Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-04-01
A DESPERATE DEED.
A Tough CITIZEN of Nebra'ka Murders
in Cold Blood Hi, EN-
p.oyer.
The Murderer Takes Refuge In a Barn,
and Is Hunted to Death by
800 Men.

A terrible tragedy is reported from Burt
County, Neb. II. A. Steadman, proprietor
of creamery near the village of Lyons,
paid off and discharged one of his employees,
Edward johnson, who thereupon became
angry, and after few words, and with
out provocation, drew revolver and shot
Steadman in the stomach, the wounded
man dying shortly afterward. johnson
mounted q horse and fed, but was fol-
lowed by q small party Of men in charge
of Constable Parker, who pursued him
twelve miles south, and were rapidly
gaining on him. During the chase the
murderer turned in his saddle, and with
repeating rifle shot ore of his pursuers,
G. p. Johnson, in the head, killing him al
most instantly. He then shot another man
in the hip, inficting fatal wound. Con-
stable Parker's horse was shot from under
him. The pursuing party, however, kept
up the chase, and continued to gain on
him, being re-enforced by others along
the way. Finally Johnson, seeing that
capture was inevitable if he continued on
horseback, Jumped from his horse and ran
into barn, where he held the fort against
the entire party. 1t vas thought he was
wounded before he sought retreat in the
barn, as he had been fired at by his pur-
suers, who were armed only with revolvers.
The barn was surrounded by the party,
which by this time had increased to 100
men. A deadly fusillade was commenced.
All day the great crowd surged and circled
around the barn, but kept out of range of
the besieged man. wagon load of pro-
visions was forwarded to the camp of the
besiegers. The murderer was armed with
a revolver and Winchester rifle, and the
cracks between the boards of the structure
gave him an opportunity to shoot with an
accurate aim. All efforts to dislodgc him
proved futile. The crowd surrounding his
retreat hourly increased, until Mt least
three hundred men were pouring
missiles of death into the barn from
as many Winchesters, revolvers, and
shotguns. Failing to dislodge him by this
method, it was decided to burn him out.
During the darkness of the night some one
in the crowd crept up to shed adjoining
the barn and set fire to it. The Gagged muir
derer, seeing that he was doomed, fired
twenty shots into the crowd in rapid sue
cession, but hitting no one. The crowd re-
turned the fire from Winchester rifles
from all sides of the barn, and
the supposition is that the mur-
derer was killed before he could at
tempt TO make his escape. After the fire had
subsidized his dead body was found in pile
of oats. Both arms and part of both legs
were burned off. Part Of his head had been
shot away, and his body was completely
riddled with bullets. The supposition is
that he was wounded in the leg before he
ss.A- rintn 'bo-hevs nrdohNMa1 JtnrdU's- 1ignt
name was Allen Wright, aged about 80 years.
dis remains were buried in a cornfeld.
His revolver had Texas COW head en-
graved on it. He had also Winchester
rifle. Eight mules, three horses, three cows,
and large quantity of grain were destroyed
with the barn. The total loss is $4,000,
which the county will probably pay. Wright
killed H. G. Stedman and Charles p. john
son, and fatally wounded Edgar Everett,
whose death will make three killed. Sew
eral are slightly wounded; all doing we'll.