Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-07-20
NO. 40
THE DURAND TRAGEDY

MENoMoNIE, July 12.-Intense ex-
cltement has been caused at this place
by the shooting of Milton A. Coleman,
Undersheriff of the county, and Charles
Coleman, his brother, ex-Sheriff of Pepin
county, Sunday evening by two desper-
ate characters known as the Williams
brothers, who have acquired notoriety in
Northern Wisconsin as desperadoes, and
/ who are fugitives from justice in one or
more counties in Wisconsin. Both were
armed with Winchester rifles.
Coleman was returning to Menomonie
from Wabasha, with the thief who burg
glarlzed Taft sjewelry store on,June 18th
and upon his arrival at Durand he was
informed that the notorious Williams
brothers, who were wanted in Hender
son county, H., for horse-stealing, were
i'll town. Placing his prisoner in Jail,
and accompanied by his brother, he at
once started to effect their arrest. Meet
ing the desperadoes on the street, he
stepped up and said 'fYou are my prison
er, when he received fatal shot from
the rifle of one of the Williams through
the neck and was instantly killed. At
the same instant Charles Coleman re-
ceived shot through the body, and
lived only long enough to fire two shots,
but without effect. A party of men
started from here about noon yesterday
to scour the the country for the murder
ers, and If they are caught there is every
reason to believe they will be lynched.
These brothers recently made Hersey
their home, and about two ponths ago
the sheriff OF st. Croix county attemp-
ted to arrest them for burglary.
No sooner had he reached their residence
than each OF them appeared with drawn
revolver and ordered him to leave the
premises forthwith or suffer the penalty
with his life. The sheriff and his COM
panion retired and tried to raise a posse
for their capture, but found it impossi
bic as the whole village was in mortal
terror OF the desperadoes. They had
lived there off and On forgive or six
months, did little or no work and brand
lshed firearms with the freedom of
Guy Fawkes and shot with the accuracy
OF Bogardus They gave the people to
that they would be friendly
to those that were friendly to them and
strike terror to those that attempted to
interfere. They left there soon after
and have not been heard from until
their double murder last night at Durand
The W1lllamses also go under the alias
OF Maxwell Bros. and claimed to hail
from Arkansas. The older one was cap
tured at Saltwater some years ago, not
wlthstanding he was armed with Win
chester rifle, and taken 20 McDonough
ILL.,, where he was wanted for horse
stealing. He was so notorious a charac-
ter that at least 1000 people met him at
the depot. Upon his arrival at Macon,
the county seat of McDonough county,
he was tried, and sentenced on three in
dlctments to six years in Joliet, from
which place he emerged about a year
ago. He had been in Jail in that State
before, and had broken out AS soon as
he got out OF the penitentiary he came
up to Hersey, Wis, where Lou (his
brothero> had been living for the past two
years, where they are supposed to have
committed numerous crimes and have de-
fed arrest Ed. is about % years of age,
good looking, well educated, smart, aud
a splendid penman. Lou is three or
four years younger. Both are desperate
ly hard cases. Both the Colemans were
shot twice, and died instantly.
1t is stated that the camping-place of
the murderers of the Sherifs Coleman,
of Dunn and Pepin counties, in the Eau
Gala woods, has been discovered and
that there is strong probability of their
being apprehendnd within short time
The force in pursuit. is being largely aug
1t is stated that two noted
horse thieves are also concealed in the
woods. The total reward offered for
the capture of the Williams brothers is
81 200, of which amount the state offers
$500, Dunn and Pepin counties $500
each and Henderson County I'LL 5000