USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County Wisconsin, including its civil, political, geological, mineralogical archaeological and military history > Part 53
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The period of Beetown's greatest prosperity was from 1845 to the beginning of 1850. Its many stores drew trade clear out to Lancas- ter on the east, Cassville on the west, and the Wisconsin River on the north. Among the towns of the county it was surpassed only by Po- tosi and Platteville. The village had three hotels : the Beetown House, the Thomas Hotel, and the American Hotel. The place was famous for its horse-races. There were sometimes seven or eight hundred per- sons present at these races. One which occurred June 1, 1848, is thus described : "Five three-year-old colts entered-a bay colt by H. Mess- more, a sorrel colt by S. McKee, a sorrel colt by Matt Edwards, a sorrel colt by Henry Webster, and a gray colt by John Gregoire, of Ga- lena. Distance one mile. The Galena colt bolted the track and Mc- Kee's colt distanced the rest. There were two or three lesser races." Among the horse-owners and horse-racers of these and later times Gordon Day and William Hammond were prominent.
THE CHOLERA.
The year 1850 was a dark one for Beetown. With the opening of spring came the tremendous exodus to California. This and its effects have been repeatedly described in this work, and it remains only to be said that Beetown suffered more from it than any other place in the county. Late in the summer came that fearful scourge, the cholera. It has been stated that the disease was introduced into Beetown by
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people of the place who attended a circus at Cassville; but it does not appear that any of these attendants had the cholera immediately after attending. Three Beetown miners, William Barnett, Captain Hol- loway, and John Kirkland, were induced to attend a sick family in the McCartney neighborhood, in the town of Cassville. All three were attacked with cholera; Kirkland and Holloway never returned to Beetown. Barnett returned and recovered, but those who attended him were attacked and some of them died. One Saturday in August seemed to be particularly a time for the inception of the disease. There was a district convention in the place. Some of the delegates were attacked with cholera, among them John Fletcher, of Lancaster, who died suddenly. Many farmers came in to trade that day. Among them were Albert Francis and Frank Oxley from the prairie in what is now Bloomington. They assisted in removing a sick man from a saloon to his home, and both were taken down with cholera. Oxley died and Francis recovered, but his father took the disease and died. That Saturday night Daniel Derring thought to ward off the disease by riding up and down all night on a horse, but he died the next morning. Matt Edwards, the landlord of the Beetown House, went to bed that night apparently well, and the next morning was a corpse. A. O. Coates, a lawyer, and Cassius Brooks, a school teacher, died. They were young men of very temperate habits, in contrast to the great majority who died. Of the many who died, about forty-five, all were men except three-Mrs. Roberts, Miss Knotwell, and a child of Dr. Brooks. The physicians were E. M. Sala and R. C. Brooks, the latter lately arrived from New York. They were without experience in the disease, but worked faithfully through the epidemic. The deaths suceeded each other so rapidly that the corpses were hauled to the graveyard in loads so heavy the horses could hardly draw them up the hill. Of course, there was a terrible panic in the village. It was almost depopulated. What with those who had left as gold-seekers, those dead and sick of cholera, and the refugees from the afflicted place, there were at one time in that once peopled place, only three men left ( besides the two doctors) to care for the sick and bury the dead : William Atkinson, William Holford, and Wood R. Beach. It is remarkable that only two women died of the cholera in Beetown. It is generally recognized that intemperance and fear are allies of the disease. Women are supposed to be exempt from the former and par- ticularly subject to the latter, but Beetown women did not succumb
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to either. In other places, however, a considerable proportion of the deaths from cholera were of women.
THE FLOOD.
In 1851, in addition to its other woes, Beetown was afflicted with a flood. It came one summer night. The narrow valley. was filled with a great torrent. In many of the dwellings the water was knee- deep Buildings were carried away and the gardens of the villagers were covered deep with stones swept down by the waters. Among the buildings carried away were Hough's harness-shop, Cole's ware- house, the ten-pin alley of the Alex House, a livery stable, and the dwelling of a widow named Hammond. This house, a substantial log one, was undermined by the creek and plunged over into ten feet of water just as the old lady and her family got out of the front door.
