The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-03-23
A DESPERATE DEVIL.
He Holds the Fort Against a
Large Posse.
BUF IS KILLED AND BURNED.
Statistics from the Labor Bureau
Jsehne Jugged-Big Burn
Other News Notes.
A Little War.

A Little War.
OMAHA, March 21.-H. C. Steadman,
a prominent farmer of Burt County,
proprietor of two creameries near the
village of Lyons, yesterday afternoon,
discharged Edward Johnson, alias John
Anderson, a young man and compare
tive stranger in the vicinity. Johnson
thereupOn picked quarrel with Stead
man, and without giving warning,
whipped out pistol and shot Stead
man in the bowels, causing death in
short time. Amid the ensuing excite
ment Johnson secured Winchester
rife and large quantity OF ammuni-
ton, and mounting horse started off,
Constable Parker Immediately organ
lied small party, and with revolvers
and mounting horses gave pursuit, be-
ing joined from time to time by others on
the way. They kept gaining on him and
finally, twelve miles south, near the
farm of Charles P Johnson, regular
battle ensued. The murderer turned
and fired several shots in rapid
succession, shooting Peter Johnson,
brother of Charles, in ;the head, kill
ing BIN instantly. He next shot Charles
P. Johnson fatally in the abdomen,
His next shot killed Constable Parker's
horse. This was followed by other
scots, injuring some of the horses and
grazing some of the men. Meantime
the pursuers, whose numbers had
largely increased, kept firing their
revolvers, but the desperate was out
of shot range. 1t was thought, how
ever, that he was wounded. The crowd
began to close in on him when he finally
jumped from his horse and running
into Charles III. Johnson's large barn,
he opened a lively fire through the
cracks and openings and had the entire
crowd, now numbering fully 100 men
at bay. They finally cautiously sur
rounded the barn and carefully
guarded themselves from the fire of the
barricaded desperate. They continued
to shoot into the barn at frequent inter-
walls until dark. 1t was proposed to burn
him out, but no one would volunteer to
fire the building. 1t was concluded to
guard the barn carefully all night, and
resume operations in the morning. Late
last night Sheriff Skinney, from Te-
kanah, arrived with posse of ten men
with Winchester rifles. At last &C
desperate still held the fort. 1t had
been decided to set fire to the barn and
drive him out or roast him.
An attempt to storm the barn re-
suited to-day in the death of another
man, Edgar Everett, whom the desper
ado shot. Several others have been
slightly wounded during the day. To-
night bright fire is seen southwest of
Oakland in the direction of the barn,
eight miles distant and the report that
reached here is that the barn has
been set on fire. The murderer has
killed three men, II. c. Steadman, c. P.
Johnson and Edgar Everett; he has
wounded several and has shot several
horses. The barn which Is now burn.
ing was with the contents. valued at
5000 and belonged to c. P. johnson,
one of the killed.
OMAHA, March 22.-The siege of the
desperate in Burt County terminated
by the burning of the barn in which he
had intrenched himself. During the
fire he fred a succession of shots into
the crowd who returned the fire and
and shot BIN in the had. After the fire
the body was found partly burned.