Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-31

Col. A. j. Woodman of No. 1906 ..
Penney lvania avenue has received the
details of terrible New England
tragedy in which his nephew, Clifford
Mosher, well-Known young farmer Of
Gotham, Me-, near Portland, was mur-
6ered by robbers and the young mar's
mother, Mrs. Rufus Mosher, aged IA
years, who is Gel. ssWoodman's only
sister, had narrow escape from a like
fate, being brutally assaulted by the
outlaws, who evidently thought they
had killed her.
Tho Mosher farm is in a lonely
section of country, and the robbers
committed the terrible deed on Satur
day night, january 18th, in the midst
of binding snow storm, evidently
believing that the snow would cover
sheir tracks and enable them to make |
their escape without difficulty. Clifford |
Musher had been to Gorham for the |
mail and brought back with him a
letter for his mother and some news
papers. Mr.. Moshef and his mother
were the only OCCUPANTS OF the house.
They had eaten supper and were sitting
in the kitchen reading and talking,
when there came o knucK ut the back
door. 1t was about Z o'clock IN the
evening and as they were not expecting
any calls from neighbors were sur
prised; consequently they hesitated
about answsring the summons; their
delay being prompted partly, by Mr..
Mosher's suspicion, expressed to his
mother, that the person vino was doing
the knotking was John NOLAN, who
had worked on the farm but had been
discharged some time before, The
KNOCKING was repeated at intervals and
finally oeased for a time, when Mr.
MosHer aud his mother resumed their
reaEing. Some minutea elapsed when
thE knock was again heard, this time
louder and more emphatic than before.
airs. Mosher turned down the light
iand she and her son sat wondering who
fcould be SO anxious to get In. Again
\ the knocking ceased, but 10 about 20
minutes the window near where Mrs.
Mosher WAS sitting was smashed into
thousand pieces, and Immediately a
burly white man jumped into the room
through the window. He had a large
club ia his hand and his hat Was pulled
down over his face to prevent his being
recognized. MIR. Mosher sprang from
his seat on the opposite side OF the
room and ran to bis mother to protect
her. He had barely reached her side
when the burly intruder grabbed him
and by brute force threw him to the
floor and jumped on top of him. A
struggle epsued and although Mr..
Mosher was a powerful young man
and could have given his assailant a
hard fight under ordinary circumstances
the latter had the advantage and seeing
that he might not have everything his
own way jumped to his feet and STRUCK
Mr. Mosher terrific blow on the heao
with the club. This did not subdut
the young man, although be was pretty
badly stunned, and the outlaw found il
necessary to again pounce upon hit
victim and choke him.
In the meantime negro had entered
the window and attacked Mrs. Moshel
with a club. The negro struck Mrs
Mosher over che head, cutting a deeI
cash, but did not render her insensible
When the negro raised his club I,
strike Mrs. Mosher the second time shl
+ quickly extinguished the light ant
sprang out of harms way for the TIM
being. In the darkness she succeeded
in getting to the adjoining room ant
bolted the door. Through all the ex
citement she retained her presence o
mind and in order to stop the flow o
blood from the wound in her hea,
wrapped her apron about it. After tn
lamp in the kitchen had been extin
guished and Mrs. Mosher had got t
the adjoining room the murderer
lighted lantern which they foun,
there and killed Mr.. Mosher afte
pursuing him to the parlor. Throug
crevice In the door Mrs. Mosher ooul
see the light and could look upon
portion OF the kitchen, but she coul
not see her son and did not witnes
that part of the tragedy enacted afte
she left the room, although she saw
large pool of blood in the centre OF til
floor which caused her to shuddel
realizing that she was powerless to al
her son and that it would mean deaf
to her to re-enter the room. She hope
for the best and thought possibly be
son might have escaped in the darknes
and found refuge in one of the uppe
rooms Of the house. She is hard {
hearing and could not distinguish tall
ing or other sounds.
A subsequent investigation shove
that Mr.. Mosher had thrown his assai
ants to one side when the light wer
out and darted into the parlor, BIT
they followed him closely and thei
after o terrible struggle succeeded
fatally wounding him, crushing in b
head with club, and causing almo
instant death. At the time he WI
evidently trying to make his way
his room on the second floor, where |
had 44-oalibre revolver and riff
which would probably have enable
him to turn the tables on the mu
derers The blow from the club cause
the blood from the wound which
made to stain the walls and floor.
fact, much of the room and its conten
were despatched with blood. BIT wi
an uneven struggle, two armed OUTLAY
fighting an unarmed and surprise
man.
After the fends had dealt the deat
blow they wanted to be sure of the j
and finding an undergarment tied
tightly around the young mans throa
the idea being to choke him to deal
if he were not already dead. Thi
evidently supposed that Mrs. Mosh
was dead, for they gave her no furth
concern at the time, and after they BIZ
killed her son they started to explo
the house for plumber. Their terrib
crime had evidently had no effect upt
them, for they first hunted some foo
of which they partook literally. Thl
handled all the food they could ir
and left bloody finger marks on ever
thing they touched.
Mrs Mosher could, from her positio
sec the men much OF the time, and 81
was in great agony, not knowing VIII
had become OF her son or whether tl
attack upon her was to be renewe