At this time Beetown had seven stores, three blacksmith shops, one tavern, and one church, but the place was declining. In 1867 the Graham Mining Company began mining operations on a large scale at Muscalunge, employing several men. O. C. Hathaway was the superintendent until 1877, when he purchased thecompany's property and carried on the business alone for a few years. Before this time most of the accessible mineral had been worked out. Among the last large strikes was that made by James L. Woodruff, Jerry and Wash Garner, and David Brittenham, in March, 1855. They took out about 12,000 pounds a week for a considerable time.
When the great agricultural development came and the prairies of the northern and western parts of the township became fields of wav- ing grain, it did not revive the village. The farmers went to trade at Cassville, Glen Haven and Bridgeport, where their grain could be shipped, or at the new town of Tafton, or at Oliver's Mill. The village continued to decline until now it contains two stores, two hotels, a blacksmith and wagon shop, three saloons, and a cheese factory, started in the fall of 1898
In the post-office "Little Alex" was succeeded by Tim F. Barr, Wood R. Beach, Frank Barr, R. S. Morse, James H. Stanley, Frank Bonham, Wm. Stephens, and James M. Hayden, the present incumbent.
Beetown was one of the original towns created in 1849. It was first six miles square, Town 4, Range 4, but in 1850 two tiers of sec- tions in Town 4, Range 5, were taken from Cassville and added to Beetown, so that it has now forty-eight square miles. The census does
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not show the population of the village separate from the township in early times. The former has steadily decreased since 1850, while the latter increased up to 1865. The population of the township has been as follows: In 1855, 1,360; 1860, 1,466; 1865, 1,740 ;- 1870, 1,624; 1875, 1,717; 1880, 1,530; 1885, 1,301; 1890, 1,257; 1895, 1,130.
The following were among the justices in territorial times: Jere Spencer, 1843-46; Miles Hollingworth, 1844-46; A. R. Pond and Ed- ward Sprague, 1843; Horace Catlin and Ben M. Coates, 1844; John Dodge, 1844; Wm. B. Brown, 1844; Orrin Spencer, 1845; Bazelle Rounds, 1846.
TOWN OFFICERS.
Since 1849 the town officers have been :
1849-Supervisors, John B. Turley, James L. Woodruff, James Pri- deaux ; clerk, Robert M. Briggs; treasurer, Silas Burt; assessor, Wil- liam Ainsbury; supt. of schools, William Holford; justices, William McDaniel, A. O. Coates, William Holford, John Welsh; constables, A. P. Stephens, Daniel Derring, Chauncey Underwood.
1850-Supervisors, John B. Turley, James L. Woodruff, James Pri- deaux ; clerk, Almon P. Stephens; treasurer, James H. Brown; asses- sor, Lyman Benson; supt. of schools, A. O. Coates; justices, Reuben Thomas, A. O. Coates; constables, Cyrus Barr, Daniel Derring.
1851-Supervisors, J. B. Turley, John Hickok, A. E. Kilby ; clerk, A. P. Stephens; treasurer, James L. Woodruff; assessor, T. T. Elton; supt. of schools, Roswell C. Brooks; justices, William Holford, Alfred Barks; constables, H. Boughton, Adam Jamison.
1852-Supervisors, John B. Turley, John M. Hickok, T. T. Elton ; clerk, A. P. Stephens; treasurer, John Welsh; assessor, William Hol- ford; supt. of schools, G. Lamson; justices, Samuel Lemon, Joseph Hayden ; constables, Adam Jamison, Thomas F. Dudley.
1853-Supervisors, John B. Turley, John M. Hickok, A. E. Kilby ; clerk, Samuel Newick; treasurer, Hezekiah Boughton; assessor, Mat- thew Woods, supt of schools. Roswell C. Brooks; justices, George Morris, James Jack ; constables, Thomas F. Dudley, Wm. Hammond.
1854-Supervisors, J. B. Turley, John Welsh, A. G. Bonham ; clerk, Samuel Newick; treasurer, Hezekiah Boughton; assessor, William Holford ; supt. of schools, R. C. Brooks; justices, W. A. Holloway, T. T. Elton, Robert Hicks; constables, Thomas F. Dudley, Jesse Brooks. 1855-Supervisors, Tim F. Barr, Samuel Lemon, John M. Hickok;
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clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, James Beasley ; supt. of schools, Isaac Smith; justices, A. E. Kilby, Adam Jamison, J. H. Thomas; constables, David Roberts, James Starrett.
