The Shooting of Major Alexander P. Cronkhite: Accident? Suicide? Murder?

摘要

At lunchtime on 25 October 1918, while his Soldiers were on a break and "at mess," Major (MAJ) Alexander P. Cronkhite, the training officer for the 213th Engineer Regiment, decided that he would do some informal target shooting with his .45 caliber pistol. Cronkhite was an excellent marksman and, although regulations prohibited off-range shooting, he apparently concluded that firing a few rounds at an old tobacco can atop a post could not do much harm. Major Cronkhite's first two shots missed, but after firing a third time, Cronkhite turned around and said to Captain (CPT) Robert Rosenbluth, who had accompanied him, "I got it that time, Rosie."