Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-12-05

svarmed around the doors clamoring
for admittance and giving vent to their
ent up Indignation in threats against
the prisoners.
During the time the examination was
in progress a coroner's jury had been
empanneled, and viewed the remains OF
Mr.. Haymaker. 1t was deemed advis-
able to hold q post mortem examine
ton, and to thisend, to allow the physi-
clans an opportunity to discover the
cause of death. Mr. o. NJ. Haymaker
was the original lessee of the gas terri
tory. He was one of the stockholders
in the Pew and Emerson Company,
and was at the time of his death super
inteeding the operations and managing
the affairs of the company at Murrays-
vile. He was widely known in West
moreland county, especially in the
northern part He leaves a wife and
one child.
Thursday was q great day for Muir
raysvil!e. There was calmer tone to
the prevailing excitement that mani
tested itself in the groups of men who
hung idly around the sunny corners OF
the village stores, discussing the events
of the previous twenty-four hours.
There was no limit to the extent of de-
nunciations visited upon the heads of
the Weston party. While the men
denounced them on the streets, their
wives cut across back lots and, with
eyes red from weeping, from fright and
sorrow for Obediah Haymaker's poor
wife, held quiet talks on the all-prevail-
ing topic Down at the well, where
the gas leaped and roared as it sprung
into fame hundred feet high, the tents
of the rival gang still stood, white but
deserted.
Out the broad turnpike, at the top of
small hill just east of town, IN front
of little red brick house that stood
back from the road, several horses and
buggies remained hitched during the
morning People were coming and
going constantly, for inside lay the mu-
tilated body of Obediah NJ. Haymaker,
the victim of the Weston posse. His
wife was terribly prostrated, TOR her
husband died in her arms without hav-
ing recognized her.
Doctors Cromley, Pugh and Service
made o post mortem examination,
which was concluded about noon, and
the inquest began at l o'clock, at the
home of Mr. Duffield, Squire James
Steel conducting it.
THE STORY OF EYE WITNESSES
James King, the first witness, told
about the arrival Of Weston's party,
but he did not see their first trouble.
They took possession of the derrick,
and then began to carry oil boards
from a pile near by to barrcade the
derrick. Mr. Dufiield had directed Mr..
Haymaker not to allow this to be done,
and he accordingly stepped on thepile
and told Bowser to desist. Henry
Ramalay was with the Weston party,
and first gave the order to fire. Abe
Bowser, who was standing near the
board pile, jerked gun FROM the
hands of young Holmes and sprang
en- the board pile. He began prod
ding Haymaker with the bayonet, the
latter only trying to ward off the
, blows. Each time Bowser seemed to
have hard work to pull the bayonet
out of Haymaker's stomach. He then
stepped back and put the gun to his
shoulder, pointing at Havmaker, and
yelled to his men to fire. There were
four or five Shots Haymaker reeled
back and was helped up to the fence.
+. II. Taylor was standing within a
few PAGES of IIaymaker on the board
pile. He saw Bowser seize the gun
and run the bayonet into Mr.. Hay
maker several times; then he stepped
, back and fred at some one-I think at
Haymaker. | have no doubt but that
each bayonet thrust penetrated Hay
makers stomach. Henry Ramalay was
) the first one to give the order to fire,
, and then Bowser yelled, "FireW Af-
ter Haymaker reeled back, Harry Tay-
! ! lor caught him in his arms, and be
was helped back until he sank down
E by the fence. The witness did not hear
any OF the Penn Fuel men Offering any
insults to the other party.
= d. n. Milligan told story that coin,
cided with the above in the main points
: He was positive that Haymaker made
no attempt to strike Bowser, but had
, only tried to ward off his bayonet
thrusts.
The physicians who had made the
). post mortem examination, through DR.
= Pugh, gave the result of their invest
y CATION They found eleven woundq or
: the body of Mr.. IIaymaker. Three O
= them were from bayonet thrusts in tho
! stomach and abdomen, either one o
q which would have been sufficient tC
. cause death. The one wound thai
caused death so suddenly was a bayo
net thrust in the lower part of the abdo
: men, to the right of the medi0n line
= There was a gunshot wound also be
, tween the ninth and tenth ribs, on thi
right side. This also would have caused
I. death The above, with the addition
= of another bullet wound, were all pene
u trating would There were, besides, 1
= number Of smaller wounds.
Il After hearing the above evidence th
- Jury retired, and after about an hour
y deiberation, returned with the follow
: ing:
= VERDICT or NU3pEN.
We End that O. NJ. IIaymaker cam
p to his death by wounds inflicted wit
c. Spencer rife, with bavonet fixed il
IS the hands of one Abe Bowser, of whic
& mortal wounds the aforesaid o NJ
re Haymaker died in about one hour al
j. forwards. so the said Abe Bowse
y feIoniously killed and murdered the ga
n o. NJ. Haymaker against the peace am
as dignity OF the COMMONWEALTH of Penn
sylyania and the Jurors further sa
.y that Henry Ramaley and others wer
le feloniously present at the time Of tn
TT murder, comforting, abetting and aic
I'd ing the said Abe Bowser to do an
:. e i Lur. &. ~.