Shot Down

James Richards, an old farmer living alone three miles from Dixboro, was shot through the body last Saturday night after a big fight with two burglars, who robbed him of his hoard and left him to die. He was found Sunday afternoon and died at half past seven o'clock Monday morning. The murder is yet shrouded in mystery and is one of the foulest that has stained the aúnala of the county. Richards was rather an eccentric old farmer, 70 years of age, who came to this country from Devonshire, England, in 1852, leaving a wife and daughter in the old country. At that time he was 25 years of age. About 35 years ago he settled in Superior. He lived all alone on an 80 acre farm a mile north and a half mile east of the Dixboro road, in section 5 of Superior townsbip. His farm is surrounded by the farms of Frank Duress, John W. Nanry and Edwin Curtiss. The road which runs in front of his farm is one not much travelled and the house is baok about a quarter of a mile from the road on an elevation from which it oan be seen from the road. It is a small. hewn log house. Here, sixteen years ago in Jnne, he'was robbed of a large sutn of money estimated at over f 1,000. And here again was enacted the tragedy of Saturday night, when a sum, possibly as large, was also stolen. THE STORY OF THE FIGHT As gathered from those who saw Richards before he died, indicates that he put up a brave defensa of hif money. Two men, a tall and a short one, diovo up Saturday evening, in a cutter with a side bar with a single sharp shod horse, believed to bave been a fast ore, and opening the gate by the road drove across a fieid to the second gate, where they hitohed their horse. Stealing across tbe second field by a circuitous route so as to avoid a marsh, they eusoonced tbeinselves behind a little hillock and a rack, from which they could not be seen from the house, and waited for bim to put out his light. About nine o'clock he put out the light and laid down on „his bed fully dressed. Shortly after this there carne a kuock on the door. In response to a request to know who was there the burglars replied that they wanted to see him and wanted to set warm. He refused to let them in unless tbey told him wbo they were. Tben to nse Richards' own words they attempted " TO SHINB HIM OUT," That ír tbey flashed the light from a dark ïantern throagh the little windows of the house, striving to lócate bim. He jumped around to keep ont oL tho light aud seoured a pitohfork. The two men finding this ineffectual, proceeded to break down the only door of the honse. To do this, eaoh went for a stick. Both ma ie bee lines to where the objects they wanted lay. One secured a large stick, over a foot in oircumfereuce, which was nsed as a battering ram and the other a handspike to ward off the pitohfork blows. The fasteuings of the door were quickly braken aDd theu began a hot fight. How long it lasted, only the burglars know. Richards said before he died, that he funght them off a long time, and at another time that they shot him as soon as they got in. The door, the fitake and the pitchfork remain as inute evidence of tbe encounter. The door bears the marks of having been struck by the fork a nnmber of times and the stake also bears the maiks of the fork's tines, while oue of the tiaes is slightly bent. Probably the robbers nsed THE DOOR AS A SHIELD Fiom Richards' lunges with the fork. During the fight they dazzled him by keeping the light on is eyes and coold see the motions he was making in time to meet them, probably for a while partially closing the door'in time to intercept the fork thrusts. This seems to be about the only way the marks on the door can be accounted for, as, when open, the door closes against the bedroom partition. The door was made of elm and the only bnllet fired into it, did not begin to penetrate it. Once the stake came down upon Richards' shoulder and once upon his hand and twice if not three times the stake and the points of the fork tines came in contact. "We want only your money. Let up with the pitchfork and we won't burt yon," shooted the robbers, but his money was as much to the old man as possibly his few remaining years of life anri he continued the fight until he was shot. TWO SHOTS WEEK FIIIED. The first shot was fired from a 32 calibre revolver bef ore the door was broken open and imbedded iteelf in the elrn boards which formed tbe door. The second shot was from an ugly 44 calibre revolver, and was fired either from the outside door or imtnediataly after entering it. Richards veas standing in his bedroom, the door of which is close to the outside door. The ball went entirely through his body, entering just below the breast and passing ont near the hip and entering a heavy board back of the bed. To gain some idea of the terriffic foroe of the bnllet, it may be well to state that Riohards was very warmly dressed. He had on two jackets a vest aud a very heavy undershirt. One of the jackets and the vest were of a sort of cauvas, lined with heavy coarse flannel. Through all tbis ciothiüg the bnllet plowed its wny twice, besides passing through his body aud six feet beyond, yet having foroe enough to imbed itself in a hard board. From tbis time on the account of the night must be a meagre one. The interest of those who talkecï with Richards after he was found seems to have ended withjthe fatal shot, exoflpt to flnd out how much money he lost. To inquiries on this point bis reply was "They got enough. " Whether or not he lost conscionsness the Argus is unable to state. He bied profusely. After tbe robbers had gone, and they did not rummage abont the house much, evidently knowing where the booty tbey were after was located, Richards lighted a lamp and filled his stove with wood aud lay down on the floor by the stove. Here he passed A LONG AND LONELY NIGHT. Slowly the weary hours passed away and the Sunday gun shown in on a lonely and weakened pld man whose life blood was slowly ebbing away. It was not until near one o'oloek on Sunday afternoon that help came in the person of Henry Toibert, a colored man living some distance away who came over to see hiin. Soon other neigbbors were summoned and later Dr. Walker, of Salem, reaohed the scène. He had Riohards removed to the house