The Huttig news., 1915-04-17
hour" said the new sheriff. "rhis is

hour." said the new sheriff This is an unlawful and armed assembly. When l get back I want to find the courthouse occupied~oniy by unarmed citizens who have business here.s
 When ye comes back" suggested the county judge,. I'd advise that ye resigns yore job, half-hour is about es long as ye ought ter try ter hold hit"
 Samson turned and walked through the seowIing crowd to the courthouse steps
 Gentlemen" he said. in a clear, far carrying voice, there is no need of an armed congregation at this court house. l call on you in the name of the lew to lay aside your arms or scat ter"
 There was murmur which for an in- stant threatened to become roar, but trailed into chorus of derisive laugh | ter.
 Samson went to the hotel, aceompa- nied by Callomb. A half-hour later the two were back at the courthouse with 8 half-dozen companions. The yard was empty. Samson carried his fath- CTS rifle. In that half-hour telegram. prepared in advance, had flashed to Frankfort.
 Mob holds courthouse need troops"
 And reply had flashed back:
 Use local company-Callomb com mandng" So that form of law was met.
 The courthouse doors were closed and it's windows barricaded. The place was no longer a judicial building It vas a fortress. As Samsons party paused at the gate warning voice called:
 Don't come no nigher!"
 The body-guard began dropping back to shelter.
 q demand admission to the court house to make arrests shouted the new sheriff. In answer spattering of rifle reports came from the jail win dows. Two of the Souths fell At word from Samson Callomb left on a run for the hotel. The sheriff himself took his position in small store across the street, which he reached un- hurt under a desultory fire. Then, again, silence settled on the town, to remain for five minutes un- broken. The sun glared mercilessly on clay streets,- now as empty as a cem- etery. A single horse incautiously hitehed at the side of the courthouse switched it's tail against the assaults of the flies. Otherwise. there was no outward sign of life Then, Callombs newly organized force of ragamuffin sol diers elattered down the street at double time. For a moment or two after they came into sight only the massed uniforms caught the eyes of the intfenehed Hollmans, and an alarmed murmur broke from the court house. They had seen no troops de- 1 train. or pitch camp. These men had sprung from the earth as startlingIy as Jason's crop of dragons teeth. But, when the command rounded the shoul- der of protecting wall to await fur tler orders. the ragged stride of their marching and the all-too-obvious bea-- ing of the mountaineer proclaimed l them native amateurs. The murmur | turned to howl of derision and ehal- l lenge They were nothing more nor less than Souths, masquerading in the uniforms of soldiers.
 What orders?" incurred Callomb briefly, joining Samson in the store
 Demand surrender once more-then take the courthouse and jail" was the short reply.
 Callomb himself went forward with the flag of truce He shouted his mes sage and bearded man came to the courthouse door.
 Tell en- he said without redun- daney, "thet we're all here Come an git us.'
 The officer went hack snd distrihut- ed his forces under such cover as of fered itself about the four walls. Then folley WAS fired over the roof and In stantly the two buildings in the public square awoke to a volcanic response of rife fire
 All day the duel between the streets and county buildings went On with desultory intervals of quiet and wild outbursts of musketry. The troops were firing as sharpshooters, and the courthouse, too, had it's sharpshooters. When head showed itself at barri- caded window a report from the out side greeted it. Samson was every where, his rife smoking and hot-bar- reled. His life seemed protected by talisman. Yet most of the firing, after he first hour, was from within The iroops were. except for occasional pot shots, holding their fire There was neither food nor water inside the build
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