The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-01
WILMINGTON. DELAWARE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1901
FOSTERS AND BRAIN,
BY II. I. CLEVELAND,

itary road from Prairie du Chen through the
Big Woods to the Red River of the North,
the Fosters, father and son, decided they
would build their long planned wood road
through the Mustard Patch. They owned
go acres Of what was called the Mustard
Patch, and the remaining 40 acres were
possessed by Fletcher Brain. The road to
reach the timber land in which the Fosters
proposed to cut would have to cross both
tracts.
II reckon, though, Fletch," said the
senior Foster, "you hain't gettin' any
pow'ful 'jections to us t'uchin' yer land if
we keep t the west edge. TIl' road'll be as
good fer your haul as our n"
And "Fletch" Brain, having no coolness
Of blood, albeit he was more than 50 years OF
age, answered.
"You ben talkin' thet road, Foster, fer
two years, an yer amt onct spoken as t
what you pay fer takn' piece frum my
90. Tn Almighty says what is yourn is
yourn an what is mine is mine. Don't yer
lay shovel on my 40 till you come to taw
on what yer goin' to pay
That was the beginning Of 1.-THE very
start OF all that came afterwards between
the Fosters and Brain. The road would
have benefited each, it could have been
abandoned when the timber was cut, Brain
was in the wrong as to asking a price and
the Fosters erred in denouncing his miserli.
ness at the beginning Of the trouble.
The Fosters attempted to open the road,
and Brain drove them away with rife.
They tried cutoff through swamp land
Which would avoid his 40, and the marsh
nearly engulfed them. They fought with
him in the town meetings, after church, at
the dances, in the harvest field. Even in the
wild ride to relieve New Ulm after the mas.
sacre-of the Mustard Patch road was upper.
most in the conversation Of the three men
When they returned TO their wilderness
they were still arguing and cursing each
other until when in sight of the Mustard
Patch the junior Foster reined in his horse
and shaking his fist at Brain said:
'You mark my word. Fletch. It's one
week from October l. BY that time I'm o.
in to have the road open an be married to
your niece or I'll have yer hide, skin an
all"
Then they separated Brain riding down
to his clearing, his brain aiire. Here was a
new danger He had niece, wholesome
girl, and she had been going with young
Foster for more than year. But when the
road fight became extraordinarily fierce
Brain had forbidden any thought of theI
ever being married. The girl had ontwardly
obeyed. Secretly she had met Foster when.
ever she could Her uncle knew the secret
meetings were taking place. Now he stormed
into hs'house and swore the frightened girl
into promising that she would never see
Foster again.
The next night, thinking her uncle asleep,
she stole forth from the house to distant
thicket and there met Foster She promised
to be there again the following night and
ride with him to the nearest minister to be
She was with him perhaps an
hour, and Nhen slipped back to the house
into her own room without seeing her uncle
As for him, although supposed to be in his |
bed asleep, he was sitting in clump OF
bushes on Pigeon hill, watching the road
over which Foster must ride home He knew |
that Foster had gone to a tryst, that the |
girl was with him. He waited, with his rifle
in his lap.
Assassination under any circumstances,
planned as Corday planned or devised as
Booth devised, is grewsome thing. 1t con-
templates no exercise of fair play. Its awful
one -sidedness removes it from the pale of all
civilized warfare and meets the condemna.
lion of even savages. No lofty words OF
Brutus ever covered the stain on his char.
acter for striking down helpless man.
Better fair fight and my own death
han that should take unfair advantage OF
ny foe" said the Knight Chellain, and so the
2rave and upright of the world have always
1eld.
Perhaps Brain thought of all this as the
night passed on and in the far distance he
,eard the coming of Fosters horse. Per.
laps his hand shook as he raised his gun
md sighted, and maybe once or twice he
vas minded to go away, but his passions got
he better of him, and as Foster rode into
he light on the brow of Pigeon hill he shot
lin leaving his body in the rough road,
While the riderless horse plunged ahead to
he farm.
There was much ado over Fosters mys.
erious killing, but no proof was forthcom'
ng that Brain was guilty OF the CRIME.
;kulking Indians were still about, and high.
vaymen yet rode the trail. 1t was possible
hese had brought him down. Old man Fos.
er did not think SO.
"God an you, Fletch," he shouted, "know
Who killed my boy, an one of yell tell me
ct. I'm waitin an I'm watchin.''
A month later the red storage barn Of
'raims burned early in the morning, and
18th it four head Of horses. In attempting
rescue the horses Brain was shot at twice
y an unknown person, but escaped injury.
lis niece left him and took up her home
nth the senior Foster. She did not accuse
er uncle of murder, but she refused to live
iith him.
Foster was more determined than ever,
is son being dead, to open the Mustard
'atch road. He did so on his own land, but
he day he came upon Brains land one Of
ne neighbogs helping him was shot and
'ounded and one Of his own horses killed
ON an ambush The next night Brains
ouse was burned, and he was shot, but not
,verely wounded.
The entire settlement was drawn into the
ispute, which now had become bloody war.
hose to whom Brain had loaned money or
ho belonged to the same church he did
ded with him. Foster had his large fol
wing, too, and as firearms were numerous
and shootings were many. As
lssinations, arson, ambushes, night attacks,
,came as common as murder in Corsica.
E,star NOT h;a teams touethar one morn. |