Connecticut western news., 1884-10-22
The Defense.

Nehemiah Strong, Eealous aud faith ful Quaker. was smiiten with the 'Western fever, some years since, and finally removed to the regions where 'fsqnatter sovereignty" was being ex- perimented upon. But squatter, or any other sovereignty, troubled Nehemiah but little. He was man true to his creed, and wherever his lot might be cast. there would he live in peace and quiet with his fellow men. The proper location was soon found, and when Nehemiah had made a clearing and built log house, he was monarch of all that he surveyed and staked. But Strong vas not allowed long to remain in peace able possession. Bolder and more evil men lived in these Western regions than he had ever before met, and in the ab- sence of any very positive or very avail able lay, they did not hesitate to take the management of affairs into their own hands. A few reckless men could thus, by combining for common pur- pose, rule great number of more timid or more respectable people, driving them from their houses, or dealing with them as they would. ...
 Strong, notwithstanding his blameless life and gentle religion. did not long es- cape these vultures of the West His home attracted the notice of a desperate named Bob Bellows, who determined to nk khnk I. easier than building house for himself, or perhaps driving away a more de- termined man. Besides, the honest Quaker had not forgotten wheat, pota- toes, corn and other provisions for a comfortable winter, which season was now approaching, though still quite distant. ~..
 Accordingly, one day Bob Bellows, armed to the teeth, and looking especially ferocious, rode up to the cabin and inquired for the owner. The Quaker chanced to be inside at the mo- ment, and quietly answered the sum- mons.
 "Does thee wish to see me P'' he asked, gazing upon the intruder with some degree of alarm, notwithstanding his peaceful nature.
 "WaI. yes," growled the ruffian. ''I thought I'd ride over and see what in the old boy you'd gone and set your house on my land for That's all I wanted ter see ye fer :"
 ''fhee is mistaken" returned Nehe- miah. "This land belongs solely to me, one Nehemiah Strong, thy humble ser want"
 ''You lie P was the rejoinder; 'this is my land, and now, as yer sharty is stuck on here, jest in the place whar was goin' to put my own, I'll be easy with yer, and say nothin' about the law, ifyen jest git out of here and be beyend sight and hearin to-morrer mornin' What dye say to that?"
 ''Verily, believe thee villain l" re. turned Nehemiah, finding that he was not to be immediately eaten up or run through. "This is my home, and tht home of my family; yet thee seeks tc turn me from it. and leave myself ant family to starve. Nay, I cannot con strain myself to depart thus. Thee hal no right or title here to my knowledge If thee has, produce it, and I will depar freely"
 Look ye, you old robber r hissed thu desperado, "I hev claim here sar waved this land near ten years ago, anc made my marks. If you have cut then down, it'll be all the wuss for ye. Tv, plenty of witnesses who know about it and needn't tell thee 'tis bad scrapt tew be guilty of cuttin' away yer neigh bors' landmarks. Now, I shall be her. to-morrer mornin', and if ye know whe1 yer well of, you'd better not be here a the same time r
 With this unmistakable threat tn, outlaw turned and rode away, leaving the Quaker in no enyiable frame of mind
 We might have stated before, al though it may be quite as we'll to sa. here, that Strong's family consisted o his wife and two daughters, with son, Mark, about twelve years of age. Tn daughters, hearty, buxom girls c twenty.two and twenty years each named res spectiyely Ruth and Naomi \. were full of natural life and decision kuite unlike what the daughters of
 Cek Quaker would naturally become.
 They, with the mother, middle-age