1856-Supervisors, John B. Turley, Benj. Hickok, Washington M. Garner; clerk, Samuel Newick; treasurer, David Stewart; assessor, Philander Stephens ; supt. of schools, E. D. Everhart ; justices, Thomas F. Dudley, William McDaniel; constables, James Starrett, O. E. Hamlin.
1857-Supervisors, John B. Turley, A. E. Kilby, William Conner; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, David Stewart; assessor, J. L. Wood- ruff; supt. of schools, E. D. Everhart ; justices, William Holford, Adam Jamison; constables, Garrett Pigg, John Woodhouse,
1858-Supervisors, J. B. Turley, A. E. Kilby, William Hammond; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, James H. Brown; assessor, Philander Stephens ; supt. of schools, J. Nichols ; justices, Samuel Newick, William Berwick ; constables, Martin Hammond, Samuel Woodhouse.
1859-Supervisors, J. B. Turley, A. E. Kilby, Joseph Cooper ; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, Samuel Lamson; assessor, Philander Ste- phens; supt. of schools, J. Nichols; justices, Samuel Newick, A. G. Bonham, Emanuel Bishop; constables, George H. Pond, Jesse Roberts.
1860-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1859; justices, Samuel Newick, A. G. Bonham; constables, George H. Pond, Jesse Roberts.
1861-Supervisors, Henry Webster, A. W. Vedder, Samuel Wood. house; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, Robert Hicks ; assessor, J. M. Grant; supt. of schools, Byron Lamson; justices, Wm. McDaniel, Gor- don Day ; constables, Jesse Roberts, James Holloway.
1862-Supervisors, J. L. Woodruff, Robert Porter, Emanuel Bish- op; clerk, J. E. McCoy ; treasurer, Robert Hicks; assessor, Asa Smead ; justices, Jacob Rockefeller, Wm. L. Irwin; constables, J. D. Coombs, William Woodworth.
1863-Supervisors, Wood R. Beach, Emanuel Bishop, Benjamin Hickok; treasurer, Robert Hicks; assessor, Robert Porter; justices, William McDaniel, M. E. Rice; constables, Jesse Stephens, S. Wells.
1864-Supervisors, Philander Stephens, Joseph Cooper, John B. Roberts; clerk, Daniel B. Stevens; treasurer, W. M. Garner; assessor, John Hickok ; justices, Jacob Rockefeller, John D. Coombs; constables, Alpheus McDonald, Bernard Belskamper.
1865-Supervisors, Wm. E. Swetland, Robert Porter, John Clegg ;
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clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, Wash M. Garner; assessor, Philander Stephens; justices, Wm. McDaniel, Wm. McLean; constables, Thomas F. Dudley, Jesse Stephens.
1866-Supervisors, Philander Stephens, A. E. Kilby, Joseph Coo- per; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, W. M. Garner; assessor, John M. Hickok; justices, John D. Coombs, Hezekiah Boughton, Gordon Day ; constables, Matthew Edwards, Bernard Belskamper.
1867-Supervisors, Wm. J. McCoy, W. L. Irwin, John M. Hickok ; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, David B. Arthur; assessor, Philander Stephens; justices, Wm. McDaniel, John H. McElhannon; constables, Ritner Stephens, Charles McDaniel.
1868-Supervisors, Robert Porter, Wm. L. Irwin, Benj. Hickok ; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, Asa Smead; justices, Jesse M. Roberts, John D. Coombs, Mark Hadley ; constables, Jesse Stephens, John E. Wise.
1869-Supervisors, Philander Stephens, M. B. Gillis, Elijah Mai- den ; clerk, Frank Bonham; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, John M. Hickok ; justices, Frank Bonham, Benj. Hickok; constables, Eldridge Ishmael, Israel Roberts.
1870-Supervisors, W. J. McCoy, O. C. Hathaway, Jesse M. Rob- erts; clerk, Samuel Newick; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, Mark Hadley ; justices, Jesse M. Roberts, D. B. Arthur, Wm. McDaniel; con- stables, James H. Stanley, Dexter Wagner.
1871-Supervisors, Wm. J. McCoy, O. C. Hathaway, George Ket ner; clerk, Samuel Newick; treasurer, Chris. Hutchinson; assessor, Philander Stephens ; justices, Jacob Rockefeller, Wm. McDaniel, Wm. McLean; constables, Ritner Stephens, Bernard Belskamper.
