The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-06
THE DEATH OF A sPANIARD.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
In the very early days of the Mouse
river country a man by the name of Mas
eel Lopey pre-empted some government
land. His birthplace was Havana, his
father having been a Spanish soldier and
his mother a native of Madrid. L6pey
was quiet fellow unmarried, and pos
sessed of some money which he had made
in smuggling contraband goods across the
Canadian border
After acquiring land in this country he
built himself a rude frame shack. tined
his soil purchased several head Of cattle,
and settled down to the life of a frontier
farmer. Indians were numerous and not
friendly but Lopey appeared abe to get
along with them. His nearest neighbor
was thirty miles away.
A year after Lopey took his land four
brothers from Central Georgia by the
name of Wasser entered the Mouse river
country and because their horses were
worn out and their money gone occupied
land which was ten miles due west of
where the Spaniard was. They simply
squatted, taking the chance of the govern
ment evictng them eventually. Robert
Wasser was married and had a daughter
16 years of age. Herman, Fred and
George Wasser were single men and Of
quarfelsome natures. The four men were
not in the country a week before they loca-
ted Lopey, called on him and in dispute
over the price they should pay for some
corn meal knocked him down and shot
one of his ponies. They took the corn
meal, but did nOrpay for 1t. Lopey stood
the insult.
A month after this. their own horses be-
ing IN bad shape the Wasser brothers
again called on Lopey and took two Of his
without his consent, and did not return
them until they were ruined. In this af-
far Lopey shot George Wasscr through
me left arm. but was overpowered by SUI
perior numbers The next day Robert
Wassers daughter came to Lopey's shanty
with a message from her mother to the
effect that the brothers intended 10 raid
him within a week and would certainly
kill him for the wounding Of George. Lo-
pey asked her if she and her mother were
happy In their life with such lawless
characters and the girl confessed they
were not. Lopey then told her that he
would not flee The country; that he had no
friends to appeal to, but that IL she and
her mother would come TO his ranch before
the fight he would see If he was killed that
his property went to them and not to the
marauders. He said:
whatever the outcome, neither your ia
Their nor his brothers will ever want my
property"
Three days later Mrs. Wasser and the
girl fed their home and came to Lopeys
place. The Spaniard before they came
had not only fortified his shanty as best
he could but had dug in the rear Two rife
pits. He took the women in and gave the
mother a slip of paper, bequeathing her all
Of his property in the event Of his death.
Il have no people of my own" he said
land as you have been unhappy and will
soon be a widow you should have this in
case die"
The woman cried. and the girl begged
I,opey to let her fight with him, declaring
that she had always hated her father ana
his brothers. but. with her mother, had
been terrorized by them. She said the
brothers had lived a life Of lawlessness and
were really fugitiyes. Lopey replied that II
she could fire a pistol he would give her
one and did So
The Spaniard had two rifles. a shotgun,
Two old-style Colt navy pistols, and long
knife something like bowie. The trio COW
cred the windows with boards, barred the
doors and waited.
The Wasser brothers arrived at the Lo-
pcy place at 10 o'clock that night. About
an hour before the dawn Fred Wasser was
dead and the shack on fire. Lopey and the
women made their escape from II into the
rife pits, which we're side by side. The
three were yet uninjured. Lopey believed
the remaining brothers would go away
now, but the girl warned MIN that they
did not know fear. and that the death of
Fred would only make them more eager
for revenge. Twice she went from the pits
to the flaming shanty and secured provis-
ions. Each time she was fired upon by her
own father, but missed.
The three in the pits were without water
supply except such as was in jug. The
shallow we'll ding by Lopey was twenty
Yards from their shelter.
All that day the two women and Lopey
law in the pits under a burning sun, while
the three brothers. safe out Of shot range,
waited and watched.
''They will come after dark" said Lopey.
And they did.
The night was well set. the inky black
ness OF the prairie after sunset in the arr,
when Robert and George Wasser, leaving
their horses with Herman, began crawling
through the grass to the pits. But Lopey
himself was already out Of them, and in
stead Of seeking flight circling about on