The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-22
PrecariOus Condition Of the
Victim.
CARRUTH'S STATEMENT.
Story Of the Murderous Deed by
Eye-Witnesses.
DELIBERATE ASSASSINATION.
Cruel PrOv0catiOn Leading 10 Desperate
Revenge.

vINELANp. N. j., March 81 1878.
vneland Notwithstanding heavy snow storm,
has been all day In state OF intense excitement.
The shooting OF Carruth is an event OF tran
ecendent Importance. Remembering that he Is
the leading editor and the politician Of the party
that is now in power while the person who shot
him is the founder OF the town. its most inn uential
citizen, respected, wealthy and generally admitted
TO have established this community by the l,rce
and originality OF his genius.
HISTORY OF THE NEARLY FATAL DIFFICULTY.
The town Is divided into two parties All con.
demn the ras1ness OF Lands in shooting Carruth,
but his friends argue that ne Is an ex-
ctabe man. highly sensitive about his
honor. and that ne has been goaded
into this act orrcvenge BY the continued editorial
assaults OF Carruth. On the other hand. the
flends of Carruth say that the attacks were not
malignant or personal but simply the cham ng.
jibing and merry conceits OF an editor who cared
only to make mis- journal sell, and who took adj
vantage OF the prominence Of Lands to saJirlze
him. 1t seems that for some time past Lands
has been losing his influence In Vineland. Thir-
teen years ago he came here and purch ased a
large tract Of land. The situation s about half
way between Philadelphia and Cape May,
and the land when purchased was cheap
and unastractive. Lands by dint Of persistent
advertising, especially in weekly and
agricultural journals, system as comprehensive
as that Of patent medicine men, succeeded IN at
tracing large settlement The town was
formed upon rigid and novel principles. The sale
Of liquor was prohibited. The streets and avenues
and houses were all arranged according to pre-.
conceived method. These rules were earnestly
enforced. Lands, as the head OF the-.colony. and
responsible for this discipline, naturally made enc
mics.
TIE INDEPENDENTS.
Many Of the settlers who came as settlers so
often do, expecting to find land nowing with
milk and honey, with tropical soil and unprece.
dented advantages, we're disappointed when they
found only an open sandy Jersey plain. This
disappointment, which came, perhaps, as much
from the Incidence OF the settler, led to strong
feeling against Lands, feeling well expressed
by one Of the malcontents to-day, who said, "But
for the law Lands would have been shot long
ago" Ii was this dlscontent which Carruth and
his journal represented. Carruth himself came
here not more than six years ago and took charge
OF the paper three years later. He took an i'm.
portant part IN the grange movement, being the
head or the grangers here, the party opposed to
LandIs' dctaton-the Independents. He with
his trends defeated lands in the local
elections, three years ago, and the indie.
pendents have ever since held the town
This defeat which brought the influence OF Lam
dis, at one time almost imperial, to an end.
chagrined MIN and has been the underlying Gauss
OF this tragedy, which has brought himself into
prison and his rival to the verge OF the grave.
VISIT TO THE WOUNDED MAN.
The HERALD reporter visited Mr.. Carruth this
afternoon at the printing once of the Independent,
where ne still lies in very critical condition. but
without any change for the worse, which Is con.
sidered good sign by the attending physicians,
Drs. Brown and Fuller. The newspaper once Is
on the main street OF the town, Lands avenue, a
few rods from the railroad station, opposite
and just above the real estate ONCE OF
Lands. 1t is in a two story brick building.
at the head OF narrow flight OF stairs, where,
alter turning sharp angle to the LETT, is q door
eet inches WIDE, opening into the ed
itorial ONCE OF the Independent. 1t is narrow
room. only So feet wide by 204 feet long, broad.
ened at the street front by recess under the
stairway, making IL II feet in width at that
part. aud divided by railing from the narrower
part OF the room where the recess begins. In the
small space inside this railing are office desks and
chairs and at the right is 4 door feet wide
leading TO the composing and press rooms OF the
establishment. This apartment is square. with
90 ieet frontage ana 80 feet deep.
After entering and looking toward the right
there is galley stand, three leet wide, coming
flush up to the jamb OF the door ana extending
along the wall for distance OF eleven feet, where
it terminates at another narrow door OF the same
width as the O:her. opening on the hail, whence
entrance Is obtained TO the editorial room, before
described. There is a large press, small one. II
large Imposing stone, case, STAND and OJhcr office
materials crOwclng the room, ana making the
passage way between the two doors only three
feet wide, and rendering quick progress from one
to the o'ner stiil more difficult on account OF the
sharp corners Of the galley stand whicn extends
THE VICTIMS STATEMENT.
The reporter found the wounded man lying on a
small bedstcad in an apartment adjoining, into
when ne was carefully removed yesterday, alter
lying near where he was snot IN the COMPOSING
rom for over twenty our hours. lie lay on the
bed, with his eyes Closed but conscious, and an
tcndant was carefully sponging his head with
arnlca TWO abrasIons on tie right cheek bone
and the forehead had caused Doth eyes to become
much swollen and olackened He appeared 10 be
. man oil Ortyhve years, about five ieet six
inches in height, rather stoutly built. with brown
nar and wnis4ers. lie mad refused to make any
saying wnen 30 requested, that he had
nothing to say against Lands and wished
however, he said distinctly, ~ have never had
any unklnd feeling toward Lands OF any desire to
lnjure MN; but always had an mveterate hatred
Tor humbug and an Inpostor." lie said nothing
more at this time and was unwilling ana unable to
talk further, but subsequently explained in answer
to questions. tnat when he came INTO the oflicc
ana saw Lands waiting he did not for moment
dream OF ms purpose nnt ne saw the pistol ia
sloe, he ran TO escape, upon which Lanuls, with
out word OF explanation, fred. The following is
the story OF the shooting as told by the COMPOST
tors VINO were in the once at the time:-
THE STORY OF EYE-wIINEssEs.
Shortly after ten o'ciocS, Lands came
into The editorial room, opened the door
OF the printing ONCE and asked where Mr..
Carutn was. Henry wilbur. the foreman; b.
Frank Laid and Mile case, compositors;
James Whey, apprentice. and Eddie wright, once
boy, were IN the printing Office MIR. Wilbur In
formed Lands that the editor was not IN, but he
would send Tor hm, and accordingly despatched
tue 10Y To look for him. Mr.. Wilbur says that he
was led 10 observe lands closely, from the fact
that he had not visited the independent ONCE tor
three years, because OF the unlrlenoly relations
between himself and the editor. He says that
Lands showed no excitement whatever IN hts
manner but perfect GOODNESS and deoeratlon.
Upon hearing Carruth was not In he took a seat
In the editorial room IN q corner where ne could
see tOth doors. After delay, the duration OF
winch IA yarlOuslv given from 1--WE % MN