Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-13
BRAVELY FOUGHT.
A Plucky Widows Fight with
Two Robbers.
HER HERoIsM POORLY REWARDED.

In Defense of Her Property Size Uses a
Pistol and the Dastards Fatally Shoot
Her Their Victim Dead and They
Themselves in Custody-A sharp Fusil-
lade in the Dark-CooI Conduct of the
Brave Woman.
WASHINGTON. Pa, Oct ID Mrs. Saun-
ders, widow of a veteran of the late war.
keeps the second toll-gate on the plank
road, five miles from town. She lives alone
with one young son in a little frame cot
tage by the roadside. Friday evening at
7:20 O'Clock it was dark, and the heavy
rain of an hour before had made travel
ers scarce at that hour. Mrs Saunders
heard knock at the door, and when she
opened it she saw the figures of two men.
They wore masks. One man flashed the
muzzle of n revolver into the woman's
face, and demanded her money. She de-
clared that she had no money, and offered
TO show the men through the houSe. They
accepted her invitation, and entered the
house.
Why in Justice Couldn't She Shoot?
Calmly walking to the bureau she
threw open the drawer and quietly loosed
up the contents with her fingers in an
apparently careless manner. The men
looked on her fiercely and cursed her.
Suddenly she turned toward the big man,
and, before he could recover fired shot
At him. She had gotten her hand on a
revolver in the drawer and knew how to
use it. With an oath the big man struck
with his fist at the delicate woman, and
his companion drew revolver and
opened fire After dozen shots were ex-
changed, of which the plucky woman
fired three, the men retreated through the
door and left their victim Frustrated in
her own blood.
The Brave Woman Badly Wounded
The shots attracted the attention of her
son, who was in adjoining field. He
found his mother bruised about the face
and unconscious He summoned the
neighbors, and they procured physicians.
1t was then ascertained that Mrs. Saun-
ders had been shot through the abdomen,
and that the wound WAS probably fatal.
She rallied. however. and WAS able to give
in a whisper description of the high
waymen, and the story of her encounter.
Later-Mrs. Saunders Dead.
Mrs Saunders died last night, and the
prospects are that the dastards who are
responsible for her death will suffer the
penalty. Saturday night Constable Ham
mond arrested Ed Durr on suspicion. He
Is only 10 years of age. He was immedi-
ate!y taken to the sheriff's office, where he
made a confession, in which he implicated
two fellows arrested-Bush Durr and
George +. Tearers, from Cassville, w Va,
and Wheeling island, respectively. Durr
said IN substance in his confession that
the three fellows had been coming along
the pike near Little Toledo, when the
rain came up and they got over the fence
and crawled under the corn shocks.
Shortly after that they worked their way
up to hay stack and stood under it I'M
til after dark. Then Teaters and Ed Durr
went TO the house, Bush refusing To go.
The Fight Took Place in the Dark.
1eaters knocked at the door of Mrs
Saunders house, aud when she opened it,
pushed the revolver into her face. de-
manding her money or her life The
lady held in her hand lamp, and being
somewhat frightened, her hand trem bled,
knocking the chimney against tue revol-
Yer, and breaking it. The flame
went out, leaving the party in total
darkness. Teaiers tried TO strike a match,
but WAS unsuccessful By this time Mrs.
Saunders had procured her revolver and
opened nre on the ruffians. The lad who
made the confession hastily left and went
to the haystack, and after the five shots
had been fired, one of which ultimately
killed the woman, 1eaters Joined him.