Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/311

DELAWARE COUNTY. 287 attended at the place of sale, accompanied by his under sheriff Osman N. Steele, Erastus S. Edgerton, a constable of the county, and Peter P. Wright, the agent of the landlord, who attended to bid upon the property. The persons found upon the premises a force of disguised, masked and armed men, about 220 strong, by which they were surrounded as soon as move- ments were made indicating a preparation to enter upon the sale of the property, and by a portion of whom, in obedience to the order of one acting as their chief, the horses upon which Steele and Edgerton were mounted, were shot and killed, and Steele was mortally wounded, and survived but six hours, three balls taking effect in his person, and from twelve to twenty guns being fired. The execution of civil process was thus re- sisted, the enforcement of the law prevented, and the order and peace of society deeply and irreparably disturbed and broken, in this instance. That this cold and cruel murder of a most estimable and valuable citizen, and brave and faithful public officer, for no other cause or provocation, than the discharge of his official duty, as he had solemnly sworn to discharge it, has so aroused the energies of the patriotic and law-abiding citizens of the county of Delaware, as to enable the sheriff, for the purpose of the arrest and punishment of the murderers, their aiders and abettors, to organize a guard, or posse, under the 2nd sec- tion of the law referred to, in conformity to the authority obtained from the Governor, in Delaware for that purpose ; but only for a very short period, which has already expired, or is just about expiring, and without the hope or expectation on the part of the sheriff, of being able to avail himself of the aid of that guard, or posse, for any other purpose than the execution of the criminal processes, to which this startling murder may give rise. That it has been subsequently ascertained that, in addi- tion to the disguised and armed force of 220 men, which