Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1886 — A DESPERATE DEED. [ARTICLE]

A DESPERATE DEED.

A Tough Citizen of Nebraska Murders in Cold Blood Hii Em* p.oyer. The Murderer Takes Refuge In a Barn, and Is Hunted to Death by 300 Men. A terrible tragedy is reported from Burt County, Neb. H. A. Steadman, proprietor of a creamery near the village of Lyons, paid off and discharged one of his employes, Edward Johnson, who thereupon became angry, and after a few words, and without provocation, drew a revolver and shot Steadman in the stomach, the wounded man dying shortly afterward. Johnson mounted a horse and fled, but was followed by a small party of men in charge of Constable Parker, who pursued him twelve miles south, and were rapidly gaining on him. During the chase the murderer turned in his saddle, and with a repeating rifle shot one of his pursuers, C. P. Johnson, in the/ head, killing him ah most instantly. He then shot another man in the hip, inflicting a fatal wound. Constable Parker’s horse was shot from under him. The pursuing party, however, kept up the chase, and continued to gain on him, being re-enforced by others along the way. Finally Johnson, seeing that capture- was inevitable if he continued on horseback, jumped from his horse and ran into a barn, where he held the fort against the entire party. 'lt was thought he was wounded before he sought retreat in the barn, as he had been fired at by his pursuers, who were armed only with revolvers. The bam was surrounded by the party, which by this time had increased to 100 men. A deadly fusillade was commenced. All day the great cjowd surged and circled around the barn, but kept out of range of the besieged man. A wagon load of provisions was for warded to the camp of the besiegers. The murderer was armed with a revolver and a Winchester rifle, and'the cracks between the boards of the structure gave him an opportunity to shoot with an accurate aim. All efforts to dislodge him proved futile. The crowd surrounding his retreat hourly increased, until at least three hundred men were pouring missiles of death into the bam from as many Winchesters, revolvers, and shotguns. Failing to dislodge him by this method, it was decided to bum him out. During the darkness of the night some one in the crowd crept up to a shed, adjoining the bam and set fire to it. The caged murderer; seeing that he was doomed, fired twenty shots into the crowd in rapid succession, but hitting no one. The crowd returned the fire from Winchester rifles from all sides of the barn, and the supposition is that the murderer was killed before he could attempt to make his escape. After the fire bad subsided his dead body was found in a pile of oats. Both arms and a part of both legs were burned off. Part of his head had been shot away* iand his body was completely riddled with bullets. The supposition is that he was wounded in the leg before he ran into the bam, and hence he did not. attempt to escape. The desperado’s right name was Allen Wright,aged about 28 years. His remains were buried in a cornfield. His revolver had a Texas cow head engraved on it. He had also a Winchester rifle. Eight mules, three horses, three cows, and a large quantity of grain were destroyed with the barn. The total loss is $5,000, which the county will probably pay. Wright killed H. C. Stedman and Charles P. John«on, and fatally wounded Edgar Everett, whose death will make three killed. Several are slightly wounded; all doing well.