1872-Supervisors, O. C. Hathaway, Chris. Hutchinson, E. E. Ev- ans ; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, H. L. Sprague; assessor, Robert Porter; justices, D. B. Arthur, P. J. Schloesser; constables, Jesse Ste- phens, James M. Hayden.
1873-Supervisors, O. C. Hathaway, Benj. Hickok, A. G. Bonham ; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, H. L. Sprague; assessor, Robert Por- ter ; justices, Wm. McDaniel, Chester Chilson, Joseph H. Hayden; con- stables, L. J. Arthur, Eldridge Ishmael.
1874-Supervisors, Wm. J. McCoy, George Ketner, Jesse Wagner; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, Josiah Halls ; assessor, H. L. Sprague; justices, James Starrett, George B. Wheeler, James H. Stanley; con- stables, Worden Stephens, L. J. Arthur.
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1875-Supervisors and clerk same as in 1874; treasurer, W. G. Wilcox ; assessor, Philander Stephens ; justices, George Ketner, Wm. E. Swetland; constables, Wm. E. Rogers, L. J. Arthur.
1876-Supervisors, C. Hutchinson, Jesse Wagner, John Mankel; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, Lorenzo Pres- ton ; justices, George B. Wheeler, W. G. Wilcox, Mark Hadley ; consta- bles, Benj. Hayden, William Rogers.
1877-Supervisors, Jesse Wagner, W. G. Wilcox, Benj. Hickok; clerk, Samuel Newick ; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, Lorenzo Pres- ton; justices, Mark Hadley, John Mankel; constables, Wm. Hutch- croft, James Pigg.
1878-Supervisors, Chris. Hutchinson, N. H. Suttle, James Stark; clerk, Samuel Newick; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, Lorenzo Pres- ton ; justices, W. G. Wilcox, James Starrett; constables, Geo. Selleck, Henry Slaght.
1879-Supervisors, C. Hutchinson, J. M. Hickok, Jesse Wagner ; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, G. Lamson; assessor, Lorenzo Preston ; justices, Mark Hadley. John Mankel; constables, George Selleck, Wil- liam Hutchcroft.
1880-Supervisors, C. Hutchinson, John K. Patterson, James Stark ; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, John Smith; assessor, Matthew Edwards; justices, George B. Wheeler, Frank Bonham, Mark Hadley, N. H. Suttle; constables, Wm. E. Rogers, James Pigg.
1881-Supervisors, Jesse Wagner, John K. Patterson, Lorenzo Preston; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, John Smith; assessor, Matthew Edwards; justices, E. E. Evans, James Starrett; constables, William Hutchcroft, William E. Rogers.
1882-Supervisors, C. Hutchinson, Jesse Wagner, J. W. Vedder; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, John Smith; assessor, Matt. Edwards; justices, Levi Showalter, James Starrett; constables, Wm. E. Rogers, Hutchcroft.
1883-Supervisors, John Smith, Griffin Hickok, Henry Hoffman; clerk, George B. Wheeler; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, Matthew Edwards; justices, E. E. Evans, James Starrett, James Stark, Jesse Wagner; constables, James Pigg, Abram Adkins.
1884-Supervisors, John Smith, Griffin Hickok, Lorenzo Preston; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, Washington M. Garner; justices, George B. Wheeler, John D. Coombs, Frank Bonham ; constables, George Selleck, L. T. Arthur.
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1885-Supervisors, John Smith, Griffin Hickok, Henry Hoffman; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, Matthew Ed- wards; justices, James Starrett, William Jackson; constables, Miner Hickok, George Selleck, Lyman D. McConnell.
1886-Supervisors, Griffin Hickok, Henry Hoffman, John Burns; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, Matt. Edwards; justices, George B. Wheeler, Frank Bonham; constables, John Patter- son, R. French.
1887-Supervisors, Griffin Hickok, C. Chapman, H. Rech; clerk, F. Smith; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, Wash. Garner; justices, Wm. Jackson, J. Ileff, George Selleck, John Patterson ; constables, John Raisbeck, R. French, B. Garthwaite.
1888-Supervisors, William Gates, J. T. Patterson, H. Rech; clerk, R. S. Morse; treasurer, James Alderson; assessor, John Smith; jus- tices, George Selleck, P. J. Schloesser, James Starrett, Benj. Hayden ; constables, Lyman McConnell, Griffin Hickok, Benj. Garthwaite.
