The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-01-04
ENTIRE Nous.

A special dispatch to the Philadelphia
papers, dated at Catawissa December Goth,
says:
A large sleighing party stopped at the
country tavern of Philip Brengler, twenty
four miles from here, last night, and insti
tutel a dance. BY midnight the party
were drunk and quarrelsome. In an alter
cation between Elwood Strausser and Matt.
Cope the latter stabbed Strausser, inhcting
fatal wounds.
This wasthesignal for general
row. Knives and pistols were freely drawn
and used. The women fled from the room,
the lights were extinguished and for fif-
teen minutes the barroom was regular
pandemonium Of noise.
When at last the proprietor cleared the
room, he found Strausser lying On the
floor almost dead from loss of blood Mary
Amos, an eighteen-year-old girl, who was
unable to escape from the room was shot
through the leg. Benson Irwin received a
gunshot wound in the thigh. Henry Sny.
der received three fatal knife stabs. Four
others were slightly wounded in the skir-
mish.
This morning the police officers were no.
tilted, and Cope, together with four other
farmers named respectively Henry Swoyer,
Oscar Shultz and Isaac Hose were arrested
and bound over to await the result of the
injuries inflicted. Cope says that Strauss
er had twice insulted his sister, who was
with the party, and says that any man
would have killed him for saying what he
did. Strausser, who is now lying in the
back room of the tavern, says he did not
insult Copes sister, and says that Cope is
bad character.
Investigation proved Cope to be one of
the worst men in the county The afTray
has created the most intense excitement
throughout the farming country, and
threats of lynching Cope are freely utter
ed. Cope and his associates were convey
ed to Bloomsbury this morning
The above dispatch, in connection with
a number of others that have been sent
lately from points near here, helps to give
out the impression that Columbia county
is becoming lawless and dangerous por-
ton of the State to live in, whereas we are
under the impression that our people are a
peaceable and law abiding class. If, as
the dispatch says, this affair occurred "a
miles from Catawissa, it was beyond our
county limits, while the statement that the
offenders were brought to Bloomsbury Jail
is an item of news to Sheriff Mourey
This crime was committed in some other
county if anywhere, and Columbia does
not want to be credited with it.
Another dispatch in the same papers,
dated at Bloomsburg, gives the following
account of a robbery and shooting
While Adam Hartline, pedler, was
driving from Mainville to Catawissa last
night, he was stopped by three men at a
point on the highway about SIX miles from
Mainville, who asked permission to ride in
his sleigh, Hartlinc complied with their
request, and the three took seats in the
vehicle. They maintained strict silence
for about an hour, when reaching point
where the road ran through thick wood,
one of the strangers pulled out revolver,
and placing it at Hartlne's head, demand.
ed his money.
They then riiled his pockets of $3.50 and
a silver watch. The men jumped from the
sleigh and ran into the woods.
Hartline drove on towards Catawissa,
and when mile from the scene of the rob
berry he met two men, who asked to be al
lowed to ride with him. EIartine refused
with an oath and whipped the horse into u
gallop. One Of the tramps fired to shots
from revolver, one of which lodged in
Hartlne's right arm. He stopped at the
first farm house he came two for the night.
This morning officers secured the coun-
try in search of the robbers, but failed to
find clue.
There is something strange about this.
In the first place, the dspach appears in
the city dailies dated at Bloomsbury, but
was not sent from here. 1t says that the
robbery and shooting was committed be.
tween Mainville and Catawissa about six
miles from the former place, while we are
informed it is only five miles between the
two points. Nobody seems to know Adam
Hartliue, and the people of Catawlssa have
not heard OF any such an occurrence as is
reported, After careful inquiry, followed
by failure to ascertain anything of the af
fair we are forced to the conclusion that
somebody is imposing on the Associated
Press, and misreprescnting this county by
sending sensational kilograms not founded
on facts