CHAPTER XxXl.

Land troubles, etc., continwed.—‘‘ The Riparian fight.” —On Puget Sound.
—Shooting for the tide lands.—A woman defending her claim.—Dyna-
mite.—Vigilantes by the thousand.—Big money for the Court gang.—
Lawyers instigating a fight.—Land jumping.—Coroner’s inquests.—
“Defective” land titles.—A trick of the Court gang.—‘‘I tell you
again to stop plowing—crack ! bang ?”—Why Government lands are
classified when they are all good for homes if good for anything.—
The Court ‘‘bar” [gang] organizes trouble.—‘‘Be ready.”—‘‘ Para-
sites.” —‘‘ Citizens arming.” — Who gels ninety per cent. of all plunder 2?
—How TO READ NEWSPAPERS ‘‘ BETWEEN THE LINES.”

Tue people who attempted to jump the San Juan lime quarries have
found it unhealthy business and have abandoned their plan.”

* *
*

“The Riparian Fight.—This paper gave a full account of the land
jumping, or rather water-front grabbing in the south end of the city [on
Puget Sound]. ‘At about 2:30 yesterday morning the agents of the com-
pany here obtained the tugs Celilo and Edna, and going up to the debat-
able land began snaking the piles up. The parties who had the piling
done appeared on the scene, boarded a pile-driver, and Mr, B.. took a
Winchester repeating rifle and began shooting at the company’s repre-
sentatives, Some of the bullets struck the boat, and one went through
the Celilo’s cabin, and cut eight holes through the engineer’s coat, which
was hanging on the wall. Mr. M.. narrowly escaped being shot as he
was standing on the bow holding a lantern for the lines to be made fast to
the piles to pull them out. There were some ten or fifteen shots fired.
What the ultimate result will be cannot be predicted.” [Thus they ‘‘de-
bated.’’]

* *
*

“The crew of a pile-driver was held at bay to-day by a woman with a
six-shooter. Her husband has built a cabin on his claim, and his wife
guards the place in the daytime while he goes off to work. A pile-driver
working for another claimant came to the enclosure and began tearing
down the piles and stringers, when the woman drew a revolver and drove
them from the scene. Many other similar cases are liable to be developed
in the near future on the Sound,”

* *
%

‘The new residence of Mr. 8.., president of W.. colony, was blown
to atoms with dynamite. The building was valued at $2,000. This result
(439)

4
1

een Sa DEN a

440 Lanp TROUBLES.

is supposed to be the outcome of a quarrel between other settlers and the
colony.” [The owner of the house, if an outsider, might be thankful that
his enemies used dynamite instead of the court gang. |

“The settlers in Harney Valley have organized a vigilance
committee to protect themselves from land jumpers. Around
here those who encourage such rascals are rewarded with
office, [made Governors by the gang] and our settlers have
themselves only to thank for it.” [By not treating them as
other burglars are treated. |

“A gentleman from Harney Valley informs us that there is
now an organized body of vigilantes in that section, and that
they propose to make it very lively for unlawful land jumpers,
horse thieves, and [secret ring men] in general. He further
informed us that he was a member of the association, and that
he joined it because it was a public necessity to protect the
poor man and his family from being robbed and driven from
the land to which he is justly entitled.” [By the ring Govern-
or’s “ good judiciary.” }

“While P.. was moving a section of fence made by H..,
the latter armed himself with a gun, and shot P.. dead, the
ball taking effect in the left breast, and passing through the
heart.’ [Which means big money in the pockets of the gang. |

“ Last Sabbath, W.. shot and killed G.. while the latter
was attempting to go through a field belonging to W... Both
parties owned ranches, and had taken legal advice. W..’s law-
yer told him that he had aright to fence up the road ; and G. .’s
lawyer told him that he had a right to cut the wires and go
through and over W..’s land; and when they met, only a few
words passed when W.. fired a revolver at G.., but missed
him; thenG . fired at W.. hitting him on his arm; then W..
fired again, hitting G.. in the forehead, killing him instantly.
They were both steady, industrious and respectable men.”
[Which means more plunder for the gang, the two lawyer-
“members-of-the-bar,” being secret partners. Are burglars any
worse ? |

“ The difficulty occurred over a piece of land, when a fight
ensued in which A.. stabbed one of the F..’s severely. The
one who was stabbed was not able to travel, nor in condition to
be moved.” [Another picnic for the court gang. |

ttlers and the
thankful that

| a vigilance
rs. Around
varded with
settlers have
ing them as

that there is
on, and that
ind jumpers,

He further
on, and that
. protect the
driven from
ring Govern-

ade by H..,
>». dead, the
through the
of the gang. |

ile the latter
W... Both
W..’s law:
nd; and G. .’s
ires and go
pt, only a few
, but missed
m; then W..
him instantly.
ctable men.”
two lawyer-
burglars any

when a fight
verely. The
h condition to

VIGILANTES. 441

“The jumping of land is the cause of considerable trouble
fand plunder to the gang]. A man named C.. was killed by
three men whom he endeavored to dispossess. The coroner’s
jury returned a verdict of justifiable homicide in the killing of
(Oe
“M.. has been frightfully beaten while attempting to locate
aranch, by parties hired by a [masonic] ring of land-grabbers
for the purpose of keeping settlers from locating on public
lands adjacent to their ranges. Serious trouble is anticipated
there in this connection.”

