Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-08-07
HISTORY OF VIC|LANTES OF FIFTY YEARS. AGO

turn they must abide the conse-
quences. Jack Tucker defied the
committee and came back. His
body was picked up on Bradshaw's
, farm. The others never came back,
1t was never known who killed Tuck
err; but the community was ridden of
the lawless crowd-and for all time
to come.
, The men driven out rallied at Vic
toria, where they organized a COM
pany with the avowed purpose of re-
turning for vengeance. Their plans
included the waylaying and assassi-
mating OF my father, John Weir, Cap
tain Elijah II. McAlhond, and James
Sherard, and then turning loose to
terrorize the community. 1t was re-
ported on good authority that they
had mustered a total of about so
persons for their return expedition.
However. on the night set for their
foray, few of the volunteers backed
out and soon the movement fell to
pieces.
The viglantes included among
their numbers the very bone and sin
ew OF the settlements at Dungeness,
Sequim and Port Angeles. They
were quiet law abiding citizens, who
had found the machinery of the law
a farce and who, by reason OF the
circumstances, took the law into their
own hands. A sad mistake was made
when Charles NJ. Bradshaw, a young
man of dauntless and impetuous
courage, conceived and asserted the
idea that the men driven out of the
community were being prosecuted on
account of their political principles
and sympathies with the Union cause
in the rebellion. AS a matter of fact,
nothing could have been farther from
the truth. The sympathies of the
English sailors were almost uniform
ly with the Southern rebels. Not
only that, but the leaders in the vigil
lance committee, my father among
the number, while Southern Demo-
Gratis, were staunch Union sympa-
thisers. 1t was a severe trial to their
self control to be held up to the out
side world as criminals when they
were merely protecting themselves
against reign of lawlessness.
Crisis on fuckers Return.
I we'll remember the crisis which
occurred when it was reported that
Jack Tucker had returned and had
been seen on the Bradshaw farm,
then known as the Groveland farm,
right where the town of Dungeness
now stands. The vigilance commit
tee was hurriedly assembled. Part
of them held Mr.. Bradshaw under ar
rest and covered with cooked rifles
most all Of one day while the others
searched every nook and Granny of
the Bradshaw place for the fugitive.
He was not found. History does not
record what would have transpired
had he been discovered, for there
was as determined band of vigil
lantes as ever assembled. My father
often said afterward that Charley
Bradshaw exhibited as much cool
bravery during the ordeal as was pos
sible
A couple Of days afterward Tuck
er's body was found in the hay field
in the early morning. There was
much talk afterward, but the feud
gradually died out. 1t was many a
long day afterward during which any
one in that community could safely
leave any sort of property lying
around loose and unguarded.
The members of the vigilance COM
mittee were afterwards prosecuted,
and paid fines but they had amply
indicated their determination to
punish wanton thievery. The chap
ter marks one of the critical periods
in early day frontier history. This
is believed to be the first authentic
account of the troubles, after half
century has elapsed.
ALLEN WEIR.