Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-01-08
IRONTON MO, THURSDAY. JANUARY 8. NUMBER 81

Ihey shlfted their POSITIONS and fired |
from different places to make him
think there were several men guard |
ing the bouse. Williams wife and
a little girl were in the house all
through the battle. After the fire
slackened somewhat Sam told Mrs.
Williams to take the bucket and the
little girl and go to the spring and bring
him bucket OF water, but Mrs. VIII
liams was not allowed to return to
the house. Sam, not getting any
water, was very thirsty, and quenched
his thirst during the day by sucking
raw eggs.
About nine or ten o'clock in the
morning few of the reinforcement
that had been sent for began to ar
rive. They asked us if Sam was still
in the house and why we did not go
and bring him out. But they were
not there long until they were fully
convinced of the reason why. For
Sam took pop at every thing that
moved, and he was generally pretty
close to the mark. The firing was
kept up all all day between us of the
posse and Hildebrand until about a
half hour before sundown, when
deputy sheriff John t. Clarke with
about fifteen men arrived on the
scene. He took in the situation and
decided to burn the house. He placed
his men around the place and at once
made preparations to set the house
afire. He secured some coal oil and
candle wick. The candle wick was
rolled into ball and saturated with
coal oil and Jim McLain volunteered
to climb onto another house which
adjoined the one Sam was in. After
several efforts had failed, he finally
lodged one of ahe balls between the
comb of the house and stick chimney.
When the house got to burning pretty
good McLain came down and took his
gun and attempted to go in the back
door of this vacant house. This build
ing stood only few tew from the one
Sam was in. The back door stood
open and ckink had been knocked
out leaving an open range from the
building Sam was in to the door.
When McLain entered the door Sam
shot him in the heart, killing him
instantly. This was clever trap that
Sam had arranged beforehand, 80
Williams told us afterwards. 1t was
now almost dark-the time Sam had
been playing so hard for. The house
burned very slowly, owing to the
fact that Sam threw salt on the fire,
and used an old quilting frame to
punch off the burning shingles.
The time had now arrived when
Sam thought lie could make his get
away. He pried up a board in the
floor, which stood off the ground
about two feet, and crawled under
and to the steps Of the door. These
he pushed aside and crawled out, and
made his way about twenty feet to a
rail fence which surrounded the yard,
took out the bottom rail and crawled
through. Two men were on each side
of the panel of the fence that he went
out, but did not hear him until he
started to run. Then they fired a
regular fusilade, but Sam got away.
The light from the burning roof made
it dark Immediately around the build
ing, and the weeds in the yard were
about ten feet high, which all favored
Sam in his getaway, He left his rifle
in the weeds in the yard, which was
now useless as he had gotten bullet
choked into it during the day. He
took his two revolvers with him.
Now, Mr.. Editor, think this is
about all you can get in one issue OF
your paper. But there's great deal
more of interest which l will com
municate to you in future issues, up
to the time of his being killed by
John Ragland at Pinkneyville, ILL.,,
and buried in st. Francois 90.
w. H. WEBB.