The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-02-13
FIRED SHOT At j. S.
NAVAL OFFICER
IN VERA CRUZ
Attempted Assassination o t
Lieut.. Arthur 3. Cook.
RECEIVED SLIGHT WOUND
Bullet From Pistol Fired by I'm.
known Person Struck officer on
the Thigh
RECEIVED SLIGHT WOUND

Vera Cruz, Feb. 13.-An attemp.
was made at Vera Cruz late Wednes
day night to assassinate Lieut. Arthur
Il. Cook, flag lieutenant to Rear-Ad.
miral Mayo of the United States bat
tleship Connecticut. Lieut.. Cook, al
though struck by bullet, was only
slightly hurt. His assailant was not
seen. The lieutenant. accompanied
by his wife and Miss Ethel Mckenzie
of Philadelphia, had been dining with
Admiral Mayo aboard the flagship
Returning to the landing place, the
party entered carriage to drive TO
the steamer MORO Castle, on which
Mrs. Cook and Miss Mckenzie were
to sail yesterday
The two women occupied the rear
seat of an open victoria, Lieut. Cook,
, conspicuous in full dress white uni
form, with gold epaulets and heavy
gold cords, denoting his rank as flag
lieutenant, sat facing them with his
back to the driver Just after 10 o.
clock the party, proceeding down.
the avenida de la Independence was
greeted by group of naval officers
and correspondents going toward the
main plaza of the city. Their car
riage proceeded about black further
when, in passing side street. a
sharp, but not loud, detonation was
heard, and Lieut. Cook felt smart
shock ON the left hip, which provok-
ed his surprise, but apparently was
not associated at the time with what
appeared to be shot,
Whoever fired the shot must have
made off Immediately and the few
loungers who happened TO be in that
neighborhood. noting that the report
was not attended by any disturbance
O. outcry, paid no further attention
to the matter. The carriage con.
tinued on to the wharf at which lay
Lieut. Cook found a small object on
the seat where he had been sitting,
which proved to be steel jacketed
25-callber bullet of the type used in
pocket automatic pistols. Further
investigation showed that the bullet
had inflicted bruise on his hip. Be.
yond doubt the bullet, which was fir
ed at a very short distance, as evi.
denced by the sharp report, was
spent, probably having lost Its veloci-
ty by passing through the woodwork
of the carriage.
Both Mrs. Cook and Miss McKen-
zie were greatly agitated by the dis.
covery OF the bullet. Having seen
them to their state-room, Lieut. Cook
returned aboard the flagship and re-
ported the attack to the admiral,
who, yesterday morning communicat.
ed with John Lind, president VII.
sons representative. and the Ameri-
can consul, w. w. Canada. They
notified Gen. Mas, military com
mandant at Vera Cruz. without, how.
ever, making any formal demand.
Later Mr.. Lind will officially in
form Gen Mas that the mere arrest
OF persons assaulting or attempting
to assault American officers or civil
fans is a matte- of small consequence
compared with the personal responsi.
bility Of the general for such outrag-
es. 1t will be made clear to Gen
Mas that he personally will be held
TO the strictest accountability for
failure to prevent such attacks.
The avenue on which the attack on
Liuet Cook was committed is the
principal tho -oughfare of the city. 1t
is wide and brilliantly Illuminated
street. lined for the greater part with
wholesale and retail stores and
banks. the upper floors of which are
used as high-class residences. At
the hour of the attack the st.eet was
almost deserted except for the re.
quenters OF some saloons and a
gambling house which the carriage
had just passed.