
“War has broken out anew on Twin Creek and more blood is likely to be spilled owing to bad feeling resulting from the recent Cooper-Lewis tragedy.”
“That blood was not shed Saturday was not the fault of Amanda Darrak, a buxom grass widow, who armed with a shotgun tried to annihilate an entire gang of wood choppers. Mrs. Darrak is a boon companion of Robert Cooper, the slayer of Iziah Lewis1. The latter’s son, Joe Lewis, and Alva Holsinger, a son-in-law of the murdered man, were cutting cross ties on a hillside a short distance from the woman’s home. They cut a tree which she wanted spared. Grabbing up a shotgun she rushed up the hillside. The war whoops of the men and their warnings that the price of coffins would go up, only made her the more determined. They dodged behind a tree with her coming nearer and nearer. Suddenly halting she raised the gun to her should and aimed, ready to fire when Holsinger sprang from behind a tree and grabbed the barrel of gun. With it in his hands the woman discharged the weapon, and a desperate struggle resulted for its possession. Holsinger finally overpowered the Amazon. He and Lewis hastened to Buena Vista and swore out a warrant for her arrest on a charge of shooting with intent to kill.”

“The woman managed to elude the constables and hurried before Squire Lockhart, at Pond Run, preferring charges against both men, and Holsinger’s wife and son Roy. They were arraigned on charges of assault, but the cases were dismissed. Constable Henderson who had come from Buena Vista served a warrant on the woman and her hearing on the charge of shooting with intent to kill, was on in Squire Piatt’s court in Buena Vista, Tuesday afternoon.”2
Grass Widow Goes Acquit

“The hearing of Mrs. Amanda Darrak, the Twin Creek grass widow, accused of shooting with intent to kill Alva Holsinger and Joe Lewis, resulted in her dismissal at Buena Vista, Tuesday afternoon. Squire Piatt held that the evidence was not sufficient to warrant him in binding her over to court. With a shotgun the woman moved on a party of timbermen, among which were the two named, because they felled a tree belonging to her.”3