The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-20
THE MURDER At
MUSSEL SLOUGH

Continuing his attack upon the
financial corruptneSs of the Southern
Pacific railroad In California, Charles
Edward Russell in the July Hamp-
tons turns aside, for a moment to
give us some details which have a
genuine heart interest Probably the
most striking thing In the installment
IL his vivid picture of the murder Of
settlers who had come into the Fres-
no-Tulare region In response to some
circulars sent out by the Southern
Pacific company. and who had fight
later with the railroad about their
right to the land
The settlers believed that. follow
ing the usual custom. both sides
should now halt TO await the supreme
courts decision, say Mr. Russells
story. AS to this the railroad com
pany had another opinion. Ignoring
the pending litigation, it sharked up
from the north two hardy men to
whom it promised land without
charge if they would succeed in break
ing the settlers position. One OF
these men Walter / Crow, was re-
puted to be among the best rifle and
revolver shots in the state, and the
settlers thought they knew the pur-
pose for which he was employed. The
antecedents OF the other, NJ. l.. Hartt,
are not so well known.
Next, the railroad company went
into the Federal court secured wrlts
of ejectment placed them In the
hands of A. w. Poole. United States
Marshal OF the district and demanded
that he serve them at once. remove
the settlers, and put Hartt and Crow
In. possession,
Early the next morning the mar
shal hired a buggy and accompanied
by w, H. Clark, the railroaders'
grader or appraiser OF lands, he drove
TO the farm of one Brewer.
In another buggy close behind came
Hartt and Crow, heavily armed with
reyolvers, rifles, and shotguns. the
Shotguns being loaded with small
bullets or slugS instead oC shot,
About ten o'clock they arrived at
Brewers place. He was narrowing in
his field Both buggieS drove into
the yard past the house and about
two hundred yards west into the
field Al this moment there appeared
about fifteen Of the settlers in a
group. some mounted, some on foot,
advancing toward them. The settlers
carried no visible arms; among them
all were only five small pocket pis-
tolls. Marshal Poole descended from
his buggy and went formard. salutlne
them courteously. The foremost OF
the settlers addressed him quietly,
asking the marshal not TO servo any
wrlts until the case then pending in
the supreme court should be decided
Marshal Poole said his duty was TO
servo the writs then and there. Tho
settlers replied without vehemence
that they would not allow him to
servo them
They now closed about the marshal
and demanded that he give up his re-
Volyer and surrender 10 them, where
upon he would be conducted In safety
to station whence he could leave
the county. He said he would yield
TO force and go away, but he would
rot give up his revolver, although he
promised not to use II TWO OF the
settlers, Archibald McGregor and John
Il. Henderson, wero then told off TO
guard the marshal and Clark to tho
railroad station at Kingsburg-
All this Hartt and Crow watched
narrowly from the other buggy about
seventy-nve feet away. As the con-
ference with the marshal ended
Hartt reached down and seized a
rifle
Let's shoot" said he.
Without shifting his watchful gaze