Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-07
TRAGEDY ON CRUISER
Master-at-Arms Douglas Killed
in a Scuffie.
SHOT BY SEAMAN BURKE
Latter Resisted Being Returned to
Confinement.
IDEA OF MUTINY SECUTED
Fatal ARRAY the Result Of Continued
Ill-Feeling Between the Sailors
and Petty officers.


ceived dispatch from the commandant Of
the League Island navy yard telling of
trouble last night aboard the cruiser Ten
nessee and stating that Chief Master-at-
arms James Douglas, while taking Sea-
man Burke from the mast to confinement
in the brig, was shot twice by Burke and
seriously wounded. He said nothing about
the death of Douglas, as reported In the
press dispatches, or of any others having
been shot.
This is the first time within the recollec-
ton of naval officers of many years ex-
liberty has been found with a weapon on
his person. 1t has, however. been no un-
common thing to find bottle of liquor on
the person of an intoxicated seaman when
searched. 1t is stated that owing to the
fact that in recent years the general class
of the men has improved so much that the
officers. In order not to lessen the men s
self-respect. have permitted the custom of
searching the men after shore liberty to
fall into disuse.
There are 500 men aboard the Tennessee,
and officers at the department scout the
idea of mutiny.
1t is expected that the commandant Of the
League Island yard will at once submit by
mail a detailed account Of the circum-
stances of the shooting.
Lieut.. Fields, who is executive officer Of
the Tennessee. has refused any informa-
ton to the public concerning the homicide,
declaring that as it Mapped on government
property he would make his report solely
to the Navy Department.
Continued Ill-Feeling.
From Philadelphia it is learned that the
fatal ARRAY was the result Of continued ILL
feeling between the sailors and petty Off
GERS of the Tennessee, who are accused of
having treated the men very harshly ever
since the big cruiser was sent south to
escort the President on the Louisiana to
Panama and back. Last Tuesday Burke,
with Seamen Dean and Dunn, had been
placed in the brig for INSTRUMENTATION, and
it was alleged that they were planning to
make their escape, carrying with them sew
eral other prisoners who were charged with
insolence toward Chief Master-at-arms
Douglas, who, it was said, had been the
special object of the crews dislike At
noon the three men named were brought
before the chief master-at-arms for SEN
tence, which was administered by Lieut.
Fields. Trouble followed when Douglas
undertook to replace the irons on the pris-
oners and return them to the brig. He was
resisted. and in the course of scuffie the
sailor Burke wrenched away Douglas re-
volver, and, although himself shot in the
wrist, shot three times at Douglas and
then at Master-at-arms William McCool,
the latter receiving a flesh wound on the
arm and a wound on the face. Douglas
was shot once in the brain and twice In the
breast and died at the naval hospital in
Philadelphia nearly an hour after the shoot
ing. Burke Is under arrest on the Ten
nessee. but the Navy Department will turn
him over to the civil authorities for homi-
eide. A naval court of inquiry will also
be ordered at once to inquire into all the
details of the affair.
Iononaoa Hi11ad t,,~ no,,-Jo.