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"THE MAN
WITH THE AX ."
William Cornell, lately arrived at
Austin from Winnebago County, Illinois, labored
under the insane belief that everybody about him
was awaiting an opportunity to take his life. At
about 9 o'clock on the evening of July 18, 1863,
he went to his tent on Main Street, and requested
one of his partners to get him a glass of whisky,
making the excuse that he had been working hard
all day and was not feeling well. This was a mere
stratagem to get possession of a knife and ax. The
partner started across to a saloon, soon after
which the third partner, William Melligan, came to
the tent and called to Cornell to see if he was
there, at the same time looking in through the
opening. Cornell immediately struck him with the
edge of the ax. The blow was a downward one, and
inflicted an ugly gash over Melligan's left jaw.
On receiving a second blow Melligan fell to the
ground. The maniac then rushed out, and crossing
over to Dunham's saloon, began striking right and
left with the ax at numerous persons congregated
there, who succeeded in avoiding his blows and
escaping. One shot was fired at him there.
Returning to the street, he inflicted a severe cut
on the left elbow of John Capron, severing most of
the supporting leaders, and then chased a party of
men into Stebbins' stone building. Passing on, he
struck a Dayton man, known as "Frenchy," the edge
of the ax cutting from the left crown to the right
side of the neck, and fracturing "Frenchy's"
skull, in spite of which the latter walked up
town, took a drink, and then rode horseback to
Clifton to have his wound dressed. The next victim
was B. O. Anderson, from Sweetland, California,
who received a terrible cut above the left ear.
The maniac then met Charles Ludlow, and inflicted
on him a dangerous gash near the left temple; and
soon afterwards struck Billy Mills, of Clifton, on
the right side of the head, laying the skull bare.
Next, a barber, named Hammersmith, saved his head
by receiving a descending blow on his right hand
and arm.
Further on, Mr. Powell was slightly cut in
the back; and Charles Tureman only escaped death
by falling sidewise over the edge of the road, his
breast pocket being cut away by a stroke of the
ax. Nearing Clifton, the maniac fortunately began
to use the handle of his ax, and knocked several
persons almost senseless, but inflicted no serious
wounds. Running the entire length of Clifton, he
met no one, and started in the direction of
Jacobsville.
An armed party
had been following him, and picking up the
wounded, but did not succeed in overtaking him,
for he had all the time been running with the
speed of a race-horse. The next morning his dead
body was found about a mile down the Jacobsville
Road. On the back of his head
was a gash made
by the edge of his ax; his throat was
cut from ear to ear, and five stabs were found
over his heart. These wounds were supposed to have
been inflicted by himself. History of Nevada
Thompson & West -
1881
October 9, 1863 Reuben Martin was
killed by John Spiker, at Clinton, Lander County.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
November 1863, About this time an
exciting scene occurred in the streets of Austin.
An unknown man, supposed to be insane, appeared
upon the crowded streets, brandishing a glittering
axe, cutting all who came within his reach. Three
or four men were either killed by him or
dangerously wounded. Passing through town he went
on down the Clifton Grade, and, in a few hours,
his dead body was found in the road. He had been
shot. No legal inquiry was ever made as to who
killed him. People, however, generally accredited
the deed to a sporting man, since deceased, known
as
"Whiteheaded Ross." For a long time,
thereafter, when any person wished to send a
thrill of excitement, that would almost result in
a panic, among the crowds that thronged the
streets of Austin, he had only to raise theory of
"Look out! here comes the man with the axe!"
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
November 29, 1863 S. Pomeroy was
killed by Jesse Bonds, at Clifton, Lander County.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
1864
On election day for municipal offices at Austin,
Richard Allman became involved in a dispute with
another man, about some trivial affair, which
resulted in the killing of an innocent man upon
the street-a stranger who had but recently arrived
there-and who knew nothing whatever of the
quarrel. Nothing was done with Allman, but he left
soon after for Montana. History of Nevada
Thompson & West - 1881
October 18, 1865 Stephen Lynnis,
alias " Dublin Chicken," was shot and killed by
John Grimes, in Austin, Lander County; an election
row. Grimes acquitted. History of Nevada
Thompson & West - 1881
November 7,
1865 Michael Martin was shot and killed, at Yankee
Blade, by Alexander Newton, while endeavoring to
keep Martin from using a knife on an unknown man.
