Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-18
RAN A-M0K.
An Exciting Afternoon at
GarVanza.
THE MURDER OF A CONSTABLE
Pursued by the Citizens-Br0ught
to the Ground by Shot From
Winchester Rife.
RAN A-MOK.
THE MURDER OF A CONSTABLE

word came to the Sheriff's office by tele.
phone that constable had been killed
at Garvanza while attempting to make
an arrest, and that assistance was need
ed for the apprehension of the murderer.
Captain Thornton, the Under Sheriff,
lost no time in starting two trusted dep
uties on their way to the scene of the
affair, and Captain Darcy, the County
Jailer, and Detective Brady were on
hand at Garvanza within an hour of the
time that the telephone bell disturbed
the Sunday quiet of the Sheriff's office.
Before the two officers had arrived,
however, the tragedy had run through
to the last act and the murderer was
dying from a rife shot fl red by one
of the citizens, who, in the emergency,
had taken it upon themselves to vindi-
cate the law. 1t was time when brave
men were needed, and several sprang to
the front. One of these, well-known
young man of this city, fred the shot
that brought down the murderer.
The bloody episode which threw the
district between Pasadena and Los An
geles into fever of excitement yester-
day afternoon, had its origin in the rains
of the last few days. The Arroyo Seco,
swollen with the flood of water, carried
down quantities of driftwood from which
the people living along it's banks reaped
harvest of fagots. just above Gar
vanza lived Benjamin F. Sprague, car
penter, whose wife was dead and whose
children had all LETT him. The frewood
was godsend to him and he purposed
to take every possible advantage of it.
So, early in the morning, the rains be-
ing over, he began to gather it in and
pile it upon the bank back of his hut.
Next above along the stream lived a
widow woman, Mrs. Louisa Lightner,
and she with her daughter came down on
the same errand as Sprague, yesterday
morning, and began to draw out
the sticks before they came
down to the carpenters land.
The surly and ill-tempered hermit,
Sprague, seon had cause for quarrel
with his riparian neighbor. The girl,
whose name was Ida, was presently left
alone by her mother and Sprague ordered
her to desist and stop gathering his
wood. When she refused to obey him
he flew at her in a passion, struck her
in the face and finally delivered cruel
blow with club on her body.
The mother returning after her trip to
the house found her daughter senseless
and their neighbor gone. When the
maiden recovered she told OF the attack
which had been made on her. She was
helped into the house, and then the
mother, full of Indignation, went to tell
the story to the neighbors.
The man Sprague had a bad reputa-
ton. He was feared and hated by those
who lived in the vicinity. Some
people said he was crazy others thought
he was only "ugly." 1t was known that
he was subject to epileptic fits and
that at times he would shut him
self up in his cabin alone for
week at time and refuse
to see anyone. When he came out he
would speak as though he had been dead
in the interval. Still, no one had ever
thought of complaining OF him as insane.
He said of himself that he was a tough
character, and had boasted of the scars
on his body and the terrible experiences
through which he had passed.
The neighbors talked it over. Many
of them had unpleasant passages-at-arms
with the man, and unanimously decided
that the brutal attack on Ida Lightner
called for some sort of action. A COM
plant was thereupon filed before the local
Justice of the Peace and warrant is
sued. The latter was placed in the hands
of the acting constable, Antoine Harnisch-
feger.
This Harnischfeger, who was one OF
the chief actors in the dreadful drama
that followed, was an interesting charac-
ter. Fifteen years ago he was one of the
most popular BARRIERS in the city of New
York. His shop was on Broadway, OPP
posite the Americas clubrooms, and
thither were wont to repair the prominent
politicians to undergo tonsorial service.
One of these, the great William Marcy
Tweed, took a fancy to the man, and
made him his private barber. Some
years later. when the famous boodler
got into difficulties, Antcne used to go
regularly to the Ludlow street jail and
shave his former patron. A little over a
year ago, when asthma was beginning
to shorten his breath, he moved to
California and located in the town of
Garvanza. The constableship of that
particular district is not very lucrative.
w. F. D. Jones having had the honor OF
an election by the people, resigned, and
Harnischfeger was appointed by the
Board of Supervisors in his stead. In
| the recent case of the Patterson murder,
the ex- barber did some good work.
The difficulty at the Arroyo Seco took
place at about s 80 in the morning. AS
soon as the warrant was placed in his
hands, which was little before noon,,
the constable went to Sprague's house.
but he was not to be found. Hsrnisch,
feger went back to Garvanza and waited
About O'Clock a neighbor appeared
with the information that Sprague had
been seen going toward his hut.
"He looks very ugly" said the man
"and he was talking to himself. You
had better have help when you go tc
arrest him."
1t occurred to Antoine that the preeau
ton would be wise one. The story o
Sprague's attack on the girl had beer
noised abroad, and several citizens werC
on hand to proffer their services.
1t was a party of five that finally wen
to the house. Three of these, Ottt
Young, 5. Conner and VIM. White wen
to the back door. One OF these picked
up an axe with wich he pounded on tn,
panel and demanded admittance in tn,
name of the law.
Sprague did exactly as was expected
Hearing the call, he made directly TO
the front door, where Jones, the forme
Constable, and Antoine Harnischfege
were waiting to receive him. The