Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-02-22
BRUTAL MALICE !.
A Bloody Assault upon the
Local Of the Bulletin!
Murder the Purpose, and Revenge the
Motive!
HIS PERIL AND ALMOST MIRACULOUS


MIFUer tMc furpOSe> 0uu Revenge Ill
MOtivel
HIS PERIL AND ALMOST MIRACULOU
ESCAPE!
The BULLETIN, in the exercise of it
functions as a news gatherer, has from
time to time aaG occasion to record tn,
manifestations Of lawlessness and Grim,
developed within it's field of observation
Many of them have been of a characte
to shock the %sensibilities and excite tn
indignation of all law-abiding people, bu
it has never fallen to our lot to detail
the particulars of a crime SO revolt
ing, and at the same time so bold ant
audacious; OF one thathas so thorough,
aroused the wrath of the community, a
that which occurred lea this city las
Sunday evening. For deliberate, cool
blooded, murderous malice in its incep
ton, and devilish persistency in its exc
c%ution, it has no parallel in the crimina
annals of this county. To show thai
this judgment is not colored by the cir
cumstance hat the crime was directed
against one near and dear to the writer
we appeal to the facts.
Last Sunday morning, about 10 O'Clock
Sidney S. Toman, son of the proprietor
of this paper, and local editor of the
same, hired a livery team to go to Mr.
Sheridan's, about 8 miles northwest from
this city, his purpose being to bring
back Miss Matte Sherwood, who had
been visiting some days at Mr.. Sheri.
dams residence. He returned in the af-
ternoon with the lady, and passed the
southwest corner of the Catholic Gene.
terry, which is about a mile from town.
at 7:3O P. NJ. AT this point he stopped
the horses to adjust something in the
buggy, and was a moment after startled
by the apparition of a hand holding a
pistol, which, pushing the rear curtain
aside, was thrust into the buggy and dis
charged, with no effect. This was shot
No. 1. Obeying the first impulse to get
out of so dangerous a locality, Sidney
gave the horses a sharp cut with the
whip, but, though spirited animals, in
stead of starting, they only paved and
danced. They were evidently held by
the bits by one or more persons. The
young mans next impulse, which he
obeyed, was to spring from the vehicle,
whip in hand, and, thinking only of the
safety of his companion, babe her drive
on. This she was unable to do, however,
for the reasons stated; nor had she any
idea of doing it. She is quite confident
that she saw three persons in the attack
ing party, Of which two probably were
at the horses heads. When Sidney
alighted, he went around to the real of
the buggy and there found his assailant,
pistol in hand, standing on the axle
awaiting him. Sidney was totally I'M
armed, but without hesitation he grasp
ed the whip by the small end and at
tackled the villain with spirit. Owing to
the fact, however, that he could not
reach his head, he made little impress
sion on him. During this part of the
melee, the unknown scoundrel fired
three shots from his perch on the bug
gy, two of which took effect in Sidney's
head. One passed through the front
piece of his cap, entered his forehead
directly over the left eye, and taking a
downward, slanting direction, came out
neal the temple. The other entered the
scalp about three inches above the right
eye, and travelling in an upward direc-
ton, lodged next the skull at nearly the
crown of the head. This wound was
overlooked in the first examination by
the surgeons, and not until Wednesday
morning, when it had become very pain
full, was it discovered and the ball taken
out, and with it a large piece of the lin
ing Of the cap.
1t was while facing the assassin on
his vantage ground of the axle, that Sid
ney said to him: What do you want?
If it is to rob us, we will give you what
we have, but don't take our lives when
we have no chance of defending them"
The only response was that which came
from the muzzle Of the revolver. From
first to last, the wretch never uttered a
word. He seemed to be possessed sole
ly with a fell purpose to kill, from which
he would suffer no consideration of gain
or mercy to divert him. From the UNI
equal contest at the rear, Sidney retrea-
ed to the side of the vehicle, his a~ssail-
ant jumping to the ground and following
him. Here he delivered two more shots,
m of which missed, and the other tax
ing effect in his back, between the
shoulders, penetrated a thick wadded
~overcoat, the inner coat and the outer
fold of cloth in the vest back, by which
time it's force was expended without do
ing bodily harm.
The poor boy, finding by this time
that the purpose to murder him was not
to be given we while his enemy had a
shot left, determined to make a desper-
ate struggle for his life. Casting him
self upon the murderer, he encircled his
neck with his arm, at the same time try
ing to trip him up. When he had nearly
accomplished this, the villain, with II
desperate effort, released himself, and
turning, placed the pistol close to the
ear of his victim and fred the seventh
and last shot. The bullet entered the
head just above the orifce of the left
ear, severed the temporal artery, and
ranging forward, buried itself in the
muscles everything the cavity Of the tenn
pie, where it yet remains, the surgeons
being unable to locate it by the probe
as yet. 1t is only certain that it did not
enter the brain. The effect of the last
shot was to blind and stagger its recip-
lent. Stretching out his hands, he crop
ed and tottered to the fence, where,
noo;or b;pncolf thu blood IN tho