The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-10-18

Early on Monday morning rumors began to
reach Ottawa of fearful murder at La Sale, and
that the excitement was 20 intense that lynch
law and mob vengeance on the murderer were
! inevitable. The stories assumed a more tangible
shape on the arrival of the noon train with the
prisoner in charge OF competent police force.
For some time past, tits known, there has been
"A rising jealousy among the miners at La Sale
| growing out of a manifest disposition OF the coal
companies to favor the employment Of miners Of
certain nationalities and the elimination Of the
employees of certain other natonalities. short
time ago the Superintendent of the Northern H..
Nine appointed as "boss" of one of the pits an
Engshman named Oughton, while another man,
an Irishman named Murphy, considered himself
entitled to the position. OF course there was, on
this account, bad blood, not only between these
two, but the feeling was participated in more or
less by all the miners of the opposing national
tiles On Sunday this feeling eliminated in one
of those tragedies which, wherever it prevails,
are always liable to occur
As the story comes 90 us Mr. Oughton, on
Sunday afternoon was walking along the street
in company with his wife, when he met Peter
Murphy. "llow dye do" or something of the
sort passed between them, but uttered in such
tone as to provoke insulting language on one
side which was responded to in like spirit on the
other. The result was that the two got into a
fight. Murphy is large, stout, heavy man,
while Oughton is small, spare and light. The lat
ter, not able to cope with his antagonist in an or
binary tstc encounter, drew revolver and fired
twice, each shot taking effect and resulting in the
almost instant death of Murphy.
An immense and excited crowd naturally col
lcctcd on the instant, and the mass Of it being
composed of the countrymcn of the murdered
man, with whom the antagonistc national feel.
ing ran high, without stopping to inquire into
details, as mobs never do or can do, the cry was
soon raised to hang HIM" kill HIM" &C.; and
but for the prompt energy and pluck of City Mar.
shall Byrne and the youthful newly elected MAY
or, J. W. Duncan, Esq, there would probably
have been another brutal murder then and there
The man was however, safely got to the lock up,
and there placed under guard of squad of the
La Sale Light Guards, mustered into service for
the occasion by Lieut.. Beal, the Captain refusing
to move in the matter without previous orders
from Springfield! The soldiers guarded the ail
during the night and kept the mob at bay.
Next morning it was proposed to hold an in
quest, but the mob again gathered in such force
and presented such Il threatening front, that the
mayor again summoned the soldiers to his assist.
ance, now under regular orders received by tele
gram from Springfield; and amid many violent
demonstrations the man was placed on the 1120I
o'clock train and brought to Ottawa, and safely
lodged in Jail As the circuit court is now in SEES
sion, the grand jury will doubtless take up the
case without delay, and the man will receive his
trial Mt the present term of the court when we
shall learn more about the exact facts Of the