EXTRAORDINARY FEUD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1614, 20 July 1887, Page 4

EXTRAORDINARY FEUD.

According to a Western paper, a man named Walter Ridgley has killed with hlB own hand m- Texas no fewer thau seven male mombers of a family named Murphy. it appears that Walter Rldge'ey, an unmarried man about 34 years of age, lives on the Texan bank of the Red river m the mid3t of a very lonely and sparsely settled country. Two Irkh brothers, named Joseph and Robert. Murphy, kept a ferry on the Red river about eight miles webt of Ridgeley/8 farm. The regular fee charged foe conveying a man across the feiry was fifty cents, or two shillings. On March 2nd a commercial traveller crossed the ferry from Texas into the Indian territory and paid the ÜBual fee. Having, traosaoted bis business, he returned next day to the ferry, and wao conveyed aoroes to the Texas eide. He handed the same fee to a ferryman, but was informed that they ezpeoted to be paid five dollars for the j >b. He remonstrated ; upon which the Murphy brothers replied :— " In that cisc we will keep your box of samples until you choose to pay" The brothers then made their boats faat and walked up ihe^back to the ueighborinft store, or drlukicg bar, one of them carrying the box of samples m his hand. .The aggrieved traveller followed the ferrymen into the Btore, where a large congregation of farmers were assembled. Be appealed to " the crowd " against the exaction of the ferrymen, and Walter Ridgeley, who was present, intervened on the side of the stranger. Ridgeley told the ferryman that they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and warned them that unless they accepted the fee which bad been offered, and released the -pack, they would hear more of it. At this the Irishmen became very indignant, and both of them made a rush at Ridgeley, who knocked down the foremost man, The other brother pulled out hia revolver; but before he could use it he fell dead, ahot throngh the head by Ridgeley. The surviving brother alao betook himself to his revolver, but was mortally wounded by Kidgeley and died next day. Ridgeley immediately gave himself up to the sheriff, and after a brief examination was discharged, on the grouud that he' had acted m self-defence. In a few dajs t*o other members of the Murphy family— a brother and au unole of the dead ferrymen — arrived on the scene, determined t> take Ridgeley 'a life. They hung about the latter's farm, and one afternoon Bidgelcy set off on horseback to a reighbor'a house, two fallen distant. As he returned at nightfall, two rifle shota were fired at him from the edi-e of a wcod, one of which killed his horse. He. lay on the ground appearing to be dead; but as his two aesailanta approached and were within six feet of him, he sprung to J) is feet, and m an Instant the two Murphy's were killed. Within the week, however, two other Murphy brothers and another uncle came to the neighbor hc6d to take up the qnarrel. Rfdgeley was implored by his friends to bind his i three new aßßail&nts over to keep the peace, but be declined on the ground that he oculd not honestly swear that he waß afraid of any Murphy that ever lived, He confined himself oloce'y to his own premises, and was never without a couple vi revolvers. One dark morning he was awakened from sleep by a noise m hia barn> Thinking that some borne thief waß at work, and without any suspicion of the Murphy avengers, he went forth from his house, having first called two of hia laboring men, whose bedroom he passed. He walked across th© yard m wh oh hishonsestood and piooeeded to the gate leading into his barn lot. Here he paused for a moment and listened, but heard no sound. Then he walkad towardß tbe door of hi 6 barn, when a man suddenly sprang up from the side of a waggon and aeut a revolver bullet through Rldgeley's hat. The latter dropped at once upon one knee, and fired at a dim figure which he described m the darknesß A yoll and an oath told him that his shot had been well dlreoted. As he approached the waggon two other men arose, one on either side and opened fire upon him. A shot hit his left arm, breaking the bone, and disabling him from using the revolver which he carried m his left hand. Be returned the fire and one of his foes instantly dropped. At the fame moment a bullet went through Ridge'ey's right breast. As he fell be turned on one side, and aent a ball through the body of his only remaining aofailantwho remained erect, killing him. Still lying on bis side, Ridgeley saw one of th<? Mu'physstrugg'ing to his feet. A. bullet which Ridgeley put through his head killed him alao. At this moment the two laboring men appeared on the scene with ft hnlern. They found their master desperately wounded ; but two of his assailants lay dead on the gronnd, and the third, completely disabled though still alive, was laid upon the porch, where he died m less than an hour. It waß feared at first (hat Ridgeley would himself expire before the doctor arrived ; but, although shot m tb-ree places — how and when tbe third wound was Inflicted he is himself Ignorant— there eeemed every probability when the laat bulletin was despatched that hia life was,no longer m danger.