‘At the place of the shooting he found the body of the slain man
lying on the ground and his rifle by his side. He had been shot in the
neck and heart. D.. and the H..’s have been on ill terms for a long time,
based on the ownership of a quarter section of land, upon which the H..’s
settled years ago. The papers being ‘defective.’ [A very common trick by
the court gang, and they call them ‘errors!]”? D.. jumped the land, and
after a great deal of litigation his claim was confirmed by the court. Of
course, tere was a great deal of bad blood between D.. and the H..’s
growing out of these proceedings.

D.. said, ‘‘I tell you again to stop plowing,” and raised his gun as if
to put it to his shoulder, when H.. at once threw up his gun and fired
with fatal effect. This is regarded as the first of many similar aftairs that
may occur on the same ranch.”

[Such is the curse of prostituted courts and their mystic
“bar.” Are they less dangerous and fatal than the less refined
and expert burglar? then why not “lay in wait” for them also?

How many unhappy families are grieving in secret to-day
at this lurking, expert tyranny that oppresses them, and the
complicated and long protracted ruin that it has brought upon
them ?]

“i.. offered to file on a quarter section of C..’s land C.. bought
from the State as swamp and overflowed land, but the State never had a
patent from the Government. H.. erected a cabin on the land, and last
night about fifteen men came there, and circling about the building, com-
menced a fusilade with rifles, E.. came out, and standing in the open
field, kept up his end of the firing, aided by two or three friends. More
trouble is feared, as there are many cases of similar disputed tracts,”

[This classification of Government land (at all) was always
(and intended so to be by the gang) a mysterious swindle to flaw
land titles and thus make business that would not be called burg-

442 Lanp TROUBLES.

lary to be shot at for the court gangs, and to allow their pagan
members to steal large tracts in the way of business. Govern-
ment lands should not be classified at all, as it is all good for
homes, or it will be in time, 1f it is good for anything. |

D.. with two'other men went to the house on the place, presumably to
drive A.. away and take possession. A.. told him to go away; D.. re.
fused ; whereupon A.. took his Winchester and stood in the door and shot
D.. dead.” [More whiskey for the gang. ]

“The appeal to lawful authority in cases [against the gang]
has been in vain, and the pistol is therefore resorted to. One
man has been able to disperse an entire meeting of the gang,
to rout a newspaper office, and to get clear as yet with a simple
fine of $50 for contempt of court.” [What could be more con-
temptible than a prostituted court itself ?]

‘*A present feature of mining in this great mineral belt is the occur-
rence of law suits. The T.. mine has been in litigation the greater part
of the year, and a great many others have also been troubled in the same
way. The trouble has been oraanizED by a horde [Lodge] of pestiferous
[masonic] lawyers |‘ THE BAR.” ] whom it were well for the country to be
rid of. The troubles at W.. have lately culminated in the killing of one
man and the severe wounding of another, which may be construed as a
lesson to jumpers and their legal [linked] abettors.”

“ Be Ready.—We mean for our citizens to keep their fire-
arms at hand to shoot the [mystic ring] thieves, now spying out
the land, [and secretly organizing with the courts and Governor,
trouble and ruin to the people, wherein they live and lie] on
the first attempt of them to rob.”

“ Parasites—What we say in another place about the
[more refined and expert masonic] light-fingered gentry spying
out this land, is to arouse our people to a sense of the danger
there is in their being allowed to remain among us. We know
we will incur their displeasure, but it is our duty to warn the
people of danger from such venomous parasites of human
society. This class of men are liable to burn us out [or drag
us into the prostituted courts] for purposes of plunder and
spite against the people who refuse to be robbed. Remember
these “professionals” (these refined, expert, “charitable ” (?)
thieves] rope in the unwary of town and country [prostitute
the courts] and rob them. The matter is one into which every

y their pagan
sss. Govern-
s all good for
.|

3, presumably to
yaway; D.. re-
ne door and shot

inst the gang]
yrted to. One
yof the gang,
with a simple
| be more con-

elt is the occur-
the greater part
bled in the same

ge| of pestiferous
the country to be
the killing of one
e construed as a

eep their fire-
ow spying out
and Governor,
ive and lie] on

bee about the
gentry spying
} of the danger
us. We know
ty to warn the
tes of human
s out [or drag
f plunder and
4. Remember
haritable” (?)
ry (prostitute
o which every

@

VIGILANTES, 443

honest man should look with alarming interest. As you re-
gard your happiness and prosperity, arouse yourselves to vigil-
ance, and see that our town is not infested with the characters
named. We know some of the citizens are already arming
themselves, and have even gone so far as to discuss the sight
for a gallows from which to dangle these men. (The wreck of|
our home is here, and we would be a cowardly accomplice not
to raise the alarm in this perilous hour. The interest of our
town [and country] must be protected by ridding ourselves of a
dangerous class. Act at once, and now.”

(For over ninety per cent. of all the property that has ever
been stolen, and of homes that have been plundered and
wrecked and ruined in the northwest, has been done—not by
the plain, humble burglars, for whom we “lay in wait” to shoot
down—but the more refined and haughty, expert, linked and
mysterious masons, that flaw the laws and prostitute the
courts and Governors. OvER NINETY! (90) PER CENT!|

‘He jests at scars that never felt a wound.”

‘¢Fell scrrow’s tooth doth never rankle more,
Than when it bites but lanceth not the sore.”