Tar And Feathers

Superior was the scène of a tar and feathering last Friday night. The deed was done by about twentyfive or thirty of the most prominent young men in the township, whose names will not be given to the world, so thoroughly does public sentiment uphold them. The victim of the tar and feathers was Torn Cowan, who lives on his mothers farm about a mile or so north of Dixboro. Cowan is an unmarried man of about fifty, bald-headed, with afringe of red hair, long red beard, tall and lank. The neighbors accuse him of having in times past brutally kicked his mother but the act which brought matters to a crises was his encouragement of Bill Mulholland in brutally kicking his wife. Mulholland is a next door neighbor of Cowan's. YVhen drinking he is said to be an ugly customer. He is a man of about forty. His wife is ten years his junior and came from Ireland about two years ago. She is very highly spoken of by the neighbors. They have been married a little over a year and have a baby three months old. Mulholland has been seen to strike her, while riding in a buggy with her. Mrs. Mulholland at present lies in a precarious condition, the result of a horribly brutal kicking administered by her husband a week ago last Sunday. Her face is black and blue, one eye being badly damaged, both breasts have been kicked, a heavy kick in the neck precludes her turning her head, but her more serious injuries are lower down, where the brutal kicks of the man who promised to love, cherish and defend her has produced an abcess. Her limbs are also badly bruised. On the preceeding evening Mulholland and two or three others brought home a keg of beer and drank considerable. Sunday Cowan went over to help him finish the beer. Mrs. Mulholland came out to remind her husband that the cow had not been milked. Cowan said he would not allow any woman to talk to him and Mulholland grabbed lier and kicked her. Afterwards he went into the house, dragged her out with the baby in her arms and again brutally kicked her. He asked Cowan if he had given her enough and Cowan said that he would give her something to remember it by, when Mulholland gan stamping upon her. She lost consciousness and when she carne too, she was lyingin a pool of mud, several pails of water having been hrown over her. She crawled to Vlr. Manly's house, a near neighbor. Since the kicking two doctors have jeen in attendance upon her. On Friday night public opinión reached a climax. Nothing had íeen done to punish the crime. So about eleven o'clock thirty young men put in their appearance at Cowan's house. Mrs. Mufholland ïad refused to make complaint against her brutal husband, and in ïer precarious condition it was considered dangerous to catch Mulholand at his house to punish him. So Cowan was to receive the first dose. The party wore handkerchiefs over their faces and were provided with a big bucket of tar and a pillow case of feathers which had been furnished by the neighbors. One of their number carried a lantern and acted as spokesman. He disguised his voice by using a brogue. No one else said a word. They called at Cowan's house and asked for him. His mother stated that he was not in the house. They withdrew down the road to the foot of the hill for consultation and while there discovered Cowan coming around the lake from Mulholland's house, whither he had undoubtedly been to find out how the land lay. At once strong arms seized him and began stripping his clothes off. He asked what they wanted him for and was told that i.t was for putting Bill Mulholland up to kick his wife. He vehemently denied that he was there and begged like a trooper for mercy. When he had been stripped of every vestage of clothing the tar was applfed. As he flinched or struggledJLhe was vigorously belabored with the paddie used for applying the tar. Special attention was paid to his scraggly beard to get that thoroughly soaked. The tar was poured on his head and when he had been thoroughly coated all over the body the feathers were applied. Eyewitnesses say it vas a very artistis job. When he had been tarred and feathered his hands were firrnlj tied behind him and he was admon ished to mend his ways and lef alone. . None of our informants have seen him since. It is reported however that his beard and hair have been en tirely removed. It is also stated that if he ever beats his mother again, another dose of the same medicine awaits him. Every man and woman in the township, nearly, is up in arms about the matter and are demanding the punishment of Mulholland, whether the wife will make complaint or not. And if the law does not step in to punish him, the people are very apt to take his punishment into their own hands. It was reported Wednesday that Mulholland had lighted out, through fear of what awaited him.