1889-Supervisors, Wm. Gates, Matthias Adams, J. T. Patterson ; clerk, W. B. Stephens; treasurer, James Alderson ; assessor, John Smith; justices, John Burns, F. S. Lewis, James Starrett, F. Raisbeck ; con- stables, B. C. Garthwaite, L. D. McConnell, J. Hayden.
1890-Supervisors, William Gates, J. T. Patterson, W. W. Ward; clerk, Wm. B. Stephens; treasurer, James Alderson; assessor, W. D. Suttle; justices, F. Raisbeck, James Starrett, R. S. Morse; constables, Clint Edwards, John Edwards, Griffin Hickok.
1891-Supervisors, Griffin Hickok, J. T. Patterson, W. W. Ward; clerk, W. B. Stephens; treasurer, James Alderson; assessor, W. D. Sut- tle; justices, John Burns, A. Stark, John Mankel; constables, Clint Ed- wards, B. F. Hayden, John Raisbeck.
1892-Supervisors, Griffin Hickok, W. W. Ward, Levi Showalter; clerk, Jerome Bishop; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, W. D. Suttle; justices, Edward Barr, Benj. F. Hayden, Henry Hudson; constables, B. C. Garthwaite, John Raisbeck, Clint Edwards.
1893-Supervisors, Wm. Gates, W. W. Ward, Charles Chapman; clerk, Jerome Bishop; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, Wash. Gar- ner; justices, Henry Hudson, John Burns; constables, L. D. McConnell, Benj. Garthwaite, John Raisbeck.
1894-Supervisors, Griffin Hickok, W. W. Ward, John Cooper; clerk, Jerome Bishop; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, John Burns;
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justices, Benj. Hayden, Edward Barr; constables, Walter Clegg, John Raisbeck, L. D. McConnell.
1895-Supervisors, W. W. Ward, George Parkins, John Smith; clerk, Jerome Bishop; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, John Burns; justices, John A. Jamison, Henry Hudson; constables, L. D. McCon- nell, B. C. Garthwaite, Walter Clegg.
1896-Supervisors, W. W. Ward, George Parkins, John Mankel; clerk, Jerome Bishop; treasurer, Samuel Birch; assessor, John Burns; justices, Benj. F. Hayden, Edward Barr; constables, George Craig, John Raisbeck, John Starrett.
1897-Supervisors, clerk, and assessor same as in 1896; treasurer, Wm Raisbeck ; justices, John A. Jamison, Henry Hudson; constables, George Craig, John Raisbeck, Charles Brick.
1898-Supervisors, M. C. Edwards, C. E. Arthur, William Miller; clerk, Jerome Bishop; treasurer, Wm. Raisbeck ; assessor, John Burns; justices, Edward Barr, Horace Wimer, B. C. Garthwaite; constables, A. N. McDonald, John Edwards, Joseph Wimer.
1.899-Supervisors, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1898; clerk, W. C. Beers; justices, John A. Jamison, John Ileff; constables, A. N. McDonald, Joseph Mayne, Frank Raisbeck, Jr.
1900-Supervisors, Samuel Birch, John G. Seipp, John Rech ; clerk, W. C. Beers; treasurer, Wm. Raisbeck ; assessor, John Burns; justices, Edward Barr, J. M. Hayden; constables, none qualified.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
The teaching of the first school has-been mentioned. The first schools were maintained by subscription and were taught in houses rented for the purpose. When the Methodist church was built it was used as a school-house until about 1857, when Beetown was divided into two school districts and a school-house built in the lower part of the village near Schmidt's furnace, and another in the upper part of town. School-houses are still located at those points. Among the; teachers prior to 1851 were Cyrus Barr, Cyreno Lamson, and Cyrus Sargent. In 1850, the cholera year, the school was taught by Cassius Brooks and Miss Ellen B. Chaffee. Mr. Brooks died of the cholera, and Miss Chaffee is still living in Lancaster. Among the teachers in the fifties were P. V. Wise, R. C. Bierce, Goodpel Lamson, and Byron Lamson. Wise and his misfortunes have been mentioned in the history of Hurricane. Bierce was a young lawyer from Ver- mont. He was a talented young man, but being a tenderfoot from 87
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the East, was game for the rough miners, especially the boys. He also had the peculiarity of very red hair. The trick of "snipe-catching", now too old to catch anybody, was worked successfully on the young lawyer-pedagogue, and he was thereafter known to the boys as "the redheaded snipe-catcher." He soon afterward moved to Viroqua, where he was a successful attorney.
