The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-07-08
THE VENDETTA OF SALTCEEK
Bad State Of Affairs in a
Peaceful Community.
Local News and Gossip From the
Western Border.

heritage are as happy as mortals
can well be, and have as few reas-
ons to utter complaint as had the
Isrealites of old when fed from the
hand of God. All the elements of
nature are profuse in propagating
to the wants of man, and the God
dess of Earth seems to be taxing
every available resourse to leave
man without any lawful excuse by.
turning America into one continu
GUS garden of luXuries, where the
rich and the poor have one CON-
mon title to honor and promotion.
| Our citizens are just recovering
from q tremor occasioned recently
on Sans Greek, at the residence Of
Ben Vanfossen, that has been the
source of much 60 ssIp and diversity
of opinion, which eliminated from
the following incidents: Ben Van
fosscn is Tuscarawas county man
who moved here some ten yesrs
ago, q widower with Il family of
children then nearly grown up. He
purchased 160 acre tract of land
knowns as part of The Hanningcr
farm, where he erected suitable
buildings and with his children
went to housekeeping. He had
sons and daughters who mingled
with the native residents and soon
got married, so til at it became nec-
essary for him to either break up
housekeeping or look after a cook
The last conclusion he deemed the
best economy. In his vicinity lived
Il gay, buxom widow named Eliza
beth Mahorney. with quite lar=e,
unsrown family, whom he fancied
and with whom he catered to WOO
and win like a heiO of love, and
soon found her affections congenial
with his. They were ma rr,ei. anu
removed to the Vanfos sen domicile,
where things seemed to move, fo-
short time, only in b!issful harmony
When Vanfossen tried to teach the
Mohorney's that he intended to be
the ruling dignitary of his own
household there was rupture made
that set the "firey tongue" to vibra :
ting, for the family of Mahornoy's
were notably rude and boisterous,
and kept "ragiug billows a rolling
Family discord increased till the
Vanfossen family took sides with
their father against his wife and her
children, and often come to blows
and bruises. Secret revenge was
plotted by both parties, and it IS
said that hostility was so inevitable
tn at old Ben Vanfusscn was in
danger of being treated as being
reasonable to both parties. 1t Is
said that he was first entreated by
his own children to drive the Ma
horney's from his roof, and then
) agail upon failure to comply Was
threatened with obstruction TO him.
self and property if he did not yield
but the poor old man was IN con-
slant dread, fearing to unbosom his
own convictions, to admit the truth
or deny a falsehood for or against
either side. So IN this manner have
things been progressing from bad tc
; worse till it is said that nearly al
: Sans run are participants of one
faction or the other, and it is pub
-, ] ely stated that the party agalns
:, the Mahorneys have united them
selves into O sworn band, and cal
themselves mob. They have SC
cretly communicated with Vanfo ssel
by letter, telling him that if hs
did not rid his house of the Major
neys speedily, they would turn hi
; residence and Its inmate
into a heap of ashes, for they ASSERT
ed that he was knowingly Indul
L ging a house of i'll fame. This nov
S brings US down to the latter part O
last May. AT about 10 o'clock Il
e the night season unknown person
, set fire to Vanfossen's stable an,
corn crib, and they with their con
tents valued at about $500, wer
bIrned to the ground. On this nigh
Vanfossen Was not at shome bu
some three miles away shearInI
sh eep for Christopher Haynes Ol
4 the next morning Vanfossen beini
apprised of the burning returne'
I home and guarded his house b.
night for fear of a repetition of tn
foul act that had been perpetrated
and after few nights anxiou
watching he discerned through th
J grcy haze of the sable night ma
on horseback coming toward hi
= house, and checking up in front O
), his door, dropped a package an'
ten put off like a meteor. Earl
the next morning Vanfossen gath
cred up the package that had bee
d dropped, in which was enclosed
e letter directed to him, stating tha
= they had commenced the destructio
to show him that they intended t
& carry into execution thci: threats