Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-07-16

A Horrible Affair At xsw Dangsnsss.
New DuxoEsEss, July ed. 1864.
ED. STANDARD: Dear Sir This place
and my farm have been this morning the
scene # one Of the most cruel and eowardly
murders ever perpetratsd. John Tucker was
shot through the breast and instantly killed
BY an assassin bid behind log. 10 the field
where he was moving. Sometime in the
month Of May, Aumbsr Of men associated
themselves together, Asdss sSs nanesfa ".
lance committee" and arrested John Tucker,
Nicholas Adams, Thomas Goold and Harry
Martin. charging them with having committed
thefls Of personal property, and giving them
:heir choice toleave the country or to be hung.
They chose the former, and were shipped to
Victoria They, believing as do many Others.
myself among the number, that it was merely
dodgs.o get rid Of their votes and create .
prejudice that would defeat the Union ticket
at the election.
Tucker came back here on The morning Of
the election, determined to vote, induced
him to leave and 60 to Pors Angeles, which
he undertook to do, but was pursued by
twelve or fifteen men, with their riaes, into
Dungeness Light House, where he was pro-
tected by Mr.. Blake, the Keeper, and Mr..
Brown, Inspector Of Customs. Adams aud
Goold came to Port Angeles, aud cast their
votes. and the following week being Court
week, they resolved to attend and hold them
selves responsible to the action Of the Grand
Jury for any crimes they had committed.
They came here on Saturday or Sunday pre-
ceeding Court. for the purpose Of selling some
little property to raise money 10 pay their ex-
penses at Court. After leaving here they
were pursued by seven or eight men. who
took them when about half way to Port Town
send. while asleep at the house of Mr.. Flsm-
ing. where they had stopped to await the
lullins Of gale of wind. They were taken
back. and narrowly escaped being hung, by
promising to enter no suit against their psr-
secutors. and not appear at Court, and were
taken to Victoria aud turned loose. Tucker
attended Court, and challenged these men To
bring their charges before the Grand Jury. if
they had anything to charge him with. No
indictments were brought against him. and
after Court he proposed to number Of men
belonging to the vigilance committee to allow
him to come here and settle up bis business.
and he would leave them forever. They con.
sented that he should come and do that, upon
those conditions, and hs came without any
attempt at secresy, and lived at my house un-
til last Saturday, when an armed bandof thir-
ty or forty men came and surrounded my
house and demanded admittance. i refused,
when they attempted to open the gate BY
force, when I resisted but was soon overpow-
cred. A number Of them had their rifles lev
eled upon me. within two feet Of my face.
hey then ransacked the house. searching
apartments occupied by ladies. and Tighten
ing children out Of their senses. but not ind
ing Tucker ~ they expected. After stopping
about the house few hours. they left and
nothing more has been seen Of them.
This morning Tucker took = scythe and
went about hundred and fifty yards from the
house to commsnce moving, and wa shot in
the back by some person secreted in the grass
and behind log, not more than forty feet from
him. From the appearance Of the grass
there would seem to have been number Of
mon lying about in different places.
This is the result Of tho acts Of this self-
styled vigilance committee, II was gotten up
by men, all Of whom voted the Democratic
ticket ono year since. and for political pur-
poses this year. They carried the election BY
means Of it, and after using it for that par-
pose, would not let il drop without dipping
their hands in The blood Of their fellows. The
county offices are al in the hands Of men
bound up in this pretended vigilance oryani-
cation. and We can got no protection through
the authorities. The Sheriff whose duty Il l.
10 disperss mob. viii do nothing. and We arc
to bs bound hand and foot. one At time. and
shipped ont Of The country. OF worse. W sss
to b shot down BY sssassins from every
bush.
Most Of the men engaged in this committee
are sympathissrs With secession. some Of
them are lately from The South. and svssy
man they have ordered out hes bssa 6sn
Union man and member efthe ieapsty.
Several Of this committee ars fessigssss, hav.
ing no right to vote, and refusing 70 dsslass
their intsntioas 10 hecems eilissas lsst they
would b liable 10 the draft. How Ieag Ills