Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2024 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Wisconsin State Journal Tuesday, 20 April 1869 An Affray in Kewaunee County -- Officers Resisted with Muskets, Bayonets, Knives, Pitchforks and Dogs. The Kewaunee Enterprise gives the following account of a desperate affray between a party of peace officers and a family residing in Casco, Kewaunee county, in which six men were wounded more of less severely: On Friday, April 8th, JOSEPH NENDEL, of the town of Casco, came in to Kewaunee, and lodged complaint before Justice PISTOR that JOSEPH MILLER, one of his neighbors, had been to NEN- DEL'S house with a gun, and made sundry sangui- nary threats. It seems that this was not the first complaint of the kind which had been brought against MILLER, for, six months ago, he was placed under bonds to keep the peace, which bond had just expired. Justice PISTOR issued a warrant for his arrest, and placed it in the hands of Constable CONRAD FENSEL, who started for Casco on Friday evening. The re- ports he found rife among the neighbors of the MILLERS that the family were lawless, reckless, and well armed, led him to believe that he would meet with serious resistance in the per- formance of his duty, and he determined to wait until daylight the next morning, when he hoped to take them by surprise, and capture the re- fractory JOSEPH. The MILLER family are well-to- do farmers, German by birth, and consists of EGESLIUS MILLER, a short, heavy-set man, about 55 years of age; his son JOSEPH, aged about 26, for whom the warrant was issued, and his daugh- ter MARY, aged 20 or 22. Saturday morning at 4 o'clock, Constable FENSEL, taking two men with him, proceeded to MILLER'S house and knocked at the door. The door was opened by JOSEPH, and the constable then, as he states, explained who he was and his errand, and notified young MILLER that he must go to Kewaunee with him. This MILLER refused to do, when FENSEL pulled him out of doors, and a scuffle ensued. While trying to secure his prisoner with a rope which he had, the old man came out with two large dogs, which he set on FENSEL'S two assistants, and then assaulted the constable with a pitchfork, compelling him to abandon his prisoner. The constable then left for reinforcements. Securing an addition of three men to his posse, making six, including himself, Constable FENSEL renewed the attempt to make the arrest. This time, as the MILLERS admit, he told them who he was, and that he had a warrant for the arrest of JOSEPH, whom he commanded, in the name of the State, to come out and surrender himself. JOSEPH again re- fused to do so, and the family had, in the mean- time, locked the door, and built a barricade behind it of tables and barrels. - FENSEL and his assistants then broke down the door, when young MILLER confronted them with an army musket, bayo- net fixed. FENSEL states that he sprang to one side of the door, facing toward it, and was trying to get hold of the gun, when the old man opened a window behind him and struck him on the back with a pitchfork. He jumped forward in front of the door, and, as he did so, young MILLER fired, a buckshot passing through the constable's nose. The old man and MARY, well armed, and again assisted by their dogs, came to the rescue of JOSEPH, and a general fight ensued, the reports of which are so conflicting that we can give no intelligible account of it. The constable and his party were again worsted, and compelled to withdraw without having made the arrest, the MILLERS retaining the officer's revolver. Be- sides the constable, who also received a wound in the hand from a pitchfork, three other men of the party were wounded. PATRICK KINNEY was badly cut on the head with a pitchfork and in the face with a knife. CHRIS. BEAN, while strug- gling on the ground with the old man, was struck in the side several times with the poll of an axe, in the hands of MARY, injuring his severely. A German, whose name we did not learn, had the tine of a pitchfork run nearly through his arm near the elbow, while nearly all the party were bitten, and had their clothes torn by the dogs. Old man MILLER'S head was badly gashed up by being struck by the bayonet, which was taken from the gun. JOSEPH'S head was cut consider- ably by being pounded with a revolver, and he got a very black eye. MARY was also somewhat bruised, but not severely. Young MILLER claims that he did not shoot, but that several shots were fired, all while he was down upon the ground when the party was attempting to secure him, and thinks FENSEL was wounded with a pitch- fork. Constable FENSEL, after this second repulse, returned to Kewaunee, and a criminal warrant for the arrest of the whole family was issued and given Sheriff NADEAU, who selected five assistants and started at once for Casco. As he approached the house, the family came out to meet him and surrendered themselves, offer- ing no resistance whatever. He returned to Kewaunee with his prisoners about 10 o'clock on Saturday night. On Monday they were brought before Justice PISTOR, when they waived an examination, and were bound over in the sum of $300 each to await the action of the grand jury at the next January term. They were also bound to keep the peace in the sum of $200 each. They succeeded in finding surities, and returned to their homes on Monday afternoon. ===========================================================================