St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-05-21

Especial to the San Francisco Exonicle.
CHICAGO, May 1O.-A special to the
St. Paul Enumeration says: The city of
Shawneetown, in Northern Michigan,
was the scene of a horrible tragedy to-
day, and from present advices, riot and
b1oodshed are likely to follow tomorrow.
A Bohemian pile-driver, by the name of
Nashwitzshi, came home to his cabin,
and found his wife busy mending a pair
of overalls that belonged to his brother
in-1aw. There had been some old quarrel
between the men, and Mrs. Mashwitski
had on several occasions prevented
combat. The husband INDUCED in some
disagreeable comment on his wife's
neglect of her own family while she sewed
patches on her brothers overalls, and
the latter answered with angry words.
Thereupon, Bashwitzski announced
that the brother-in-law's time had come.
He coolly locked the door and drew
long knife. The brother-in-law produced
a similar weapon, and a terrific fight
took place in the one room of the cabin.
Rashnitzski appears to have been I'M
popular with his own family, as his wife
and children did their best to assist the
brother-i1l-law against him. The chill
dren were four in number-two boys,
aged fifteen and thirteen, and two girls,
aged ten and eleven.
The fight lasted about ten minutes,
during which frequent cries for help and
mercy were heard by the lumbermen 1iv
ing in adjacent cabins. They were, how
ever, 10th to respond, as the Moshbitski
family frequently INDUCED in rows and
fights. At last, considerable crowd
surrounded the house, but by this time
all was still. Moshbitski came to the
window and asked what was wanted.
1t was noticed that he was covered with
blood, and the lumbermen called upon
him to surrender. For answer he fired
into the crowd, killing a Scotchman by
the name of Mcdonald. A rush was then
made at the door of the cabin, and it was
soon chopped into kindling- wood by the
axes of the lunbermen. Mashnolski
1eaped out, revolver in one hand and
knife in the other, and before he was
thrown down and overpowered, he had
killed one man and seriously wounded
two others.
Inside the cabin the wife and brother
in-law and one of the boys were found
dead. The other boy and one of the
girls were mortally wounded. The
Youngest child an infant in years, but
matured through work and suffering,
told the story of what had happened;
how the father had become frenzied at
their interference in behalf of the brother
1n-laW, and had sworn he would XIII the
whole family.
In the meantime, the news had spread
among the other Bohe1nians in the camp
that one of their nation was about to be
lynched, and they rallied to his assist
ance. They came too late, as a gallows
had been improvised at the nearest pine
tree, and the body of Mowalski was
swaying in the wind. The Bohemians
attacked the lynchers, and were beaten
off with sharp fight, in which two of
their number were killed. The whole
country is now in state bordering on
anarchy A number of encounters be-
tween the different factions have taken
place in the course of the evening with
bloody consequences, and the governor
of the state has been urged to call out
the militia. Interesting developments
in the affair are expected tomorrow
Hugh Naylor in the San Francisco
Argonant.