The San Francisco call., 1895-12-01
Tyson'S Son Refuses to Lead the
Officers to His Fathers
Retreat.
SYMPATHY FOR THE FUGITIVE
Developments Tend to Prove That
the Campers Fired in Self.
Defense.


Sheriff Buzzell on the Mclaughlin ranch.
near Banta, in the battle in the darkness
on Thanksgiving night, returned this
evening empty handed. Tyson youngest
son, whom they took with them, indicated
no disposition to aid in the search. Sew
eral supposed clews were found to be mis-
leading. The impression is now that if
Tyson is not dead or dying in some thicket
from his wounds he has made his way into
the foothills. One of the officers said on
his return:
IL suppose the old man is frightened,
but in the light of developments so far l
do not see any occasion for his flight"
Deputy Sheriff Buzzells body will be
buried, and the inquest held later. The
Sheriff returned the thirteen-year-old son
| to jail. Some hope is still expressed that
Tyson may conclude to make his way to
the city and surrender.
Considerable criticism is directed at the
officers for not prosecuting the search last
| night, inasmuch as the Tyson boys state
ments to the officials at the County Jail
indicated that the old man might be dying
by the roadside from his wounds. SYM
pathy is expressed for Tyson, as it is
thought that he was, in the light of pres
ent information, justified in the shoot
| ing. 1t is only regretted that he is SUBJ
| jecting himself to hardships unnecess ary,
under the impression that be is being
hunted as a deliberate murderer.
| Several of the Sheriffs deputies searched
the house of the Tysons on Fremont street
this morning, thinking that the father
might have returned during the night. OF
course, they did not find him. Tyson's
| 13-year-old son, who was taken along by
the posse, evidently feared that he was be-
| ing made the medium of information
which might bring his father to the gal
lows, for when they arrived at the scene OF
the midnight fight he refused to lead the
officers TO the spot where he had last seen
the old man or to give any information
that might put them on the trail.
Henry Tyson the eldest son, made a
very complete statement of the affair to a
reporter at the County Jail to-day.
1--WE started on Thursday" said he, ito
go to the Coast Range on a hun ting trip.
Toward evening we concluded to find some
place to camp. After driving on for
! while we saw nice place near some trees
to put up for the night, and decided to
camp. Father made fire and started to
| cook supper.
THE fire was made at the foot of big
| tree for there was quite hole in the
ground at the root of the tree. After we
had made our meal we found that the tree
was on fire on the inside, and we all went
to work packing water to put it out After
working for some time we found that we
could not get at the fire on the inside, and
+Iat III
After finding that we could do nothing
with the fire we all lay down to sleep.
~ think father and one of my brothers
was asleep when we heard a rig drive up.
| There were two men, and one of them
| called to US. Father answered, and then
| they came nearer. One OF them wanted to
know what right we had to come into the
| field and set fire to other peoples properly.
Father told him that we did not fire
the tree Intentionally and that we had
done our best to put it out, but could not.
The man was very abusive. l don't know
who he was, but we supposed from the
way he talked that he owned the place.
Father then said he would try again to
put the fire out and would pay what dam
ages there were if he could not and the
tree was burned down. The man said he
would give US two minutes to put the fire
out or he would make US do it. The man
then said: If that fire Is not out in fifteen
minutes 1 will De back with Winchester
and make you put it out
The men then went away and we set
to work again to try to extinguish the
blaze. We worked hard. Then we con-
cluded it was no use to try further and
Lo<Lx .-l~k
come back when we were asleep and shoot
us. He thought the men might do this,
for the one who talked so much said he
was coming back with q Winchester.
Father took my rifle and plac ed i: against
the wagon, where he could get at it easily.
pretty soon we heard someone on horse
back and three men rode up. One of them
got off and came up to where we were.
He said he was Deputy Sheriff. but we
did not believe him, for the men did not
come from the direction of the bridge. He
asked what we were burning trees for, and
said we ought to know better than to de-
stroy other peoples property. Father
again explained how the fire started. and
said he was willing to settle for the tree if
it burned down. The man ordered father
to put the fire out, but he wouldn't, be-
cause he knew it was no use to try.
when he refused the man reached over
to catch hold of father, and he stepped
back to where his gun was. The man then
drew his pistol from his pocket and ordered
father not to take his gun. called to him
to put that pistol down and so did my
father but the man would not listen TO US.
The man then started to shoot. The pistol
snapped and he fired again before father
shot at him. 1t was fully three seconds
after he shot before father fired, as he
could not get his gun up in time. The
man fired a second shot, and father cried
out that he had been hit.
my brother and then got our pistols
and began firing. We fired two shots
apiece. Father also fired again with his
rifle at the other men when we began
firing. One of them shot and the bullet
went close to fathers head. They then lit
out.
AFTER the men had gone we began to
think what was best to do. Father said
the best thing to do was to catch our horses
and 60 back to Stockton and tell what haG