Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-03-31
should be ravished and they make mo
effort to defend them.

DhOutQ DO T0v1She0 ana they MAKE mo-
effort to defend them.
1t was finally agreed that Hemm'ng-
y ny, johnson and those who were with
them should hurry across country to
point in the road about q mile away.
over which the Marshal and his crowd
must pass. while the friend who hal
brought the information should quietly
notify others and Lave them to follow
or wait for a report from those who
werc in advance, as they thought best
Hurrying across the fields, this little
body OF men came out into the road Dy
which the gang were proceed ng. just
in advance of the Marshal and his
party. as they approached the cottage
of the second victim marked upon their
list for ev ction.
Seeing them, the Marshal halted and
got down from the wagon in viii b he
was riding. The others did the same.
Approaching to W thin a few feet of the
Marshal. Erastus demanded TO know if
it were true that they had come to ev' ct
the settlers, aud was told that they
had.
You will not be allowed to do So"
replied Hemingway; I'VE redeemed
these lands from the desert and gave
them all the value they possess. They
belong to us and we intend to hold
them"
The Marshal replied that ''he was do
| ing only what the law and the court re-
| quired o. him, but that rather than use
force he would abandon the attempt"
But the gang thirsted for blood, and
had iAen ordered to prevent any aban-
donmeAt of the object for which they
were sent Scarcely had the words of
the Mar hal is ,ued from his mouth
when the leader of the desper does
| drew b s rev, liver and fired at Erastus,
thus giving the signal to the OF ers OF
the gang. who at once followed his ex-
ample and emptied their revolvers into
| the bodies of the Innocent and almost
defenseless men in front of them.
| Tue first shot was aimed at Hem
mingway's heart and m ssed it by but
few inches. The bullet entered his
left breast and passed entirely through
his body, but though mortaIly wounded
he succeeded in drawing his own re-
volver. and. firing, killed one of the
desperadoes on the spot.
One other of the gang was wounded
by shot fired by johnson, who was
himself in family K He'd by the second
volley of the desperadoes. Two OF ,ers
OF the settlers were killed outright and
three wounded the latter by shots from
the fowling piece of the leader of the
gang. who fired at them as they fled,
and but for the fact that the horses at
tached to the wagon, in which lay the
Villains revolving rifle. took fright and
ran away, not one of them would have
escaped death.
Terror-stricken the bleeding men sped
on in the dir ciion of the picnic grounds.
but had gone but little distance when
they met scoro of neig .bors. who,
having been told the rumor of attempt
ed evictions. had not waited for word
from the first party. but followed on
after, leaving their panic-stricken fam
lilies to hitch up the teams and follow by
the longer way of the road. To these
men the news of the awful tragedy just
enacted was communicated, and a por-
ton hurried forward while others re-
turned TO find the families of the dead
and wounded men, if perchance they
had not yet left the grounds, and pre-
pare them as best they could for the
worst that could occur.
Meantime the Marshal and his brutal
allies had beat hasty retreat. The
former avoided Hanfotd and reached
another station, where he took the train
for San Francisco.
The leader of the desperadoes. at
tempting to follow on after his no SEES,
was found next day dead by the road
side, bullet through his heart. one
hand clasping a bulldog revolver and
the other his double barreled shot gun.
Erastus Hemingway and the other
murdered and dying victims of the con-
spiracy were tenderly II It'd from the
ground and carried to their hom 8.
Lucy, with her mother and two chill
drcn-a second child. q girl, having
been born tc them-reached home in
advance of those who bro ght her
wounded husband. They had heard
the most terrible rumors, and were tor
tured by the most horrible fears. bu,
were in ignorance of what had actually
occurred until men came bearing the
bleeding body with its unconscious face
and laid 1t at their feet. To those who
, can not image the agony of these low
ing hearts no description which the
writer could give would convey any
meaning whatever. Erastus lived until
morning. He was unconscious during
, the whole tine. and died without q
word or lool of recognition of those
about him, while wife and mother and
children poured forth their anguish in
tears and sobs as they watched the
pulsing of the heart grow fainter and
, fainter and felt the hands which the,
clasped become colder and colder, as the
death-damP gathered upon the brow o.
him they loved.
When he was buried thee two lone
and widowed women, the one in the
primo of life. the other bowed aLc
broken and gray with - rs and sorrow
, but more with sorrow than with years
returned to their desolate home to clasl
two fatherless children TO their breasts
|, and weep and mosn. living in daily
fear of pther attempts at eviction auc
other tragedies until such time as deatt
shall come to them, or until the whole
people shall waken from their slumbers
throw off the fatal spell which bind
: them. and demand that Justice be done
, and reparatiop made so far as may be