The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-30
An Old Man and His Sons Re-
siSt Orders to Depart
From a Ranch.
DRIVEN TO SHELTER BY RAIN.
The Elder Camper Lies Badly Wounded
in the Tules-His Boys Sur
render.

STOCKTON, CAL, Nov. 29.-Some light
has been thrown upon the terrible tragedy
of Thanksgiving night at a lonely spot on
the Mclaughlin ranch, near Banta, IN
which Deputy Sheriff Joseph BGzzell lost
his life. The campers who fired the shots
were an old man named II. c. Tyson and
his three sons, the oldest Is years old. The
and the other a boy Is years old. The
family of Tyson, consisting of wife and
several small children, reside in cottage
on West Fremont street.
The three boys-Julius, Henry and their
little brother Moses, who was also with
the party, contrary to first reports came
home this evening, and were arrested by
officers Finnell and Burnham as they
were entering the house. They say their
father is lying in a thicket with dan
gerous wound in the stomach, and claim
that Buzzel snapped his gun at him before
he fired. They tried TO reach home last
night, but lost their way.
1t appears that on Thanksgiving morn
ing Tyson and his sons provisioned a
wagon and started for a trip into the coun-
try in search of employment, taking with
them an extra horse for trade. They were
noon, and by night the downpour had be-
come so heavy that they made camp I'M
der an old tree in an unused part of the
old Mclaughlin ranch, about three miles
from the county bridge over the San Joa-
. quin River. The rain continued to fall in
torrents, but the campers succeeded in
kindling small fire under an old tree.
The horses were unhitched and fed and
preparations made to spend the night
there.
Their presence was discovered about
o'clock by John Staiger and Ed Sweem,
3wo ranch employees, who came upon them
and abruptly ordered them to leave the
premises. The order was not coucheo in
very choice language, and the old mans
reply that he would not hunt another
camping place that night was made in nc
conciliatory mood. The ranchhanGs left
and rode over to the bridge, where they
found Deputy Sheriff Buzzell, who re-
turned with them on horse that had been
secured. When they came upon the
campers the demand that they move on
was repeated. It seems to have had been
unauthorItatiye, other than that the deputy
claimed to have had telephone message
from Sheriff Cunningham ordering him to
remove the intruders-
They again refused to move, and the story
from that point is indefinite. The dark
ness prevented either side seeing accurately
Just what the other was doing. It is
thought that Tyson already had his rife
in his hand, and it was probably not seen
by Buzzell when he drew his gun. The
hot words may have led the deputy to
think that there would be trouble, but it
came quicker than he expected. A ball
from the old mans rife pierced his skull,
and by a peculiar course ranged down
ward into the region of the heart. An
other, presumably from the gun of the
elder son, pierced the officers stomach.
Buzzell succeeded in firing two shots be-
fore he dropped to the ground dead. The
ranch employees fed in the darkness. One
of the horses ridden by q member of the
attacking party was killed, and another
animal was so badly wounded that it had
TO be killed to-day.
Sheriff Cunningham with three deputies
arrived at the place after midnight and
found the dead man and the complete out
fit of the campers, including the gun of the
elder Tyson, lying by the smoldering
camp fire. The wagon and outfit were
brought to the city to-day and the body of
the deputy placed in the care of the grief
stricken wife.
At late hour the Sheriff and a posse
were securing the country for the fugi-
tives, not having learned Of the sons re-
turn with information as to Tyson's where
abouts. With him Sheriff Cunningham has
some pup bloodhounds, which may be of
some assistance,
The Tyson family came here from Oregon
few months agp, and little is known of
them, as they made few acq uaintances.
The few who kn.lw the elder Tyson have
always considered him quiet sort of
man and one not liable to offer any resist
ance to arrest.
Tyson had worked for Councilman Mar
tin in this city and bore good reputation.
The sympathy of the community seems to
be in his favor, as it is considered that he
merely "caled bluff"