The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-07
MUTINY ON CRUISER
Chief Master-at-armS Shot by
Sailor: Is Dead.
WAS OFFICER OF TENNESSEE
Sailors Claim Trouble Started when
Vessel Acted as Convoy When Pres
ident Made Trt9 to Panama-De-
clare Officers Became MartiBets to
Make Good Showing.

Philadelphia. Feb. Elm mutiny
aboard the armored cruiser Tennessee. al
League Island Navy Yard to-day. three
men were shot. one Of them receiving
wounds that resulted in his death
Chief MasteT-at-aTms james Douglas,
forty-hve years old, was shot ouce I'm the
head. the bali penetrating the brain. and
twice in the breast. lie died at a hos
pital.
Master-at-arms William McCool re-
ceived a flesh wound on the arm and a
wound in the face. Harry Burke, twen-
ty-four years old, seaman. was shot
through the left wrist
Burke was one Of the mutineers. and
after his injury was dressed be was
locked in the ships brig, charged with
firing Size shots that weonded the 9th
ers.
Seamen Dean ard Dunn are En- irons.
charged with being accomplices. while
others viii be punished for trying to in
tcrfere with the detachment of marines
that finally succeeded in quelIing the dis
turbance.
The trouble began on the Roosevelt
trip. when the Tennessee was one of the
vessels that conveyed the President 10
Panama The sailors say that the petty
officers. anxious 10 make q display be-
came martinets, and that barely day
passed that the brig did not contain one
or more sailors lodged there for trifIng
offenscs.
sailors Dislike Discipline.
When the Tennessee arrived at League
Island it was declared by the sailors that
the ''uoncoms" had more authority than
the officers.
ON Tuesday Burke and his companions
had been placed IN the brig. u had been
feared that they were planning a brig
delivery Of their bunkies. who had been
confined for giving back talk TO the chief
master-at-arms. The latter had been
the special object OF the crews dislike
At noon Burke. Dean. and LunnuS were
brought before the master-at-arms for
sentence. After sentence had been pro
noJnced by Lieut. Fields. executive
officer OF the Tennessee. Douglas was
ordered To shackle the trio and put them
in the brig again.
Douglas. according 10 sailors who saw
the affair. acted i'm a brutal manner, and
when the prisoners demonstrated. he
struck Lunnus. He had the prisoners
covered with revolver. and declared ne
would shoot the first man who moved.
notwithstanding this. Burke. as Douglas
raised his hand 10 strike a second blow.
seized the revolver. A scuffle followed.
in which the revolver was discharged.
vounding Burke in the wrist. He held
on, however and finally got the revolver.
Runs to Douglas, Aid.
Master-at-arms McCook ran TO the as
sistauce Of Douglas, and seeing that he
was about TO be overcome Burke fired
three times at Douglas and then at Nc
Cook. The petty officers called for help.
but the seamen yelled, Give EN- h-I.'
and when the bugle call for assembly was
sounded. none of the men paid any at
tention to it, The muJiny call was then
sounded. and this brought detachment
OF marines The sight of their bayOnets
cooled the sailors ardor.
Some one had also turned in a riot call
from the navy yard administration build
ing and the police OF the Thirty-fourth
district. two miles away. hurried down I'm
a patrol wagon. Lieut.. Fields ordered
them off the ship. declaring they were in
trading. as the disturbance happened on
government property. The police waited !
ON shore.
The wounded men were taken below. I
but the ships surgeon ordered that Doug
las lac taken to "a hospital. The ambu- /
lance from the Methodist Hospital soon I
arrived. but Lieut. Fields refused to per |
init Douglas 10 be removed unless ne was
taken 10 the Naval Hospital. nearly five /
miles away The ambulance surgeon I
pointed ont that the Methodist Hospital 4
was only q mile away. and that for a I
man in Douglas condition. delIy might /
be fatal
Lieut.. Fields was Obdurate and appealed !
to the patrol wagon sergeant. but the /
latter declared that under the clrcum- /
stances he was not justified in making .
such a long journey.
After an hours wrangling. the naval /
hospital ambulance arrived. and Douglas.
very weak, was carried away Lieut
Fields then began an investigation. and 4
ssued orders that no shore leave be given.
He also inquired into the alleged brig
delivery, but would give out no infOrma-
lion.
THE matter does not concern the pub
ic' he said. ut happened on govern
nent property, and whatever ] have to
say will be said to the Navy Department
lt Washington I'm my report.
J. II. Small 6 Sons, Florists,
" Washiugton and New York.