The Methodist Church .- The first services remembered in Beetown were by a Methodist circuit rider in 1840, the preaching being in a cabin east of town. The church society was organized in 1841, and the church building put up in 1845. The Methodist minister located here has preached at Providence church, about six miles north of the village, and at other points in the township. For several years the church has been included in the Bloomington circuit, the minister re- siding at that place. The old church, built in 1845, was in 1899 sold for a town hall and a new frame church built close to the old one. Among the early resident ministers were Revs. Harvey Palmer, C. Cook, Nicholas Mayne, Enoch Tasker, Wm. Harvey, John Bean, N. S. Austin, C. Bushby, and John Harris.
The Baptist Church .- This society was organized June 21, 1845, with the following members: William, Loamir, and Aloysa Paddock, Moses Cooley, Samuel Newick, Belinda Woodruff, Betsey Cooley, and Susan Bacon. William Paddock was elected deacon, and Samuel Newick clerk. The preaching was by Elder Miles, of Lancaster. The society never had a church building, and the organization was after- ward transferred to Tafton ( Bloomington) and its history is contin- ued in the history of that town.
Beetown Lodge, No. 146, A. F.& A. M .- This lodge was instituted in 1860 with the following officers : Dr. Millard, W M .; J. B. Turley, S. W .; Michael Burns, J. W .; Wood R. Beach, Sec. The present officers are: C. E. Arthur, W. M .; M. S. Sturmer, S. W .; J. C. Anstey, J. W .; F. E. Blackbourn, Sec .; Samuel Birch, Treas .; Joseph Shaben, S. D .; Charles Thorpe, J. D .; J. E. Wise, Tiler; Samuel Birch, George Parkins, M. C. Edwards, Trustees.
THE DE LASSEAUX MURDER.
The principal crime which has been committed in Beetown was the murder of De Lasseaux (or De Lassaulx) by a miner named Robert B. Brewer, in April, 1846. The murdered man was a smelter, a man of considerable means and good education, and Alsatian by birth, and a
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civil engineer by profession. He was very popular on account of his liberality, and respected on account of his ability and education. A dispute arose between him and Brewer about a certain lot on which was a lime-kiln, situated a little below the business part of the village on the west side of the ravine. De Lasseaux came with a team and a teamster named Anson Thomas to remove some rails from the lot mentioned. Brewer forbade him to do so, and to enforce his prohibi- tion came toward him with a gun, "holding it at a present," as Thom- as testified, when the gun was discharged. Brewer immediately at- tacked De Lasseaux, and stabbed him with a dirk-a large, rough knife made by a blacksmith from a file, "of the value of fifty cents," as the indictment repeatedly stated. If it had been in these days of hair- splitting technicalities, Brewer's counsel on his trial might have had the indictment quashed by showing that the knife was worth more or less than fifty cents. Thomas attempted to restrain Brewer, but was held back by William Galloway, who demanded a "fair fight" between Brewer and De Lasseaux. The stab given by Brewer quickly proved fatal.
Brewer was arrested. The March term of court had just closed, and Judge Dunn immediately reconvened the court and grand jury. An indictment for murder was found against Brewer, and one for man- slaughter against Galloway, as Brewer's accessory. Popular feeling was high against Brewer, De Lasseaux being very popular. He was convicted of murder and Galloway of manslaughter. The latter was sentenced to five years in prison, but was pardoned by the Governor. Brewer was hung May 14, 1846, about a month after the murder- which was quick work. There was a great crowd to witness the exe- cution, among them about two hundred woman. Brewer made a speech from the gallows, saving that if De Lasseaux had killed him, he ( De Lasseaux) would not have been hung. The body was buried in a hazel thicket, but was resurrected for the doctors. The head was afterward found in a barn, to the great dismay of the finders. Much stress has been laid on the fact that Brewer's plea that the gun went off accidentally was disbelieved, and that it was afterward found that the gun was liable to be discharged at half-cock. But he was not in- dicted for shooting his victim, and the discharge of the gun cut no im- portant figure in the case. The murderous knife was kept by the Clerk of the Court for many years, and after that by T. A. Burr, the post- master at Lancaster.
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