A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 22 September 1880, Page 2

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.

The Ottawa Citizen of June 20 says :— Some days ago it was announced that Mr Jehn Connolly, who was at one time em* nloyed on the Laehine Cmal, at Mr Davis' section, b«d been killed by Mexis cans. The accounts of the affair which are to hand thow tbat Mr Connolly died in comtmny with two Americans, I» s?erns that Messrs Arnold and Stephen had entered into a contract with the Tojes Mining and Smelting Company of London, England, whose mines were located at Angonseo. in the State of Michigan, Mexico, a mining settlement about 110 miles across the mountains, westward from the city of Mexico. They were to tunnel the mine, and worked harmoniously enoush with every one for a few weeks. They were then asked to go over to Senor Sote Mayer's mine, a short distance away, to undertake a similar lunnel there. Here were met the first unfriendly gree ings, and soon afterwards the fact dawned upon the contrac fors that they were unpopular with Hip natives, who called them " Yankees." On March 15, one of the labourers lefused to work, and when given his pay of three reals, about I*. English, he refused to take it, and wanted four. Connolly refused and a quarrel ensued, which ended in the rascal attacking Connolly, wDo tired at him. Mr Stephens, one of the party, says that Connol'y shut him* self upon in the but to be out of the way, but was attacked by the man, who beat in ih-i door of the hut with stones. Connolly then fired three or four shots from a revolver over tb« man's bend to •Vighten him, but it made the fallow worse, an-1 drawing a swo>d he rnsiied towards Conno'K', who shot him in thp legs with a shot«cun, not wishing to kill him. A very excited crowd of flic natives soon surroundi d the wounded m»n. and threatened to kill all the American*. One man drew a sword upon Connolly, and flashed him across the shoulder, wbpn Connolly, who bad bis revolver in his hand, fired at his assailant, aud in a minute was attacked by the crowd The " Yankees " were separated. Mr Stephens going to the ju-lge of the Ti!l»ae for assistance. The latter sent a lientenant and eight soldiers to the scene, and when the latter left the gaol, an attack was mtde upon Stephens, wlo was with difficulty Ravel ly being shut up io the gaol. A. large force was collected on the foU lowing morning, March 14, and were sent •to the scene of the riot. Meantime the riotere had caged the Canadian, and those who were with lu'm, in the adobe hat in which they resided. They were surrounded, but not dismayed, and, after barricading the hut they did their best in defending it through holes wh'cli they cut in the panels. Their assailants, after two or three had been wonnded in the attempt to f^m* the door, found it ton hot and gave up, For a time they were bnulked, then s. me of them, more fiendish tliaa the otliers, set fire to the roof. Smoked out, uoor Connolly rnsbed out on the verandah, find, seiz : n£ a discharger! rifle from a .-■>! tier's hand <le/>rd ••! himself nobly, all to no purpose. One after another of the miscreants had fallen around Connolly, who fought with Ms clubbed mu>ket ; but he could do little against such fearful odds. His assailants kept at arm's length from him. and after vainly trying to overpower him the cire'ling noose of a lasso dropped around his neck and he wns pulled to the ground, and literally trampled ami stabbed to death. Poor Arnold, trying to come to his friend's assistance, was struck down with a blow of a sword, nnd afterwards stabbed all orer till hardly any of the fl^sh on his face and breast were visil le. Youmans lay dead, shot through the right eye and terribly battered with stones. One of the murderers, Mondragine, was arrested, as was also the boy who threw the lasso around poor Connolly's neck.