Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, April 17, 1900: "SERGEANT MURDERED. First Bloodshed in Croton Landing Strike. SOLDIER SHOT BY ASSASSIN. Member of Mount Vernon Militia, While Relieving Guard, Suddenly Falls, Pierced With Bullet Fired By Unknown—Excitement Runs Wild Over Affair." Public-domain newspaper dispatch from Croton Landing covering the first death at Camp Roosevelt during the 1900 New Croton Dam strike — Sergeant Robert Douglass of the Eleventh Separate Company, New York National Guard, shot at 9:50 p.m. April 16, 1900. Transcribed verbatim by Jeff Paine at https://jeffpaine.blogspot.com/2022/12/first-bloodshed-during-croton-dam.html
SERGEANT MURDERED. First Bloodshed in Croton Landing Strike. SOLDIER SHOT BY ASSASSIN. Member of Mount Vernon Militia, While Relieving Guard, Suddenly Falls, Pierced With Bullet Fired By Unknown--Excitement Runs Wild Over Affair. CROTON LANDING, N. Y., April 17.--The first bloodshed as the outcome of the strike at the Cornell dam was the life's blood of Sergeant Robert Douglass of the Eleventh Sep…
It was pitch dark at the time, but McDowell and the others fired a volley into a clump of bushes nearby without hitting anyone. No one saw the flash or heard the sound of the shot which killed Douglass, and it was a most mysterious affair. Meanwhile the men picked up the fallen sergeant and carried him down the hill on a stretcher, but as soon as they reached Douglass' tent the poor fellow died wi…
The morning meeting was held before 6 a. m., and the strikers finding that no effort was going to be made to work on the dam dispersed before 8 a. m. They hung about the Bowery and waited for news from New York. From the newspapers they learned that troops were on the way. Before the hour for their arrival the Bowery was filled by Italians, who stood in groups and listened to the talk of the leade…
Before the deputy sheriffs about the works knew of the arrival of troops in Croton valley the strikers were aware of it. There was a blowing of horns, and while the troops were resting at the station waiting for the word to move, 40 armed Italians carrying an American and two Italian flags crossed from Little Italy hill to the Bowery. They were cheered by the men in the Bowery and watched with int…
It exploded and the shot started the men and two men in the advanced guard nervously pulled the triggers of their rifles and the bullets tore holes in the earth 10 feet in front of them. The impression was that some one had fired on the troops and there was a halt. Fortunately the accidents did not alarm the strikers. As the troops swung into the narrow lane called the Bowery, the strange sight me…
A crowd of officers after an inspection of the ground held a conference, and it was decided to pitch camp in the valley. The tents were set up on a bank of earth and stone that was taken from the excavation made for the foundation of the big dam. A line of pickets was thrown about the works on the hill where the strikers reside. A patrol was established at Bowery bridge and admission inside the li…
Some Important Measures Which Have Received Governor's Signature. ALBANY. April 17.-- Governor Roosevelt has signed the following laws: Mr. Apgar, appropriating $50,344 for rebuilding and refinishing the buildings recently damaged by fire at Sing Sing prison. Mr. Fowler, appropriating $25,000 for cleaning out and deepening the outlet of Chautauqua lake, and also for dredging and deepening the lake…
Henry, incorporating the New York State Medical association. PAGE TWO--EDITORIALS. Telegraph and Cable Lines. A writer in Ainslee's Magazine has collected many interesting facts about the telegraph and cable lines in the world, in the course of which he notes the extent to which rates for messages have been reduced. When the first Atlantic cable was laid, the price of a 20 word message from New Yo…
It is insinuated, not without some reason, that Kentucky would be better off if it would keep whisky out of its politics and that South Carolina would be better off if it would keep politics out of its whisky. Main Street, Cortland, N. Y. ENUMERATION BEGINS. THIRTEEN LOCAL MEN START OFF THE WORK. Under Direction of State Excise Agents They are at Work To-day in the First, Second and Third Wards--W…
The men are thoroughly instructed in their work and Cortland people will soon know just what is the population of the new city. "The Missouri Girl" "The Missouri Girl" is booked for to-morrow night at the Opera House. One of the brightest things in the theatrical firmament that has cropped out of late years, is Fred Raymond's domestic play, "The Missouri Girl," which depicts principally the countr…
The balmy spring-like atmosphere of the past two days has brought out the cyclists in profusion, and Monday the pavements were literally sprinkled with wheels, which moved about from place to place and rightly give the impression that the season for riding is at hand. What then about the sidepaths? In a week, at least, the cycling season will be in full blast. The riders will be impatient to leave…
Cortland is going to do her share this year toward building a bicycle path that will extend from Syracuse to Binghamton, and about the first work that the commissioners will do after repairing will be to extend the Little York path on through to the Onondaga county line. Then a wheel-way will be built along Groton-ave. to the brick schoolhouse, thence southward to Gillet's grove, and from that poi…
The sidepaths and the manner in which they are kept are of interest to every owner of a wheel. How many miles of new road are built in Cortland county this year and how well they are maintained depend entirely upon the individual cyclist. Buy a badge, that's all; the commission will do the rest. Died of Scarlet Fever. Mrs. Cushman C. Lord died at her home, 11 Evergreen-st., at 10 o'clock last nigh…