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[Special to the
Morning Call.]
HANFORD, Oct. 30. -- U. S.
Marshall Drew arrived on the train last evening with four wagons and teams and
a posse of drivers for the purpose of ejecting one or more settlers from the
so-called railroad lands. The Marshal went out last night soon after the train
arrived with William Clough, a brother of Judge Frank Clough of San Francisco,
to the ranch of John W. Cockrell, two miles west of Hanford, but did not find
Mr. Cockrell at home. The Marshal went out again this morning at 6 o'clock with
a livery team to Cockrell's home, evidently expecting to find him at that early
hour, but still he was not there. The Marshal wished to buy Cockrell's straw
stack, chickens and turkeys to avoid the necessity of removing them, as he had
papers of ejectment for Cockrell. The latter, however, not wishing to sell
these articles did not call to see the Marshal. Marshal Drew's orders in regard
to this eviction were from T. J. Clunie, a well-known lumber dealer in
Sacramento. The ejectment was in favor of one Knox, said to be engaged in the
lumber business in Sacramento. Two men came with Marshall Drew to be placed in
formal possession of Cockrell's land for Knox. They are from Sacramento and
their names are J. H. Riley and Edwin McAuliff. When asked by a citizen to-day
why they engaged in such business as to aid in taking a good citizen's home
from him for a rich corporation, they replied, that their bread and butter
depended on it; that Mr. Clunie sent them to meet Marshal Drew at Lathrop and
wrote him that he could trust them. As to Cockrell's claim on this land, he has
occupied it as his home for eight years. When he moved there in 1875 he bought
the claim extended back to time prior to the grant of the land in 1866 to the
railroad company. In 1877 Cockrell offered to file a homestead upon this land
at the Visalia Land Office, but was refused that privilege. Our citizens
generally are very much stirred up over this new and peculiar eviction, but it
is hoped that the leaders of the settlers will be able to prevent a renewal of
the bloody scenes of May 14th, 1881. Much anxiety is felt as to the results of
to-morrow's work.
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