shooting that have developed, that Prf-
vate Kennedy will be held to have act
ed otherwise than according to instruc-
lions. From his version of the affair.
as well as that of a commissioned
officer who was a witness, it appears
that he was assaulted, and would have
been hurled from the bridge to the cliff
below had he not succeeded in direct
ing shot at WiSch. Private Kenne-
dy's story follows:
L was guarding Wisch and Reilly,
who were making the regular MORN
Ing rounds with the garbage wagon.
When in the lower post we sought
contractors sheds. When the rain
ceased Wisch proposed that we all go
over the bridge and get a drink I
refused and then Wisch broke away,
lodged behind a shed and ran over
the bridge. / forced Reilly to 60 be-
fore me and pursued the man, whom
1 overlook in George Harris Fort
Smelling hotel. Ordnance Sergeant
Won Neyvenheim joined me there and
fhn
across the bridge.
When near the Fort Smelling end
Of the bridge both prisoners suddenly
turned and assaulted me with their
lists, striking me several times in the
face. was unable to use my gun at
such close quarters, and, although
much larger than either of the men, I
was getting the worst of the encounter.
| was pressed to the railing Of the
bridge, when I felt myself being lift
ed, and believed that / was to be
thrown over. chung to my rifle, which
l managed to turn, and getting it on
level with Wisch pulled the trigger,
shooting him in the breast He fell
back and died almost instantly
Wisch Had Bad Record.
When Wisch was shot his compan-
ion broke away and ran to a pile of
III COulIdClOI Su0Q, where
he concealed himself. He was cap
tured by Sergeant Won Neyvenheim,
and conducted by Kennedy back to
the guard house, where he was placed
in solitary confinement to await court
martial
Wisch was formerly member of
the Thirteenth battery, field artillery,
and, having had five previous convic-
tons for breaches Of discipline, was
sentenced by a general court-martial
to three months confinement in the
guard house and to be dishonorab1y
discharged from the service. He had
served thirty days of this sem
tence. His companion, Private Reilly,
was apprehended as deserter from
the Nineteenth infantry, but on the
recommendation of his former company
commander was tried by summary
court for absence without leave and
was serving a three months sentence.
Wiseh was twenty-six years old, and
had formerly resided in South ST. Paul