The sun., 1903-12-17
SIEGE LAID TO A MURDERER,
SIIIJ ERING POSSE SURROUNDS
TITHILL REEVES HOUSE.
He's Lunatic who Killed Deputy Sheriff
al Aauebogue. l.. I.-BesieEers watch
Him out OF Range as He Moves About
Gun In Hand--Iils windows Shot Out
TO Freeze Him Into q Surrender.

Gun In IIand-Iis windows Shot Out
TO Freeze Him Into q Surrender.
R1vFRHEAD, l., l., Dec. l8.--William H
Raford, deputy sheriff, and warden of the
county Jail, was shot and killed this morn
ing by Tuthill Reeve, a demented farmer
Of Aquebogue, three miles from Riverhead.
Reeve is besieged tonight by Sheriff Pres
ton and an armed posse. which does not
approach within glinshot of the house
Reeve can he seen at intervals through
the windows. He always carries his gun.
Even while he was cooking his supper
Il evening he held the gun across his left
aul He would be an easy mark with a
rife a' any time when he peers from
window with the light behind him. but the
S,,rF wants to take him alive.
Ra'iord went TO the house this morning
TO serve an execution obtained against
Reeve on a debt. There was a witness to
the shooting. an Indian who had gone to
the place to get his pay for work he did on
the farm last summer The shot was fired
over the Indians shoulder, and he fed
from the house
ruhill Reeve, the murderer. lives alone
in small house on farm in Aquebogue.
For Years he has been considered queer"
t.I harmless. He at one time intended to
become a lawyer. He is well educated, and
Il was while studying for the bar that the
frs, sympt oms of insanity developed. To
make matters worse. he drank heavily.
He has had trouble over money matters
recently. The executors of his fathers
estate, through Nathan A. Downs, his
uncle requested Drs. j. II. Ben jamin and
II II Young o examine him as to his sanity.
and legal steps to have him confined were
under way
Meanwhile Ernest W. To oker sued Reeve
ard obtained judgment for sl04. The
execution was placed yesterday afternoon
in the hands of Sheriff Preston, who this
morning, in company with Capt Rafford.
started to serve it. They drove out in a
buggy and. arriving at Reeves house,
Rafford alghted
1t was cold and the Sheriff decided to
drive up and down the road instead Of
waiting at the gate for his deputy. He
drove down the road and then back
When he arrived in front of the house
again he saw Ratords body lying a short
distance from the front door. A quick
examination showed that Rafford had been
shot to death.
Seeing a man hurrying down the road,
the Sheriff jumped into his buggy and
started in pursuit. He was soon alongside
the man, who he found, was Gilbert Eleazar,
halfbreed Shnnecock Indian. The man
had been present at the shooting. and it is
from him the only account Of what
occurred has been obtained.
Sheriff Prest on after hearing the Indians
al ory. decided that 1t would be foolhardy to
try 10 arrest Reeve singlehanded and un--
armed 90 lie brought Eleazar to Nverhead
court h, lse. where he Is Diet aimed as wit
n"ss. . ,
Eeazar said that Rafford went to the back
door of the house and entered after knock
ing The Indians statement follows:
Il went into Tut Reeves house this morn
ing "A little before Mr.. Raford. | knew
both men well. ! knew Mr.. Rafford be-
cause have been in the Jail myself.
Mr. Raford came in and he said to Tut
Reeve: L have an execution against you.
Int began to talk at random like and said
I don't owe any man Raford explained
u" paper.
nut went into the other room and we
heard him moving about. Then MIR. Raj
;a'd and | began to talk about old times at
tno iail We heard Tut Reeve moving
about and then heard him come into the
Mir. Rafford was standing facing the
fire. leaning over and rubbing his hands
in the heat | was standing facing him,
with my back to the door to the other room.
Like flash a shot was fired right by
nv head. Tut showed the barrel of the
shotgun he brought from the other room
just over my shoulder and fired at Mr.
Raford Mr. Ratford made no sound.
He Strengthened up and fell backward
Then Tut fired again. and as he did 80 he
sald, The -- - -. l give him exc
CuIlons
Tut went on awful and was afraid he
would kill me, 20 I ran out before he could
load his gun again ! was going TO tnd
another deputy sheriff when Mr.. Preston
came up driving fast.
Mr. Rafford must have died instantly,
for the whole of the two charges entered
his body. When left, Mr.. Raffords body
was in the house on the kitchen floor"
II is supposed that Immediately after the
Indian left the house Reeve dragged the
body outside and threw it into the yard
\ little after Sheriff Preston drove on
after Eleazar, Frank H. Hill. George c.
torwin and Benjamin McCauter were pass
ing and. seeing the body in the yard sup
posed it must be that of Reeve. They en-
tered the yard and found it was the deputy
sheriff They saw no sign OF Reeve, but.
knowing him to be crazy, made no attempt
to investigate further, They hurried to
RIyerhead to give the alarm,
Later in the day Jonas Smith, youth
of Aquebogue. came in on his bicycle.
He informed the Sheriff that there was
much excitement in the village and that
Reeve had his house closed up.
He said that he and ano, her boy went
dong so Reeve opened a window and threat
ened to shoot them if they did not go away.
They fed.
There was a long delay over taking any
stops to remove the body or arrest Reeve;
Finally, the Sheriff sent Undertaken Hiil
out to Reeves. Hill covered the body with
sheet He returned without the body,
and declined to remove it on the order OF
the Sheriff until the Coroner should arrive
from Patchogue.
The Sheriff asked Justice Buckingham
for warrant for the arrest OF Reeve. Inc
Justice told him none was needed ana tnat
be should not lose any time in making
che arrest
Coroner Peterson arrived shortly after
?o'clock and caused the body to be brought
to Hills place. The examination showed
that the chest was torn by the charges OF
ahot One of them also tore away, a part
~ the right hand. There was hole an
inch and half in diameter on line with
the heart
Til" Sheriff declared that had he known
of Reeves condition Of mind he would not
have allowed Rafrord to enter the house
lie sad it was grossly criminal for the man
To have been allowed at large, II all the
tales now told were true.
After the body had been removed the
Sheriff formed posse OF seventy men,
armed them and went to Reeves house
he posted the men SO that 1t would be
Ia Ton NsN rot