Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-05-14
MICHIGAN's DEATH TOLL.
BY WlNGRovE BATHoN

staff Correspondent of the Washington.
Star, With the American Forces
at Vera Cruz.
Vera Cruz. Mex April % (by mail
steaIner).-The Michigan, in common
with the other battleships of the fleet,
tonight paid her toll of life.
The patriotism which has found it's
most recent expression in the demand
brought home to the men of the Mich
igan in the death OF Chief Gunner's
Mate Boswell under circumstances
which are typical of the splendid be-
havior of the men of the fleet in the
present circumstances at Vera Cruz.
Boswell. who belonged in the 4th
Company of this ship, went ashore
when the -Iichigan battalion was
landed this afternoon, in the First Com
pany (the artillery company, because
he was in general charge of the field
pieces OF the Michigan's battalion. He
was a first class man, highly thought of
by his officers and was about to be
made a torpedo gunner's mate.
When Lieutenant Commander Green
slade, commanding the Michigan's
battalion gave the order to march, as
the men landed on the Vera Cruz dock
the men proceeded in good spirits, not
withstanding the "snipe shooting" they
Gale Vicario, to Avenida Indepen-
dencia, the principal street of Vera
Cruz. The newspaper correspondents
attached to the Michigan had been
walking through this street half an
hour before and many other people
were going to and fro.
Shots From Housetops.
Shots had been fired from the house
tops almost every block or SO as the
Michigan's men came ashore. The
artillery company in which Boswell
was located was between two Infantry
companies of the Michigan outfit. Be-
cause of the shots from the housetops
the men marched with eyes on the
buildings through which they passed,
and with rifles raised, threateningly, at
their unseen enemies.
Then came the shot that struck Bos-
Well-ln the main street of Vera Cruz,
as the men marched to take up their
intended position In the barracks of the
Nineteenth federal Mexican infantry.
AS Boswell fell, there was, just for a
second, a glancing at officers by the
men. and the command came to a halt.
Lieutenant Commander G%reenslade and
Lieutenant Thomas got a squad to-
gether in a few minutes to go into the
buildings through which the march had
been made.
Four Mexicans were found and ar
rested in n Of the upper stories Of one
Of the buildings. The battalion. had
moved on. The squad followed. An
other squad too Boswellts body back
to the landing and from there to the
Solace.
The officers of the Michigan's BAT
TALON say that as their men realized
hat n of their number had been as
sassinated in cold blood, it was touch
n go for a moment what they would
do in that block of the Avenida indie
pendencia. True to their teaching,
however. the men of the Michigan, as
1n1ya tho mo 0f oil 3hn 6htt1nchinS
stood fast, n took no revenge.
Men Ashore at Vera Cruz.
Vera Cruz, Mex. April % (by mail
steamer.)-Nine battleships of the At
lantic fleet have each landed approx
mately 500 men in this city, making a
total of 200 of these men, the ships
being the Arkansas. Florida, Utah,
shire, Vermont, Minnesota and South
Carolina. The Louisiana, the other
battleship here with the fleet, has not
yet landed men and is not expected to
do so. AT this writing she is coaling,
and is expected to up anchor" and
Mayo's forces, which include the tor
pedo boa d~estroyers sent there yester-
day morning.
In addition to the 200 men above
mentioned, there are men ashore from
the Prairie and Chester of the Atlantic
Iloet, al duQlliOI OIL ABOUT 0UU, as wei
as 1900 marines under Lieutenant Col
onel Lejeune, which came from the
Hancock and other similar ships. This
makes a total Of 800 United States
sailors and marines in the expedition
airy force in possession Of Vera Cruz to-
day. The gunboat Nashville came in
today. The Solace, hospital ship, ar
rived yesterday. The cad and wounde
are being taken to the latter vessel.
The living, breathing, excited city OF
Vera Cruz today deals with the present,
the necessities Of the moment, as mar
after man is added to the list of those
who have been NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
as the sailors and marines call it. A
few minutes g a squad Of men from
the Florida set up a machine gun be-
Il a barricade of sacks of coffee
commandment" from the railroad ter
minals and 'let fly" through a house
in which they had caught a sharp
shooter who had picked off" one Of
their men. There We're said to be
others in the building. n the Florida
men thought the machine gun test 9
better one than the so-called acid
test of asking questions, such as where
did you get this gun" and what are
you going TO do with this ammunition
Paisver Doesn't Go.
The "amisc-mio" business, meaning
'.you and l hrc friends" doesn't go