The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-22
BATTLE WITH A DESPERATE.
lie Kills Two Men and Fatally Wounds Third
"A Hundred Men Successfully Defied.

| OMAHA, Neb., March 2L-H. c. Steadman a
prominent farmer of Burt county, proprietor of
two creamerles near the village of Lyons, yes
terday forenoon discharged Edward johnson,
alias John Anderson, young man, and a COM
parative stranger in the vicinity. johnson
thereupon picked quarrel with Steadman, and,
without giving warning, whipped out a revolver
and shot Steadman in the bowels, causing death
in a short time. There no provocation for
the deed Amid the ensuing excitement John
son secured Winchester rife and large guam
tity of ammunition. and, mounting horse,
started off. Constable Parker Immediately or
ganized small party, armed with revolvers,
and, mounting horses, gave pursuit, being joined
from time to time by others along the
way. They kept gaining on him, AMI fin ally
twelve miles south, near the farm of Charles p
johnson. regular battle ensued The muir
derer turned and fired several shots in rapid
succession, shooting Peter Johnson brother of
Charles. in the head, killing him instantly; he
next shot Charles L. johnson fatally In the alb
domen; his next shot killed Constable Parker's
horse This was followed by other shots, injur-
ing some of the horses and grazing some of the
men. Meantime the pursuers, whose numbers
volvers but the desperate rode out of range
1t was thought. however, that he was wounded
The crowd began to close in him. when
he finally jumped from his horse, running
opened lively fire through the cracks
and openings, and held the entire crowd now
numbering fully one hundred men, at bay. They
finally cautiously surrounded the barn and care
fully guarded themselves from the fire of the bar
ricaded desperate. They continued to shoot into
the barn at frequent intervals until dark 1t
was proposed to burn him out, but no one would
volunteer to fire the building: The barn con-
tanned eighteen horses and mules about hun
dred chickens, plenty of grain, and we'll Be-
sides this, there were three caves used for the
storage of vegetables The barn and contents
we're valued at S., 500, and it was thought advisa-
bic to wait awhile before resorting to fire. It
was concluded TO guard the barn carefully all
night and resume operations in the morning
During the siege the mules and horses frequently
neighed loudly, and IL thought that they
had been wounded from time to time.
| Late last night Sheriff Skinner. from Tekamah
arrived with posse of ten men, armed with
Winchester rifles. This morning thew opened
fire again on the barn, and the desperate re-
sponded. He shot through one mans hat,
through another's coat, and so on, but wounded
no one. they exercised great caution. The
desperate guarded every side of the barn, and
no one dared approach to set fire to it. as it had
been determined to do. This afternoon he fred
several shots through the farm dwelling house,
where several men were stationed. but hit no
one A special train has been ordered to carry
| fifty armed men from Tekamah TO the scene of
the siege. At last accounts Is o'clock this after
noon) the desperate still held the fort. 1t has
been decided to set fire to the barn in some way
at the first opportunity.
An attempt to storm the barn resulted in the
death Of another man, Edgar Everitt whom the
desperate shot Several others have been
| slightly wounded during the day. Tonight a
bright fire is seen southwest of Oakland, in the
direction of the barn, eight miles distant. and
report has reached here that the barn has been
set on fire. The murderer has killed three meE
and wounded several, and has shot several
horses