Newton acquitted. History of
Nevada Thompson & West - 1881
January 16, 1867 Thomas
Andrews was killed in a difficulty between himself
and brother, and Jacob and Samuel Steinenger, over
the title to some land, at Pine Creek, Lander
County. History of Nevada Thompson & West
- 1881
May 19, 1867 Stephen
Richards was killed at Austin, Lander County, by
Robert Elliott. Hasty words the only provocation.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
May 5, 1868 Noble T. Slocum
was killed by Rufus B. Anderson,
a boy about eighteen years old, at Austin, Lander
County. Anderson was hung at Austin, October 30,
1868. At the execution a terrible scene was
enacted. The noose not being properly fastened
slipped as the trap was sprung, and the doomed boy
landed on the ground upon his feet. This was
repeated and the excited crowd began to think of
rescuing him. But upon a third attempt,
strangulation was completed. History of Nevada
Thompson & West - 1881
1868 In August of this
year, Thomas Carberry commonly known as Irish Tom
shot and killed a man named Vance, at Austin.
Vance had recently arrived there from Montana, and
claimed to be the " bad man " from that region,
while Carberry, though a quiet man when sober, had
been engaged in many shooting scrapes about Aurora
and other new mining localities. Vance assumed an
offensive attitude toward Carberry, and told him
that he would kill him. Irish Tom was at this time
unarmed, and so informing his antagonist, Vance
told him to go and prepare himself and come back
shooting. Carberry quietly left, obtained a pistol
and carelessly sauntered back. Vance, who was on
the lookout, immediately began to fire, Carberry
advancing to close range notwithstanding his
enemy's repeated shots. When in position to suit
him, Carberry rested his pistol across his arm,
took careful aim, and shot Vance dead. Carberry
acquitted. History of Nevada Thompson &
West - 1881
November 30, 1868 Jerry
Emerson, a rough, was killed at Argenta, Lander
County. He was shot by some person unknown.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
December 20, 1868 Owen
Murphy was killed by James Walsh, at Austin,
Lander County. Murphy was drunk and applied foul
epithets to the wife of Walsh. History of
Nevada Thompson & West - 1881
March 1874 Christian
Eckstein, his wife and two children, and a young
man named Noelin, were all found dead at the cabin
of the former, in Smoky Valley, about fifteen
miles southeast of Austin, Lander County. It is
not known certainly how they came to their death,
but circumstances point to the theory that the men
quarreled through jealousy, that a homicide
followed, and afterward the slayer killed the
woman and children and then took his own life.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
May 10, 1875 John Beal and
James McCreary were found murdered, on the Silver
Age Ranch, in Lander County. The bodies were in a
cabin; had been beaten terribly. History of
Nevada Thompson & West - 1881
July 1875
Michael Downing was found murdered near Battle
Mountain. The body was partially consumed by fire,
no clue. History of Nevada Thompson
& West - 1881
August 1875 Ralph Slater
was killed by Harry Williams, near Austin, Lander
County, with a shotgun. History of Nevada
Thompson & West - 1881
October 30, 1876 William
Argall was killed by his son at Austin, Lander
County. Argall was drunk and endeavored to
chastise his wife, when the son stabbed him with a
pocket-knife. History of Nevada Thompson &
West - 1881
June 1877 Ah Hoy, a
Celestial, was killed by Mann Tonn, another
Celestial, at Austin, Lander County. Tonn got
twenty-five years in State Prison. History of
Nevada Thompson & West - 1881
October 9,
1877 R. C. Allen was shot and killed by F. Topier,
in Smith Creek Valley. Jealousy regarding a squaw,
the cause. Allen was a notorious
"bully." History of Nevada Thompson &
West - 1881
October 26, 1877 Baldorana
was shot and killed by Bradley Johnson, at Birch
Creek, Lander County, for stealing wood.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
January
18, 1878 William Wallace was killed by J. H.
White, near Reese River Station, Lander
County.
The latter threw rocks down a shaft upon
his victim, then cut the windlass rope, and left.
A dispute concerning relative interests the
cause.
History of Nevada Thompson & West -
1881
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