Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-04-11
THE WAR AT RENFREW.
Battle No. 2-RenfreW and Com
pany Gain Great Victory.

In lenIreW was Cno Sceue Vi duOtueT
battle between the Renfrews and Pur-
viances, last Thursday morning. This
time, however, the Renfrews were as
sisted by Porter Phipps, j. j. Myers,
of the firm of Simcox & Myers, and
others-some twenty men in all, and
the Purviances were utterly routed and
put out of the house bag and baggage.
To understand the matter it will be
necessary to State that the house itself
was built by Mr.. Renfrew some twelve
years ago as residence for his son
John, that while the railroad was
building Nixon rented it for hotel
and that he let the Purviances into it a
day or two before his lease expired, on
the lst inst. Renfrew leased the ad-
joining property some time ago, to the
Bald Ridge Oil Company, who leased
to Simcox Il Myers, and Simcox &
Myers sold their lease 70 the Forest
Oil Company, Phillips Bros, Stewart
Bros and Esq Porter Phipps-one
fourth each. The purchasers from Sim
cox & Myers have been holding back
some purchase money now due on ac-
count of the dispute regarding the
title and the actual possession by the
Purviances of part of the property,
which ACCOUNTS for the part Myers
took in the affair.
On Thursday morning last, Mr.. Rem
frew, his son John, j. J. Myers, Porter
Phipps, Simeon Phipps and some men
in their employ, went to the house.
Renfrew demanded possession and says
be was answered by Miss "Dot" Pur-
viance from a second story window,
who said, eff you get in here, it will
be over my dead bodyi'' that one set of
men then battered in the front door
and another set the back door, both of
which were we'll barricaded; that Miss
"Dot' pointed pistol at the crowd at
the front door, but did not fire; that
both doors were broken open, the two
sets of men met in the hall, Miss
"Dot" came down stairs with pistol
in her hand, which was taken from
her; that after some little scuffling,
during which some blows were struck,
the men took hold of the Purviance
men and women, and put them out and
kept them out, and took their house
hold goods out OF the house and over
the bridge; that the Purviances tried
to get back into the house, but were
prevented from doing so, and that then
dot" tainted and was carried over to
the Richey hotel In this way Rem
frew regained possession of the proper
ty he has claimed and occupied for 26
years.
The Purviances' version of the affair
is somewhat different. They claim
that Miss "Dot" was abused and sent
for Esq. Irwin, of Butler, who went
down Friday and took their depositions
as follows:
S. S. Purviance ("Dot") versus Por-
ter Phipps, j. }. Myers, Hugh Stra-
wick and John Renfrew, for aggravai-
ed assault and battery in assaulting,
beating ard wounding her.
Same versus Porter Phipps, J. j.
Myers, D. A. Renfrew, John Renfrew,
Hugh Strawick, Ed Alshouse. VIM.
Fisher, Grant Anderson, A. A Dickey,
S. Ross. - Stroup, Chas Heater, S.
Phipps and James Ross, for forcible
entry in breaking open the doors and
windows with axes, clubs, sledge ham,
mers, and also for assaulting, beating
woundng and terrifying the inmates.
Same versus same for riot in making
an attack with sledge hammers, clubs,
ETC., upon house OF which she held
peaceable possession, etc.
Lizzie Purviance versus j. j. Myers,
P Phjpps and - Stroup for assault
and battery in dragging her across the
road and abusing her.
Henry G. Purviance versusS. Phipps
for assault and battery in throwing hin
down in an angry manner and other
wise abusing him.
All the parties were arrested OF
Saturday and gave bail before Esq
BARLEY for their appearance at Court