Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-06-30

ers. Each II the AaTs receh "a 4 rose
and small flag which they pinned to
their coat lapeis and wore with evil
dent pride After supper the com
pany lined ap in front OF he hall and
with hearty good will gave three
cheers for he Woman's Relief Corps.
The uueat, supper ratious Of which
there we're several ba>keifuls" were
sent to Camp Dewey for breakfast
supplies.
RELIC BLOWN rP
Tuesday morning the soldiers Dor
rowed a cannon from court house
park aud took it to Camp Dewey" at
the fair grounds for demonstration
extraordinary. At the third or fourth
firing the cannon exploded. breaking
into four pieces. One heavy chunk
was hurled high into the air and came
down upon the roof Of the dining hall.
smashing large hole. Luckily no
body was hit by the flying pieces.
The cannon was one Of Lancaster's
oldest relics. 1t was a square block
OF cast iron weighing 500 or 600
pounds. In early days, when Grant
river was considerably larger than it
is to-day, the block was brought well
up Grant river on a steamer and
carted to Lancaster to be used in the
hanging of a murderer named Brew
er. In 1915 at Beetowu miner
named Brewer killed his companion
named DeLasseaux by stabbing him
savagely with a knife from the effects
of which he died in short time.
Brewer was Immediately arrested.
The court had barely closed its spring
session. Judge Dunn not having left
Lancaster. The grand Jury was sum-
moned to return and after trial
Brewer was found guilty and hastily
executed on the gallows erected in
front of the house in which James
of the city of Lancaster. The can
non just exploded was used as drop
weight to jerk Brewer into eternity.
After the hanging the block was
bored out for cannon by black
smith named John Boughwright. who
had shop just north of where the
Wright House now stands. Since
then it has been used on all patriotic
occasions For over fifty years it has
acted on July Fourths the part of
.thirteen guns at sunrise and not
infrequently it went off at midnight
to give full measure and a scare to
good citizens who slumbered peace
fully at home on virtuous touches
During the war OF the rebellion its
booming announced every victory of
the northern armies, besides great
many victories that never occurred;
and its was the deep bass voice that
awakened the echoes hereabouts when
Richmond fell.
THE START FOR CAMP DOUGLAS.
The train that left Lancaster for
Milwaukee this. Wednesday. morning
at 500 o'clock took the Lancaster
contingent. At Fennimore it took on
board the recruits from Boscobel. and
at Montfort junction it received the
volunteers from Platteville
Lancaster usually sends her large
delegations out in storm. When
the Klondikers left it was an extreme
lY bilious morning, and this morning
when the soldiers gathered in the
coaches the sky was overcast and fit
full showers of rain fell on the large
crowd of people at the depot to bid
the boys godspeed. When the time
of departure arrived there was no
demonstration on the part Of the
lcrowd-only warm grip of friendly
hands, an almost inaudible ''good-
bye" while disengaged hands brushed
away the little teardrops that would
intrade despite heroic efforts at forth
tude. AS the train moved out the
soldiers sent up a lusty cheer.
The Boscobel soldiers drove to Fem
nimore most Of them in band
wagon. Wednesday morning They
were escorted to the depot by the
Eennimore band and very large
crowd of people followed in process
sion. At the depot they boz ded
an empty coach attached to thu rear
end of the Milwaukee train from Lam
caster
At Plattevillc at 1925 a procession
mareAed from the city to the depot.