The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-01

A Farmer Murderously Assaulted and Left
for Dead by a Negro, who then Attack
ed the Farmers Wife and Robbed this
House-The william Captured.
H~ICKsvILLE, L. l.. Jan. p.
At about half past six O'Clock this morn
ing Selah Sprague, a well-to-do farmer =
East Meadow, went as usual to the barn u
milk his cows and feed his horses. He HAD
Just reached the barn when u mulatto at
tackled him with a fish-plate used as a coup
ling for railroad tracks and, striking hin
several murderous blows on the head, left
him for dead and made his way to the
house. Here he saw Mrs. Sprague in.;k
kitchen, struck her one blow secured what
money he could and left. Some Heighbors
hearing Mrs. Sprague's cries, hurried tC
the spot and found Sprague lying in a poo,
of blood near the barn. A general ALARM
was sounded, and the farmers of HickSvillt
Hampstead, Westbury and F~armingIalt
hitched up their horses and started in al
directions, securing the country for the as.
sassin. Tn man, is supposed to be thei
same who attempted the burglary at South
Oyster Bay Wednesday night.
The barn presented the appearance of a
slaughter-house. The body of Sprague
lay against a bag filed with grain. The
bag was bloody on one side. SpragUe Is
not dead. He seemed to recognize the vOic-
es of the men, though he could not speak
There was blood everywhere. Near the
double door there was a great po0lpIN
blood frozen into ice. Sprague IOStsS
much blood in this spot ii ran overt the door
jamb and discolOred the ground outside
There was blood on the tub under the
wagon and on the right hand wheel OF the
wagon. Sprague was covered with bloodb
There is great excitement all through
Queens County, in nsequen OF the thIrd
and similar outrage following so quickly
upon the Maybee and Townsend affairs
Mr.. Sprague and wife were about nifty !
years of age. Physicians give no hopes or
the recovery of Sprague. While terrible
wounds on the head of Sprague were being
dressed, he suddenly rose up and vomited
a full pint and a half of blood. The doctors
said they were glad of it, but still have NJ
tie or no hopes of his recovery.
Mrs. Sprague in her statement SAYS: As
l stepped into the kitchen a dog barked or
is a very small dog, and but tor ina +,
strange thing / might not have noticed the
man so promptly. He said: i want mon
ey.' | supposed my husband was IN the
barn, and my first impulse was TO scream;
l did so. / tried to rush by the coiOred
man into the yard, and got as far az the
stoop when he laid hold OF me. He clutched
me by the hair and pulled a handful out
by the roots. / struggled, but 1t was no
use. He dealt me a blow in the mouth with
his fist, which loosened my teeth and | saw
fire. This brought us back into the kItch-
en-. He was a powerful colored man, not
tall, but very stout. He said again, 'GlVe
me the money or I'll murder you re-
piled, You can have all the money IN the
house, but tell me, have you hurt my Nus
band?' No. he replied, Il have not seen
him. I thought it strange my h~usbandhad
not been attracted by the incessant BARK
ing of the dog. went into the sitting
room n took NV purse from the bureau
drawer and handed it to the man. Inc
purse contained rs. When the man was i
gone away | ran out to summon help ana
fell on the ice. | hurt my side badly"
The negro, whose name is Chas- A. Smith
or Chas. H.. Rugg, was subsequently cap
tured and fully identified by Mrs. Sprague-
He resided at Poverty Hollow, Oyster Bay:
He was captured at a store where he had
purchased a complete new suit OF clothes
and had called for some crackers ahdS
cheese. The excited farmers would nave y
him Immediately but for the deter
mined stand taken by the officers OF the
1t Is almost certain he was the as
sailant of Mr.. and Mrs. Townsend OF Oys-
ter Bay. The officers had much trouble IN =,
their prisoner aboard the train to A
take him to Jail. There were between JV
400 men with torches and ropes now,
ing and shouting, Let US get at MN.
LET US hang the murderer" He was 1naI-
ly locked in a freight car. At Westbury ]
the train was boarded by go men with
ropes and lanterns, who demanded 70 Kho"
the man was. They did not give UP
The search until the train started, some
even remaining on board and swearing
they would hang him. The same scene
was enacted at Mineola- The prisoner was
finally landed safely in the county JAN