The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-01-09
Nebraska Correspondence.
BLOOMINGTON, Dec. 23rd,, 1878.

| AeC. --OFu, 1910.
DDITOR PRESS s:-Bloomington, the
COunty-seat of Franklin county, is To-
Gated on the north bank of the Repub-
lican River, and the present terminous
of the Republican Valley Railroad, and
will be until the people farther West
vote bonds for its continuation. have
no doubt said bonds will be voted, but
1 sincerely question the propriety of so
doing, as believe when the resources
of the country are sufficient to justify
| it, railroads will be forthcoming, with
out the aid of the frontiersmen, the
| most of whom come to this country
poor, and having passed through nu-
merable hardships and privations, have
secured themselves comfortable homes
and butlittle more. But am wander
ing from my subject and will return to
Bloomington. This new and enter
prising town can boast of a new Court
House, one first-class Hotel, innumer-
able law offices, an odd minister or
two, looking vainly for soft job sew
eral stores, three livery stables, two
blacksmith shops and about three hun
dred busy-handed, large-hearted, en-
ergetic citizens representing all classes
of trades. The town is constantly
thronged with strangers, and the con-
stant crowd in all places of business
contrasts very strangely with the un-
broken monOtOny to be found in East
ern towns since the Inauguration of
Sherman's policy. The Inhabitants
are sanguine in the belief that the flu
ture of their county-seat is a bright
one, and did it not have a somewhat
rough and broken country Immediate
ly surrounding it, I would share their
belief as it is I will not dispute it.
With this report of Franklin county
Iwish I could close, but desire to
present both sides of the picture for
bids a conclusion.
Nebraska, like all other new coun-
tries, has its share of desparadoes,
whose Irregularities have driven them
from habitations where law and justice
soon end career of crime. Several
attrocious murders have been commit
ted in this, and adjoining counties
within the past few weeks, a garbled
account of which has appeared in most
of the Eastern journals.
An inhuman brute, Richards by
name, for the possession of the paltry
sum of few hundred dollars, deliber-
ately planned and executed the MUIR
der of Mrs. Harrison and her three
children, residing on her claim about
sixteen miles from Bloomington, bury
ing them in straw stack, stating that
she had gone back to her friends in the
East. he having bought her claim and
personal property, then quietly took
possession of her home, but after all
this monstrous butchery, this inhu-
man DEVILS thirst for blood was not
satiated. He found another victim. A
neighbor, who had but lately proved
UP his claim, and no doubt for the first
time in his life rejoiced in the posses
sion of home bought by privation and
toll, was first poisoned by this fiend,
which failing to produce fatal effect
as soon rs desired, with blow, drove
a hammer into his brain, and before
his victim had become cold in death,
with cool deliberation commenced
loading the effects of the murdered
man into wagon. preparatory to
flight. A team was hitched to the wag-
on, but before he had time to depart,
neighbors of the murdered man called
to pay him friendly visit. They were
informed that he had gone away but
would be back soon. SuspiciOning that
something was wrong. they started for
the ranch, when the guilty wretch
stripped the harness from one of the
horses and fled. The murdered man
was found buried in the cellar under
n pile of coal, and the alarm was inn
mediately given. Sheriff Kerris of
Kearney county, followed him to
Bloomington, thence to RivertOn,
where he learned he had employed a
man to take him to Red Cloud, dis
tant only fourteen miles where he could
take the railroad. Notwitllstand, the
fact that the fiend was almost within
his grasp, this official returned through
fear, or some motive equally as censur-
able. The feeling of the citizens against
the !" milk and water" official is at fe-
yer heat, and should he not rise and
satisfactorily explain this deviation
from plain duty, he had better i" fold
his tent and steal silently away" or
the people may exhalt him to a posi-
sion so high, that his fall therefrom in
all probability will dislocate his neck.
A reward of $40o has been offered for
his apprehension, and as there is a
bave and efficient officer now on his
trail, it is hoped that the vengence of
outraged justice will finally be meted
out to this monster in human shape. |
More anon. SALEM PRATT.