The terrible tragedy enacted at Central…
source date: 1890
availability: public-domain

The terrible tragedy enacted at Central Friday night proves that the army discipline is very lax, or was not properly enforced. At any rate, a soldier, while intoxicated, makes a fight on officers and citizens in general, armed with a government gun and three belts of cartridges. It is quite evident that the soldier meant harm when he left the post, and the manner in which he secured his arms and ammunition from the gun room is a matter in which the citizens as well as officers are very much interested. It is quite evident that some of the commissioned, or non-commissioned officers, were very negli- gent in the discharge of their duty, and as a consequence a woman and a peace officer have been killed, and the county will be put to no small expense in trying, and probably hanging, this criminal. It is high time that some restraint be put upon soldiers who are in the habit of getting drunk and raising disturbances, or at least that their arms be taken away from them before they are allowed to leave the post. Our county has enough murderers of her own to look after, without being called on to board and pro- secute criminals in the employ of the govern- ment.