the mustered force of some twenty men, variously armed, led by
the valiant sheriff's officer, cautiously drew near the premises, in the
hope of catching the culprits asleep. The brothers were too quick for
their visitors, however, and evidently having been on the watch had
retreated to a barn, securely fastening the door, and awaited the
approach of the enemy. They had with them certain weapons, which were
exhibited in the court, consisting of ancient rusty halberds and
spontoons, probably borne in turn by their gallant father, in his several
gradations of military service. As they were summoned to surrender, a
musket was discharged out of a window of the barn, over the heads of the
assailants, occasioning considerable confusion in their line. Assuming
courage, at length, axes and crowbars were brought into requisition, and
the door was forced. As the attacking party entered, however, the Lowes
let down the stairs leading to the story above a heavy broad cart-wheel,
and as it bounded clattering towards the floor below, the assailants fled
out of doors in a panic, and taking advantage of their disorder, the
Lowes, disregarding the vast disproportion of numbers, rushed upon them,
and a regular melee began. It is thought, that the smaller party would
have been victorious, but for an ugly blow on the head of the youngest
brother, which felled and disabled him; whereupon his associates escaped
unmolested and he was taken helpless into the house, where he remained
until the time of the trial. Of course, the jury found him guilty, for
the facts of the case were patent; but it was taken up, by exceptions to
the ruling of the Judge, into the Supreme Court, in which, though it
would be irreverent to intimate that the justices entered at all into the
humor of such a Donnybrook Fair sort of scrimmage, yet, after argument,
and it is presumed in consideration of some provocation on the part of
the sheriff's deputy, especially the needlessly warlike and really
ridiculous aspect he impressed on the affair, leading the young men to
look upon it rather as an invitation to play their part, than as a
serious purpose to violate the law, the sentence imposed was only a few
months' imprisonment in the common jail. The prosecution was never
enforced against the brothers, and never was more lively gratitude
displayed, than at the escape of the convicted culprit from sentence to
the ignominious seclusion of the State Prison.

CHAPTER IV.