of a neighbor, Mr. Duress, where he could be better cared for and here, after ano'ber night of agooy, during whieh sympatbizing naighbors cared for his wants, he died at half past seven Monday morning. THE SCJ5NJS OF THE TRAGEDY Is not as desolate as one might imagine from the descriptions. It is lonely, the house being across two fialds aud a quarter of a mile from the road. It is on an elevation and Duress' house and the road are both in sight. To one side and a little nearer the road are the stables for the catfcle, in good repair. There are five or six big hay stacks in the yard, a corn crib and a rack behind whiuh the robbers first hid. Tbe house is of bewn logs, vvell preserved for so oíd a house. It ia two stories high or rather one story and a buge attio. The lower story wbioh was practically all he used, is divided into two rooms and a pantry. The huge beams aoross the room are just six feet three inohes from the flooriug. It was almost barren of furniture. The bed took up one half of the little bedroom in the east side of the house. In the living room was a cook stove, a small table, a barrel of oider and an Aun Arbor Brewing Co. 's keg of beer, two or three chairs and the pantry contaiDed a nnmber of jugs. Under the flooring was a meal bin. There were very few oíd dishes, a couple of spoons, a knife and fork, a shaving mug and razor, plenty of firewood on each side of the Btove, a pitchfork, an axe and a shovel. The flooring was absolutely destitate of covering, bnt had evidently been occasionally clean ed. In the attio there were a number of rags, corn, etc. A DIAOfliAM OF THE HOUSE Is given to show Riobards' position when shot. In the diagram the letter A represente where Richards stood when shot. B representa where the bullet whicb passed throngh him strnck the board partition. C is the only outer door of tbe house and D tbe bedroom door, through which the bnllet was tired. The varions small windows marked E, were partiaily boarded up and many of the panes fllled with old rags. F is where the old cook stove was located, beside which Riohards passed, the night and Q the small table. H is a eider barrel and I a beer keg. The firewood is marked J. The pantry marked K contaiued the jugs and a few bottles. THE CRIME DISCOY'ERKD. As was stated above, Riohards was not found nntil after noon Snuday, when Henry Tolber,t, who had beeu out hanting rabbits, came to the door and knocked. Richards called to him to oome ia. He asked him wbat was the matter and was told that he was sick. The old mau 's thoughts were of bis chickeus, "please let the ohickens ont and feed them," he reqnested. It was not till this was done and Tolbert got back to the house and said "How long have yon been sick Jiramie?" that Richards told biixi that the robbers had beeu there in the night, and shot him and got his money. He requested Tolbeit to go over to John Shaukland's and get him a loaf of bread. It is uot kuown how muob JIOXEY ïiik ROBBERS SBOVUJJl). Richards was miserly in his habits. He spent very little. He bad neither tea, coffee or sugar in the house. He had not deposited auy nioney for six years and every year he had laid by something. During the past year it is knuwn that 6 sold over $200 from his farm. It is probable he liad over $1,000 stowed away. All that has been fouud is a bag of silver and change amounting to $40.56. In this there were a couple of huudred pen nies. He put his money 8way as he got it, and it is oonsidered improbable that he himself knew how much he had. He was an illiterate man, unable to read or write aud he seenaed to have trouble in couating over four. A FORME R BOBUEIvY. Richards was robbed of about $1,000 1G years ago, the exaot amount not being ascertainable. Tbis so preyed upon his mind that he becaine violently insane and was sent to the Pontiao asylnm, where he remained three years, returning cured, to take up his old life again. John W. Nanry was appointed bis guardián at this time, and searohing the house fouud a large amount of money stored away in caus, bottles and the wall. Mice had chewed the bilis and many of them were nearly ruined by age. JVIany were destroyed beyond redemption, bnt about f1,000 was placed in the Ann Arbor Savings Bank to his oredit and is there yet. The farm was stocked' with a good team of horses, a cow, a calf and nineteen sheep. He worked the farm but little, using it mainly for grazing purposes for tne stock he kept upcu it. The neighbors speak kindly of him. He never boogbt anything without hu paid for it on the spot. He bonght what be wanted but he wanted little. A DAUGHTER IN ENGLAND. Of his family he talked but little until the past two years. When he laft England 45 years ago, he left a wife from whom he was never divorced, and who has since remarried. He left also a daughter who has married and has a family of children. To this daugbter he bas at various timse sent money. A letter acknowledging the receipt of $a5 by her was received last fall, in which she gave her address, as Mrs. Sarah Jane Pearce, Burrows Farm, Cburchill, Devon, England. Two of his brothers died last summer, and a sister still lives in England. The funeral services were beid Tuesday afternoon, and the poor old murdered man was buried in the Dixboro cemetery. It is evident that the murderers were fully cognizant of the premises and Richards' habits. They carefully avoided a marsh, although the track was not beateu, and they knew where everything was. They did not rum in age the house but took what they cama after and left. THE INQUEST Was held at the undertaking rooms of O. M. Martin yesterday afternoon, be fore Coroner Ball and a jury oonsis,ting of Zenas Sweet, Daniel Marr, Walter Voorhei8, Frank Doress, Patrick Dureas, and Wm. Duncan. Five nesses, Dr. Jane A. Walker, Henry Tolbert, John Shankland, John Quackenbush and Wm. Tait were examined. From the line of examination pursued it was evident that it was not desired to have irmch of an "inquest, " but rather to elicit just enough information to show that the old man died from the effects of a bullet wound. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the 'evidence," that "James Richards came to his death from a gunshot wound inflicted by some person unknown to the jury."