Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1891-06-04


Thls envelope was hung on the
gate leading to the barn, but the
letter had been taken out and placed
under the edge of board laid upon
the brick walk. John and Mr.. Wood
ruff's folks thought but little of this
letter, but the next night John was
out with some friends and members
OF Mr.. Woodruff's family; he returned
home about 9 o'clock and noticing the
top half of the stable door open he
went to the barn and shut it. He
saw the horses were In the stables all
right, and he went to bed in u few
minutes after. The next morning the
horses were out in the field, one of
them had the rope around its neck,
but it had been cut from the manger,
the head halter of the other horse had
been cut from the head. The colt was
in another field.
This began to look like mischief, SO
John procured an old musket which
his father had carried in the army, and
the next night he and a boy took up
their quarters in the barn. The gun
had been loaded for quite awhile.
Soon after midnight a noise was
heard and John went out to see what
it was, when he discovered a man in
the lot approaching the barn, he
called to the man who turned and
fed. He put up his gun to fire upon
the fellow but the gun missed fire.
Glaspey then drew his revolver and,
chasing the man, fired it at him. The
man cried out ''Oh God" and fed
on down the lot into the road and
down toward to creek John chasing
him two or three hundred yards.
This was on Thursday night. the
next night the valuable colt of Mr..
Woodruff was taken sick and died and
was thought to have been poisoned.
DR.. Tremaine was summoned to ex.
anime the animal and pronounced the
death to have resulted from congestion
of the lungs.
Things remained quiet in the Neck
then until last Tuesday night, when
Mrs. Norton L. Woodruff, whose has
band has but recently died, was made
the victim of nefarious visitations.
Mrs. Woodruff's brothers wife, Mrs.
VIM. Recap and her four children and
servant were staying in the farm house,
which Mr.. Woodruff had occupied,
and which, since the sale of MIR. Wood
ruff's effects. was under the control of
Frank Tice. brother-in-.aw. Mrs
Woodruff declares that on that day
Mr.. Tice, had securely locked up the
barns and buildings on the premises,
but that night she had seen a light
moving about in the barn as though
someone wac carrying lantern about
in the building. The next morning
when she arose she found letter
tackled up on her door warning her
and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Recap, to
leave the place within four days, and
If they were not gone in that time the
writer would call and tell them some
thing else. This letter frightened the
ladies, and for their protection Mr..
Tice sent his hired man, Frank Wright,
to stay in the house with them nights.
On Saturday Frank had been in
town aud returning about 10 O'Clock,
was putting up his buggy when he
heard noises toward some out build
ings. Looking in the direction he dis.
covered two men. So stealthily going
to the house. he got the gun, and COM
ing out hailed the men, who began to
move off. Hailing them again, he fired
at them. The men returned his fire
and went off towards the barn, and
Frank, having no other charge for his
gun, ran into the house, The men
standing beyond the garden fence in
the rear of the house, shot three more
shots at the house The women were
up stairs at window overlooking
where the men stood, and distinctly
saw the two men, and saw the flash
of the firing. One of the men had on
what appeared to be light overcoat.
There was no sleep for the people in
that house any more that night. With
day light, they spread the news among
the neighbors, Mr.. Recap, Mrs.
Woodruff's brother who is employed
in the office of the Pennsy lvania Rail.
road Company in Philadelphia, came
down on the Sunday train, returning
yesterday. he took with him the
letter which was tackled on Mrs. Wood
ruff's door.
Mrs. Woodruff with her FIVE children
and Mrs. Recap. left on the $40 train
last evening, for Philadelphia, bidding
good bye to Dutch Neck white caps