Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-01
BEAVER WHITE CAPS
To be Given a Taste of the Law if
They Can be Run TO Earth.
HOoKSTOWN'S REIGN OF TERROR.
Strange State of Affairs Existing in the
Calhoun Homestead.
MAN AND WIFE TO SEPARATE APRIL /

MAN AND WIFE TO SEPARATE APRIL /
The perpetrators of the outrage on old man
Johnston Calhoun at Hookstown, Beaver
county, on January IA. seem likely to be
brought to justice and the whole affair made
| public. The facts in this brutal treatment of
septuagenarian have never been given,
though some time after the affair occurred
the press made brief references to it. The
| attention of the Humane Society of Western
Pennsylvania has been called to the matter
by clergyman of Hookstown, and, as soon
as the roads become better, Agent o 'Brien
will investigate the matter. A reporter for
THE DISPATCH visited the village yester-
day, and learned the story from citizens
there.
Hookstown is reached from Smiths Ferry,
on the Cleveland and Pittsburg Railroad. 1t
is in Greene township, five miles south of
the Ohio river. The country is very hilly,
and the roads at this time of the year are
terribly bad.
WHAT HooKSTowN IS.
Hookstown lies in valley through which
runs Mill creek. 1t is village of not far
from 100 houses. occupying, Ior the most
part, two parallel streets. The village is an
old one the houses veteran in their appear
ance, and for 80 years there has been no APP
preciable increase in the permanent popula-
tion. The older inhabitants of the village
are peaceable. order-loving people. The
farmers of the neighborhood are industrious,
sedate and well-disposed. In the village
there are three churches, Methodist, Presby-
terian and United Presbyterian. The min
lister of the q. P. Church is the teacher of
the well-attended public school.
About year ago there began to come into
the quiet community new and turbulent
element. On hilltop about mile west of
the borough, George Ray, of Wellsville,
''struck OIL" 1t developed into a 600-bar-
rel well, and now dozens of derricks are in
sight all along the western horizon. The
oil drillers and other men employed in the
operation of wells came into the town.
They were big, red-faced and heavy-handed
men, wore slouch hats and immense rubber
boots, carried revolvers in their hip pock-
cts, and could spit tobacco juice clear across
the street.
HAD HIGH OLD TIMES.
Occasionally they would ship kegs of
beer out from the city, and have high old
times. They made things prosperous for
three eating houses IN the village. A num-
Der of the young men of Hookstown began
to train with them and acquire their turbu-
lent ways. It was party composed ofthese
two elements which perpetrated the outrage
on Johnston Calhoun one Tuesday night in
January.
Mr.. Calhoun is II years old. For many
years he has been a member of the United
Presbyterian Church, OF Hookstown. He
was, during the working years of his life,
farmer, owning fine tract OF land in
Greene township. Some years ago he moved
into the village. buying and occupying the
largest house in the place. It is an old
brick mansion, located on prominent cor
ner. It is two stories high with cellar,
and has long frame wings to it. The corner
room is leased as store.
USED TO SAVE MONEY.
Along the entire front of the building is
capacious double portico, being two stories
high. The house is we'll but plainly fur
nished. The value of the property is prob
ably 81, 900. During his working years Mr..
Calhoun saved considerable money. This
be has loaned on mortgage notes, which
bring him fair income. For short time
he made his home in Beaver, before retiring
to the old house in Hookstowu.
Johnston Calhoun is now about to separate
from his third wife. The children by his
former wives are grown and married. A
little over two years ago he welded Miss
Maggie Calhoun, of Bellaire. Although
their names were similar they were not re-
lated. Miss Calhoun was then only 27 years
old, a fair, robust woman, with will of her
own and keen eye for the main chance
The arrangement which she made with Mr..
Calhoun before the marriage was contracted
indicates that she looked upon the affair
somewhat as financial operation. The
day before the wedding he gave her an in
terest-bearing note for 81, 900, we'll indorsed,
and which she still holds.
NOT VERY WELL MATED.
The old husband and the young wife did
not long dwell together in unity. 1t was
not long until high words were heard BY
people passing, and the villagers were soon
telling many stories about the quarreling
corner. Naturally, it was not difficult for
the Calhouns to find occasions for their
wrangling. Almost anything was sufficient.
Mrs. Calhoun raised a lot of chickens last
spring. She fed them carefully and let
them run in the yard. Mr.. Calhoun de-
clared that the chickens were his and he
locked them up in the hen house. Mrs
Calhoun insisted that she owned the fowls
and she released them. The resulting
pitched battle stirred the tongues OF the
Hookstown gossips to their roots. Then the
old gentleman concluded that he had too
many lounges in the house. He sold one
The young woman said that the sofa be-
longed to her and there was another war of
words, which got through the garden palings
into the premises of the neighbors.
SOME OF THE FAIRY TALES.
Some months ago it was said In the gro
Gerry stores and across clotheslines that
Johnston Calhoun was accustomed to beat
his wife. More recently persons gifted with
facile imaginations or reckless disregard for
the ninth commandment averred that, as
they passed the big old house in the night
time, they could hear the woman's means
and cries. Some even whispered about that
they could hear the blows, as if the old gen.
tleman were laying it on Justify with
hitching-strap. People who were well ac-
quainted with the ill-mated couple did not
believe these stories of beating. They knew
that Mr.. Calhoun was old and growing
feeble and that Mrs. Calhoun was young
and strong. They considered her well able
to take care of herself as far as the hitching-
strap might be concerned.
The story of the riding of old man Cal
houn on rail by mob of ten masked men
six weeks ago was told in THE DISPATCH
at the time, practically as it occurred.
ALMOST FRIGHTENED TO DEATH.
Mr.. Calhoun says that he was so greatly
excited-frightened would be the proper
word-that he does not clearly remember
what took place. He found his side very
sore, and ct first had the impression that
L IL L