Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/292

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��HISTORY OF RTCHLAND COUNTY.

��Mr. Zimmer, with his family, came about the same time, located his land and built his cabin about two and a half miles southeast of Ml'. Ruflf'ner. His family' consisted of his wife, a ])eautiful daughter named Kate, and his son Phillip, aged nineteen. He was an old man, not able to do much work, and, desiring to pre- pare some fifteen or twenty acres for corn, he employed Michael Ruft'ner to assist his son Phillip.

Early in September, one afternoon, while Michael Ruffner was walking along the trail leading from the cal)in of Frederick Zimmer to that of his brother, he met a party of Indians,* who were well armed with guns, knives and tomahawks and appeared ver}- friendly. They asked him if the Zimmers were at home, and, upon receiving an affirmative reply, passed on. Having his suspicions aroused, he hastened to the cabin of his brother Martin, and informed him of his meeting with the Indians. Martin's suspicions were aroused, and, taking down his rifle, he mounted a fleet mare, and rode rapidly down the trail to the Zimmer cabin. He arrived before the Indians ; and after a short consulta- tion it was decided that Phillip Zimmer should hasten to the cabin of James Copus, who lived about two miles further south, on the trail, give the alarm in that neighborhood, and return with assistance. Meanwhile the brave Ruffner was to remain and defend the family. Phillip Zim- mer hastened to Mr. Copus' cabin, and from there to John Lambright's, two miles further south on the Black Fork. Lambright returned with him, and, joined by Mr. Copus, they all pro- ceeded together to the Zimmer cabin, where the}' arrived in the early part of the evening. Finding no light in the cabin, and all being silent, fears were entertained that the inmates had been murdered. Mr. Copus moved cautiously around to the back window, and listened a moment ; but, hearing no movement, he crept quietly

four, and still another, five.
 * Oiie account makes the number two, anotlier three, another

��around to the door, which, oh examination, he found slightly ajar, and, pressing upon it, found some obstruction behind it. He at once sus- pected the famil}- had been murdered ; and, on placing his hand upon the floor, found it wet with blood. There was no longer any doubt. Hastening back to Phillip and Lambright, who were concealed a short distance from the cabin, he stated his discoveries and convictions.

Phillip became frantic with grief and excite- ment, and desired to rush into the cabin to learn the whole truth. In this he was prevented by the others, who feared that the Indians were yet concealed in the cabin, awaiting his return. Persuading Phillip to accompany them, they hastened back to the cabin of Mr. Copus, and, taking the latter's family, the}' all proceeded as rapidly as possible to Mr. Lambright's. This family was added to their numl)ers, and they pushed on to the cabin of Frederick Zimmer, Jr., Phillip's brother, and he and his famih- joined the fugitives. They hastened along an Indian ti-ail, near where the village of Lucas now stands, and stopped at the cabin of David Hill, where they remained until the next morning, when, accompanied by the family of Hill, all proceeded to the block-house at Beam's mill. This fort was then occupied by a company of soldiers under Capt. Martin. A party of these 'Soldiers, accompanied by Mr. Copus, Phillip and Frederick Zimmer, Hill and Lambright. all well armed, proceeded by the most direct route through the forest, to the cabins of Martin Ruff- ner and Richard Hughes. They found the cabin of Ruffiier had not been disturbed, the boy Franghiser having slept there alone the night before ; and the cabin of Hughes was also undisturbed. Ruffner had, a short time prior to this, upon the surrender of Hull, sent his wife and child to Licking County, to a Mr. Lair, or Laird, an uncle, who lived about one and a half miles from Utica. At Ruffner's cabin, the}' were joined by Franghiser, Michael Ruffner and Mr. Hughes, and all hastened down

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