Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-01-20

/
A Buffalo paper tells how a vonlal
put 10 flight a mob of twenty drIpkel
men, in the village Of Holland rs FOL
lows The mob was on a goaersl
"spree," aud the disposition 30 do mis-
chief was manifest Entering the tayerI
OF Mr.. Paul, the landlord was speedil,
driven from the scene, his two yonnG
sons, one eighteen aud the othsF twenty
years Of age, coming forward 70 dea
with the riotous visitors. The boys, whC
yainly endeayored 10 pacify the drunken
savage gang, and 10 induce them X
leave the premises, were finally vet upoT
and badly beaten, as were also couple
OF men boarding in the house, who came
to their rescue. Up TO this time hrs
Paul had not appeared. IL was mol
until one OF her sons, covered with blood
and bruises, retreated 10 her, in the real
apartment of the house. that she felt her,
self summoned 10 action. Her first
instincts were altogether womanly She
thought that she could persuade the
rpffians, by an appeal 10 the ordinary
respect Of man for woman, TO desist from
their violence, and she boldly went into
their midst, drunken and armed with
clubs as they were. Her appearance
and her appeals had no effect upon them.
They threatened her own person with
violence, aud swore that they would burn
the house and kill the inmates Then
this strong hearted woman rose TO arms,
and declared for battle with the savage
mob which would not be cnnciliRted by
peaceful persuasions. Escaping from
d aide door, she attempted 10 rally
the neighboIs, OF whom there were
enough near nj hand, 10 the defence OF
her threatened house and family But
the neighbors would not rally the mol
looked too formidable 10 them. She
could gatheg no force 10 assist her And
perhaps il is not singular that the
villagers stood timidiy aloof, becarse,
without some resolnte leader 10 give
them confidence in each other, men are
apt to appear cowsrds in such an sinerg-
ency, through every ones fear that he
may expose himself without good back
ing from his fellows. At all events. the
neighbors of Mrs. Paul declined to
assume the defence OF her premises, so
che was left 20 her own resources.
Nothing daunted she borrowed two re-
yolvers, dispatched q messenger TO the
village store TO purchase n hundred
rounds Of cartridges, and returned 10
her beleaguered home. The rioters
were in fun possession Of it's front rooms,
and engaged in indiscriminate smashing
OF windows and furniture, helping them
selves TO liquor and appropriGting pro-
perty. She loaded the revolvers that
she had borrowed, placed them in the
hands Of her two sons, stationed them al
the two doors leading into the bar-room,
where the mob was mostly congregated,
and directed them TO fire several shots,
first into the ceiling OF the room, above
the heads OF the crowd. IN the hope that
that might suffice 20 alarm the mhreuders
and drive them off, That the shots were
so fired is AtteSted, we are told. by the
bullet marks in the ceiling. They had
no effect the rioters were too mad sith
liquor and with their passion to be so-
bered by the warning. Some OF them,
on the contrary, made rush toward one
Of the boys, and then his brother fired n
shot which struck the foremost Of the
assailants in the abdomen, and then, too,
under the directicnB of the courageous
mother, who reloaded the reyolyars as
they were empt&ed. the firing was kept
up, straight into the mob, until it broke
iuto panic and fed. One man was killed
outright, or dropped dead a few PAGES
from the door, and was found lying rs
he fell, with bottle OF whisky under
one arm and piece Of clothing plunder-
ed from the tavern under the other.
Two others are likely 10 die from the
wounds that they received.