New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-05-19

Jesse again started for the West, taking
. young wife with him. Travelling
overland to a point on the Ohio, where
he intended to take steamboat, he
was followed by the Sheriff of Lewis
County-the old rewards for the killing
of Trumbo, twelve years before, were
thought to be still outstanding. They
in the path of the bridal
couple late one night, and as they
passed opened fire on them, badly
wounding Jesse at the first shot. But
he fought desperately, killed one of the
posse outright, and wounded two others
before he fell, bleeding from half a
dozen shots. He was taken to the Bath
County Jail, new indictment for the
murder of Trumbo was framed, and he
was in Jail awaiting trial when, in the
spring of 1873, he escaped and made
his way back to Carter. His wife was
dead, meanwhile, but his brother Lewis
was still lingering from the wound of .
year before.
~ Jesse only left the fort thereafter to
attend church meetings, but with the
precaution of two revolvers and his
shotgun. The Ratchet was buried for
nearly q year. 1t was on the Goth of
May last that it was dug up, and the
complete wiping out of the adult Under
woods was the result. On that day
Elverton Underwood was. shot while
surrounded by his children. Two
bullets passed through his body. They
were fired from ambush. Jesse claimed
that he traced the assassins to Squire
Holbrook's and that the tracks of one
of them were those of the old Squire
himself. But his brother Lewis was
dying, and Jesse did nothing until in
September death released the boy from
two years of great suffering. Then the
bloody work was renewed.
The hoy died September l. .Septem-
Der Squire Holbrook and his son
Willard were shot at as they were
catching horse in the pasture adjoin-
ing their house. A rifle ball passed
through the old 'Squire's brain, and he
fell dead. The son escaped. Septem-
Der 8 William Underwood was shot
through the heart while at work. Sep
TENDER II David Wilson of the Hol-
brooks was shot at from ambush and
his left arm shattered. September Is
as old George Underwood was stepping
out of the door of the fort, sixteen shots
were fired from behind the trees oppo-
site. He was badly wounded in the
arm and shoulder, and the women
dragged him in and sent for Jesse.
Jesse was out in the forests and at
once fastened home. Just as he was
entering the door one of three shots
from the brush-covered hillside opposite
struck him in the shoulder, and passing
through his left lung, came out on the
other side Of his body. He fell across
the doorsill, but the ready hands of tho
women dragged him in before another
shot could finish him Then began Q
drama unparalleled even in the history
of these mountain outrages. The Hol-
brook faction rose from their ambush,
and rushed yelling to the door. Inside
there were huddled q dozen women
and children, and on two corn -husk pal.
lets the father and son were lying NOR.
tally wounded. There was little to eat
or to drink in the house. Around il
the Holbrooks established a Gordon Of
sentries, and for seventeen days the
door was never opened, except that q
shot warned the women to close Il
speedily. On Sunday, four days after
Jesse was shot, the walls of the women
inside gave notice that the man wa
dead; but, as they had before refused
to allow any doctor to 60 to the relief
of the wounded men. 80 now the be-
seiging party gave notice that any man
or woman, either in the house or out
side, who attempted to bury the dead
man. would need to arrange for his OF
her own funeral.
In this stress old George Underwood
did manage to get q message to the
County Judge at Grayson, nineteen
miles distant, asking him for protection.
That official ordered the Sheriff to take
posse, bury the dead, and bring to
Grays0n the women, children and
the one living survivor; but so great wal
the terrorism that the Sheriff could In.
duce not a single man in the county ia
accompany him. Then the Governor
was telegraphed to for company o1
militia. but without success.
On Sunday, October IL, the four
women, a daughter, two nieccs, and
the sister-in-law of the old man, were
keeping watch beside his pallet. At a
knock at the door the women peercd
out through loophole and saw q group
of some twenty men with blacEene1
faces in the yard. They demanded ad.
mittancc, averring that Caleb Whits
and John Martin had been seen to en-.
ter the house. They promised safety
a. tho old MAN md IT. .,,,,.,, - 49,
were allowed to enter. The old man
consented, and they searched the house
without finding the men. but they
seized old Georges arsenal. 1t con.
sisted of six guns, five pistols, three
bowie knives, and sword. They
laughed as they uncovered Jesse'a
corpse, and then asked tho old man to
show his wounds.
Old George stopped over to take of the
bandagc. "Let's bring this meeting
to Close said the leader, as he raised
his gun and emptied load of buckshot
into the old mans body. Another at
the same moment shot him through the
head, and he fell forward on his face
dead. Through the wound in his body
. mans fist might be thrust. Then the
band went away.
The father of the Underwoods had, In
some time past, befriended Frank Nc
Ferran of Olive Hill. The morning
after the murder Agnes McFerran went
about among the neighbors begging for
assistance to bury the dead at Fort Un-
derwood. but no one would venture.
Then the girl and her father started for
the house alone. They expected moth
Ing short Of death, but happily found
that the bcsicgingparty, having finished
scene inside the cabin cannot be do
scribed, but with the help of the Under
wood women, the two bodies were CIV
% decent burial, the cries of the mourn
10 echoing through the stiffness of tho
6rest.
When . local Judge was asked to
quash indictments against the Littles
and Shongs in Breathitt, four or five
years ago, he promptly consented. The
explanation given at the time was
simple: