Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-04
From the Burlington Hawkeye.
TRAGEDY AT SEYMOUR,
Two uesPcradoes Fatally Shot
the Officers Of the Law,

Two Despcradoes Fatally shot BY
the Onicers Of the Law.
EDlToR BURLINGTON HAwKEYE--I
Two dcspcradoes by the names of
William and Milton Richardson, both
Of Seymour. Iowa, got into = shooting
ARRAY, the other day, at q little town
called Numa, seven miles east of here,
for which they wero wanted by the
State authorities, but who were unable
to arrest them until to-day, ss they
had sworn they would kill anybody
who laid hands on them, and that
they could not and would not be taken
alive. A day or so will tell how
we'll their oath was kept.
Officer Mccoy, with deputy Davis,
with proper warrant, this afternoon,
about 3 o'clock started for their re-
spectivc residences to arrest them,
drew up in front of Bill Richardson's
house, approached the latter, drew
out his warrant and to proceeded to
read tho same to him, when Richard.
con jumped up, saying: "Stand back
and do not touch me, or will shoot
you" Mccoy warned him not to
shoot, but to give up, for arrest him
he would, dead or alive. Upon that
Richardson fired at Mccoy twice,
when Davie, the deputy, drew his re-
volver and shot r. By this time Nc
Coy being ready shot him twice more,
one ball entering the right breast, about
one and half inches to the right nip
pie, and coming out about one and .
half inches to the left one In the alb
domen just below the navel and rang
ing down towards the groin, and the
other in tho thigh. He was carried in
the house and the doctors sent for
who probcd his wounds, and pro-
nounced them dangerous but not nee
cssarily fatal.
Up to this point Milton Richardson
knew nothing of his brothers fate, but
in some way, soon thereafter got
wind of it, and with . revolver In each
hand came running toward the crowd
that had gathered, hallooing: "Stand
back! Anybody laying hands on me
will get hurt and show me Mccoy
who shot my brother, for he cannot
live after thie.'
Not seeing him he frantically rushed
up the street, as said before, holding
q revolver in each hand determined to
shoot the officer.
About five minutes previous to this,
the latter had gone from the bloody
scene to the Bowel hotel. ] had gone
up stairs at the Central Hotel, and was
standing on the verands, my eyes fol-
lowing the movements OF Richardson.
At rapid pace he was walking to-
ward the first mentioned hotel, and
when within about seventy or eighty
yards of it, just before crossing the
railroad track, stopped and turned
half around as II to see whether the
officer might be observed down the
street some " heres, and while stand
ing thus / heard the report Of . revol'
yer, and almost instantaneously saw
him (R--) place his hand to his
| right side, and heard him exclsim
"Oh! Oh! Oh God!" Directly / saw
Mccoy, who had shot from the sec
ond story window, emerge from the
| hotel with long navy revolver in bis
hand, and exclaim: Stop and throw
down your revolvers. R threw
them down and Mccoy stepped mp 4
him, plaoins his h~ad OF, hie sAoulde,
and ordered him to walk on.
| He obeyed, and walked about one
hundred TO one hundred and twenty.
five yards, when he sat down and was
unable to proceed any farther.
He was picked up and carried to thu
Central Hotel where his wound wa
probed, and found that the ball had
entered the intestines. He will prob
ably die. Thus, likely ends the caree1
of two daring desperadoes.
| Officer Mccoy and Deputy Davi'
| will undoubtedly be exonerated, a. NJ
blame seems to be attached to them.
1. j. B.
i SEYMOUR, IA, July 25, 1875
i Later-Milton r. is now dying; ca
] not live through tho day. Both mel
have to die, and will be dead ere TIL
ia in print. j. B.