Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-11-20

7
pany.
The outsiGs world during all thi.
slime remained In almost absolute ig.
norancc of the desperate attempt being
made upon the rights of II portion Of oui
citizens. Tho greater part of the press
Of the Pacific coast wore the muzzle Of
the corporations. and only the most
meager reports of these matters were
sent out through tho Associated Press,
and such as were sent were tinged with
the coloring furnished by the conspira-
tors.
Tho first year after the completion OF
tho main irrigating dSvh tho settlers
had set apart the eleventh day of May
MS day of general rejoicing and
Thanksgiving for the harvest which fol
lowed the coming of the waters, and
through all their troubles they had
regularly observed il, their festivities
usually taking the form of picnic,
which was attended by everybody, re-
gardless of age or sex, and it was this
eleventh day of May, 1880, that the
corporate conspirators fixed upon for
the consummation of their scheme for
possessing themselves of the homes of
these people.
In order to secure fit tools for this
purpose. the company had made pre-
tended sales of the homes of portion
of the settlers to men of known des-
perate character, among others to a
noted desperate and crack-shot; and
it was these men whom the United
States Marshal was ordered to take
upon his raid of eviction. The Mar
shall left San Francisco before day and
arr we'd at Hanford, the station nearest
the Slough lands. at seven o'clock in
the morning, Here he was met by the
gang of dcsperadoes armed to the teeth,
and all started together in wagons.
Tue leader of the gang carried two
bulldog revolvers and a knife in his
belt, aud had repeating rifle and a
! double barreled fowling pece in the
wagon in which he rode, and all blistled
with deadly weapons, principally re-
volvers and knives.
AS was anticipated by the Marshal,
! they arrived ut the first house in the
Slough settlement after its occupants
had left for the picnic Without ccrc-
mony the door of this peaceful dwelling
was broken down and everything in it
pitched into the highway. This done,
they placed three No. 10 cartridges
upon the doorstep as an indication of
the fate which awaited the honest
settler and his family if they dared re-
place their household goods and re-
sumed the occupancy of their home.
They then started in the direction of
the next settlers claim, intending to
proceed in the same manner with each
of the twenty-five houses against whose
owners the Marshal had writs of eject
ment But they were not destined to
proceed so far. Unknown 10 them the
gang had been seen to leave Hanford
by one who, surmising the nature of
their errand, hastcued to notify the
settlers of what was about TO be at
tempted. Mounting horse he rode
with all speed, and, approaching the
picnic grounds, came first upon several
parties who had driven little way
back from the immediate scene of fes-
tivities in order to find suitable place
for leaving their teams and wagons,
Among them were Erastus Hemming-
way and his neighbor, Mr.. johnson.
To these men he communicated what
he had observed, and his belief regard
ing the intention of the Marshal and his
vi itopCldlc AL
listened eagerly to the information
brought by the r friend, and then held
hurried consultation among them
selves.
Erastus, johnson and one of the
others were armed with single re-
volver of small calibcr each. The rest
were without weapons of any kind.
They did not like to return to the picnic
grounds and frighten the women and
children with an announcement OF what
they believed was taking place; neither
did they propose that their homes
should be rdvished and they make no
effort to defend them.
1t was finally agreed that Hemmlng-
way, johnson and those who were with
them should hurry across country to q
point in the road about mile away.
over which the Marshal and his crowd
must pass, while the friend who hal
brought the information should quietly
notify others and leave them to follow
or wait for II report from those who
We're in advance, as they thought best.
Hurrying across the fields, this little
body o men came out into the road by
which the gang were proceed ng, just
in advance of tile Marshal and his
party, Us they approached the cottage
of the second victim marked upon their
list for ev ction.
Seeing them, the Marshal halted and
got down from the wagon in whish h he
was riding. The Others did the same.
Approaching to within few feet of the
Marshal. Erastus demanded to know if
it We're true that they had come to evict
the settlers, and was told that they
| had.
"You win not be allowed to do so, :"
replied Hemingway; I'VE redeemed
these lands from the desert and gave
them all the value they possess. They
I belong to lis and we intend to hold
Them
The Marshal replied that she was do
ing only what the law and the court re-
CURED OF him, but that rather than use
fo.ce he would abandon the attempt. 5"
! But the gang thirsted for blood, and
had been ordered to prevent any abnn-
/ donment of the object for which they
were sent Scarcely had the words of
| the Mar hal issued from his mouth
when the leader of the desper does
drew his revolver and fired at Eraslus,
thus giving the signal to the Others OF
4 the gang, who at once followed his ex-
ample and emplied their revolyers into
the bodies of the innocent and almost
defenseles, men in front of them.
L @ first hot was aimed at Hem
mingway's S heart and III sscd it by but
a few inches. The bullet entered his
left breast and passed entirely through
his body, but though mortally wounded
he succeeded in drawing his own re-
volyer, and, firing, killed one of the
desperadoes on the spot.
Cne other of The gang was wounded
by n shot fired by Johnson, who was
himself in tantly Killed by the second
voIley OF the desperadoes. Two others
OF the settlers We're killed outright and
three wounded; the latter by shots from
the fowling piece of the leader OF the
gang, who fired at them as they He'd,
and but for the fact that the horses at
tached TO the wagon, in which lay the
Villains revolving rifle, took fright and