The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-01
HUGnES.

were 'held up at the muzzies of shotguns
proba bic cause several were taken under
arrest and placed in confinement.
The place was literally under martial
law.
AT length Jesse Turner, Sheriff of Curry
County, arrived st Chetco, to find that
the guarded house had been deserted by
all but the female inhabitants. 1t then
became serious matter for the Sheriff to
stay the hand of township authority and
prevent the hanging of the prisoners that
under vague susp clOn mad been taken
into custody. Threats of burning the
! Van Pelt hou>e over the heads of the in
! offensive women are said to have been
eraveIy discussed and only discouraged
by the resolute interference of Sheriff
! Turner,
Harry Hughes, brother of E. c. Hughes,
! who resides with his parents in this city,
went 10 Chetco the second day after the
| Coolidge tragedy and was. under pretense
! OF suspicion, arrested and placed in con-
! fnement for several days He complains
| OF many hardships and privations and
| threatens an action at law tor damages.
| Harry was disposed to question the legal
! propriety OF his incarceration and to argue
| the innocence OF his brother for which
offenses he was promptly shackled and
made to realize that his situation was ill.,
! deed perilous.
! Sheriff Turner learned from the women
! at the Van Pelt residence that the male
members of the family, fearing mob
violence, had probably gone to Del Norte
County, aDd accordingly be came to
| Crescent City where. at his request
Sheriff Ferguson of Del Norte County
made formal arrest of h. c. Hughes and
Lincoln Van Pelt, who willingly gave
themselves up and agreed to go to Oregon
| for trial upon the assurance that they
I would be protected from unlawful attack.
! The guarantee was proffered and the
officers ard prisoners reached Smith
River, near the Oregon line, where they
met a body OF armed men from Chetco,
and for time there was presumed to be
Inc minent danger; but upon investig ton
| it proved to be party which, appraised OF
the danger with which the Sheriff and
! prisoners were threatened, had come tC
I their assistance.
Later Sheriff Ferguson. by strategic
movement, succeeded in locating five OF
the Van Pelts - Thomas Sr., Robert
! Charles, Thomas Jr. aud one ficttiously
known as Bun-all OF whom, being as
! sured of protection, readily laid down
their Winchesttrs and gave themse ives
! into the custody of the Curry County
authorities
In the meantime warrants were issued
! for and served upon w. r. Smith and
son and one Dickinson for the previous
| shooting, when Hughes and Snodgrass
| were wounded. The senior Smith is now
! at the Bay Hotel, in this city, under bail,
and under the care of physicians for
| treatment OF his severe wound received in
come ction with the fatal shooting OF Al
Coolidge.
| Various rumors and contradictions OF
/ rumors are extant, but II Smith is not the
worst beiled man in two States he is a
desperate character, and a common pre-
sumption is that he was iml orted into
| Chetco as a fighter.
! Sheriff Fer uson while on a recent visit
! to Chetco was with a leveled gun at his
breast commanded to throw UP his hands,
| but he failed to recognize the authority,
and John l.. Childs, editor of the Crescent
| City News and attorney for some of the
! Van Pelts, was made TO take inspiration
! from the inspection OF the caliber OF two
barreed gun and to make sundry oaths
before he was admitted to practice in the
| Chetco courts.
w. r. Smiths condition is critical and
1t is feared that the amputation OF his leg
may become necessary in order to save
his life.