Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-07-06
RIOT BULLETS WOUND
DURING MOCK BATTLE
Sergeant B|ounl Falls with Three
s|ugs Shot Into Hin by
The Opposing Army
PETERSBURG R|fLEMEA BLAMED
Comhatants Only Separated by a
Few Feet While the Battle" Was
I'll Ptaatess Which is Contrary to
Resulations-FederaI Arsenal Held
Responsible.
Especial to the Daily Press.)

ftlGf1 MOND, VA, July 5.-Informa-
lion received this afternoon Is to
the effect tina, Sergeant Frank ID.
biount is desperately wounded. His
condition is said to be critical and
II Is feared he will not recover. Pro.
fuse hemorrhages characterize his
present condition.
The accidental shooting of Ser.
geant Frank d. Blount, OF the Wal,
ker Light Guards, Company b. Sew.
entfeth Virginia regiment, engaged
in the sham battle at Chase City yes.
terday afternoon, has created pro.
found sorrow among all officers and
men engaged in the mock affair.
Captain a. w. Miller, commanding
Company b, remained in Chase City
at the bed side of the soldier. the
remainder of the company. however
reaching Richmond this morning.
Lieutenant Stack in Command.
The wound is said by First Lieu.
tenant William A. Stack. who was In
immediate command of the company
in the field, to have been inflicted
by what is termed multiple she'll"
commonly known as riot" car.
fridge. This is short cartridge car.
rying three small balls about the
size of a green pea.
This theory Is borne out by the
fact that Sergeant Dlount received
three wounds in the small OF his
back, one ball penetrating and pass
ing through that part of the body,
while two balls yet remain embed.
ded in the back near the spine
Lieutenant Stack gives the follow
ing description of the sham battle:
AT the time of the accident my
men had been under fire for about
three-ouartcrs of an hour. with the
company on the aggressive
Petersburg Company the Enemy"
The company from Petersburg,
commanded by Captain ,Parham, SIP
ported by the Chase City company,
in command of Captain Goods, were
on the defensive. Captain A. w.
Miller, mounted, was in charge OF
the aggressive forces. composed of
about twenty men from our company
and an equal number of men from
the Chase City company-in all, forty
men. There were about the same
number in the opposing forces.
AT the moment of the shooting Of
Blount l had issued the command
to retreat The lines of the Peters.
burg company were at once seen to
depfoy in open movement, those OF
the Chase City company coming up
to their support and ut once being
inextricably intermingled with the
Petersburg line.
BIount in the Rear.
Sergeant Blount was in the ex.
IRENE rear of the retreating forces
at this time. with Color Sergeant
w. w. Spence, by his side. 1t was
at this moment that Blount received
the wound, falling at once to the
ground.
Il desire here to make the state
ment that at the moment Blount
two opposing companies were inter.
mingled on one firing line, discharg-
ing their rifles at KILL 1t Is i'm
possible to place the blame or to
name the man firing the loaded
she'll"
I, AS to Responsibility.
While Colonel Leidy, OF the Seven
ty-second Virginia, who was present
at the time, advances the theory
that the accident may be traceable
to negligence at the government ar
senal, it is conceded that mystery
surrounds the accident, which no
theory can dispel. The shooting is re-
garded as purely accidental.
Immediately after the man was
wounded excitement became intense
and Lieutenant Stack said that one
man rushed up to him and said that
he had seen one Of the men of the