Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-18
AMRuaHEp.
Narrow Escape of suttef County
School Teacher.
woodland Democrat, Dec, isth.


Yesterday evening, few minutes he
fore the train for Knights Landing was
due at Woodland, Sheriff Watkins re-
eeiyed dispatch saying that his presence
was wanted in that town, as there had
been an extensive shooting scrape there.
Unon arriving there they found the town
in ii blaze Of excitement over an affair,
the particulars OF which are as follows;
For some time there has been a feud be-
tween school teacher by the name of
Ross, who had charge Of school in
Sutter county Just opposite the land
ing, and the members of the Prather
fumily, who reside in that school
district. A few weeks ago two
Of the Prather boys, who are grown
Young men, met this teacher on the
streets of Knights Landing and attempt
ed to give him n thrashing. The result
was, however, that the teacher whipped
one OF them quite severely in the light
which ensued, the teachers friends not
allowing both the boys to attack him at
once. At another time the same parties
came together and pistols were drawn,
but the row was quelled by the bysland-
ers without any serious results following.
Last evening while the teacher was in
knights Landing, where he boards, he
was waited upon by q young man by the
name Of William Willett who informed
him that some parties wished to SEQ
him Just above the bridge that crosses
the slough above the town. The sus'
pieions Of the teacher were aroused, and
ne impaired the information to mum.
ber OF his friends, who adtiaed
him To 60 to the Place men
toned, and they agreed to fol-
low him and see that no harm
came to him. He accordingly went to
the spot on the leyoc where he was di-
rected, his friends being about two hun
dred yards behind him. When he
reached the place man armed with n
Fan and disguised with sack over his
head, jumped from behind the leyee and
ordered him to throw up his hands. He
did so, but there was q pistol in each one
oi them, and the teacher discharged one
Of them at the disguised man. Mr.. Ross
then stumbled and fell, thus escaping
the shots that We're fred at him. His
friends came at this juncture, and il was
found that there were four persons with
sacks and armed with guns, who had
been lying in wait for the peda-
gogue. Some thirty or forty shots
were exchanged, but the men who
had been lying in ambush ior the
teacher managed to escape in the
darkness, and the other crowd did not
follow them. The school teacher re-
ceiyed a slight scratch on the wrist from
bullet, but no other damage was done
to any one. Mr. Del Vale and his son,
and the two Prather brothers were
placed under arrest They were in bed
and asleep when the officers arrested
them. They were brought to Wood.
land this morning and lodged In jail on
n charge of assault to murder Their
examination will take place before the
Justice at knights Landing in a day or
two probably. The affair caused much
excitement in the little town, and the
people there sympathise very strongly
with the school teacher. 1t is said that
young Wiltett has made clean breast
of the affair as far as he is concerned,
and says il was the attention of Prather
and his accomplices to tar and feather
the teacher if they had not been inter
rupted in their plans