The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-22
4 N11I3 NJ 4 IloHTHos1,sn
How Two Hen Narrowly 1.e.p.d
Death at tue Hands az q
....-, Desperate.

o., BRAsaEAR, La, April l2.-The Shin
o1s ~ Light, q the Atchafalay., sixtv
.1i1ee south Of here, II under the charx,.
t EdwaM Dunn. He has three asgis-
tants. The light 0verl0oks . drearv
vase OF .wamps and salt water and f.
e t Isolated. On February 18th
~. VI the assistants started fnr Moran
lily IN . small satlb0at to buy suDDi}e.s.
A. they did not return Dunn sm'T.se';
that they had been lost i'm a storm m
Washington's birthday, however. vhiie
his third assistant, Mr.: Lesch and h;m's
self were coal-tarring the roof uf fheir
dwelling. they sighted q small bost
tnree miles south Of the light. It con-
tanned only one man. Dunn directed
Leach to pull out to the boat and s..e
wnat was the matter. Leach did no.
ne 10. nd . stranger at the helm. The
man said that he had bought the lxst
from three men In Moran CITY for Sl0I
he was bound for Pascagouls. Leach
toId him that the boat belonged to the
lighthouse, and demanded her return.
AT hrst the man refused to rive her up.
After ascertaining that Leach and Dunn
were the only persons at the lighthouse,
ne said that Leach might tow her in
and he would steer hen ThereuDon
Leach fastened line to the sailboat.
ana rs the water was smooth and there
was not breath of wind, he lowed her
to the light. On the night of February
18th Dunn had the watch from 6 O'Clock
to midnight. He had wound up the re-
volving machine ut o o'clock, when he
Was startled by pistol shots and repeated
cries Of "Helpp:. and "Murder!' He
f1ew down stairs and found everything
quiet. 1t was very dark. Gripping his
way to bis valise, he got q revolver and
started for the room where the small
lamps are kept to get light. On the
way his form was outlined against q
window. There was fash, and \ pig
tOl hall was buried in his shoulder.
Dunn fired at the flash, and again re-
ceived a bullet in the shoulder. He
fired three times in succession. The fire
was returned; Mnd bullet struck him
in the side. Then all was still. Dunn
light. On descending to the ground
fi0Dr he met Leach coming in from the
gallery. One side of his f;.ce was cut
away, exposing his jaw and teeth. He
was covered with blood. He said that
the stranger had assaulted him with
Ratchet. He also had three pistol balls
in his OOtly. Dunn made Il search for
the assaiIant. lie could not find hin,
in the dwelling. Presently he heard All
iron trap dW,r TALL. TIE desperate had
fastened himself in the watch room in
the light house. Dunn then dressed
LeacL's wounds a. best he could and
put him tn he'd. The rest of the night
he stool watch ut the foot Of the stairs.
As he had no more cartridges, he armed
himself with carving knife and u ship
scraper. The screen stopped revolving
ut 1880, but the light kept burning until
morning, giving no light except ut
eight different points Of the compass.
Dunn stood guard at the foot Of the
stairway. The dcspen.do remained
quiet. Had he known that Dunn's anl-
n,unitiOn had given out he would un-
l"ubtetlly have renewed the fight.
Leach suffered terribly from his wounds.
He was excessively weak from, l.'ss Of
blood. There was no light on TIE night
Of the 9tith. AMI the assassin maintained
his blockade. At p. III. on the 2'ti, u
steamship bound for New Orleans hove
in sight. Dunn swung out the Ameri-
can colOrs union down, but the vessel
did not stop. She acknowledged the
signal with three whistles and went on
her way. After she had passed the tles-
reradO called for u lmrley. He was
faint and hungry. He had been shot in
the knee joint. The pain was 80 great
that he asked for merry. After his de-
scent Leach and Dunn locked him i'm
one of the lna:rtn,,,.s and nailed the
shutters tight. Here lie Was kept for
several weeks, when vessel was hailed
and he was sent to New Orleans, act,t,:ll-
panied by Leach, who sought surgical
assistance. In New Orleans the prison
or was recognized AS Jim Woods, u mo-
tor!ous desperate.