, 1870-12-26
THE LYNCHING IN BUTLER
COUNTY, KAN.

iNgHAtd tIatc. 1o) Correspondence aF the TUtxEa
Commonwealth. 1
Az YOUR largely circulated Journal has pub !
linbed an article concerning the course tho |
citizens have adcptod to rid their country Of
horse thieves, and AZ haso been an impartial
investigator Of all tho facts. and - tho mat
hr ie decidedly retiot.s in its prlnc1plcs and
I beg tlle raado1's attention TO
& plan statement Of tho case.
!. 1t is nnF coLcetied by all classics in this
region confessed By II least two of tie criul-
inals--thst + hand at men. from forty 10
rightly. thorGnEbly organized and recognizing
each ether by etl.nr, like other secret lAdEes,
have been steal;ng horses from the Indian
years past. It il equAily well known that
their practices. in this vice hayo all tho
time been waxing WORSE. Eo as to lesve
scarcely the trst citizen or emigrant
On the faz'reaehug aud broad Wal
nut bottom Nltl,1.at tue loss OF his
uufr*quentix The last horse Of tha poor emil
grant, iutt starting TO plow for bsead With
which to feed his children, las been etoleu,
and that, too. l,cSoed secosety-i,r to pursue
was only TO add 70 tia urat, = second Iui0tefa-
BILE iots. Last spring two men came, ~ We
have since learned, from kuo1 County. ILL.,.
with good team and some 5{00 or $500 In
money, 1ud wcre found dead <evsn miles east
Of Wichita, labelled "horse thieves" For 4
time tue degice mieled honest citizens, 3ut
since then the eridercs il conclusive that this
band killed and 1o1betl them.
.. 1t is equ.l!y wet kuoan that tbs civil Law
las ftser yet avenged the first one Of these
courtless urcngs. When bad Man steals
| hor4+, sinEle handed and alone, no may ba
caught and l'cnitcutiR1tcd: nut when sixtr or
FessntE aIe banded together. like ku k1ux
klar, everyone rrafly to swear clear his corl-
ralc. ~lAt Tan The law do? II mover has. nor
eytr wi!l reacl, the iadiyi4uaf m .mbtrs Of an
oreu ,n.b: much losz eau il ferret ont aud
punish secGt, ti,oroaghly-orga aolzed baal.
Of years -u{k2nfessiunzi earetisnce, havksd
With az tic 1Sser II H,cn:y. ps1l"ltrea. sno.
ms.cc',tc ,htn,, Fair. hcEest trials have
i.s~n na6e in tLie direction, aud always
failed
3. Tie members Of :',lt clan hal grown
until, sisa It sii &md = mp:s'h. Vt other u. !
men, t''rr vere ntasl: III ti.a maturity. th:e1t-
e-i' s to t.:.. as we'll n riunde- 1h= wLol~
left II At ahes eau rally 1.d t+,l aish tho Ton
| e~t Ct iz.uF. 50 Gfa tEo Of than Distinctly
std repeatedly tl,rtatcs. ~lile under Arrest.
| two weeks agn-
J. I,Ecc the alternative was At lsss
| f.tced upc.s the ciixen- Of titaer- s'elLl.:.s'
| .l.cis rrut E,s. Their l,tmes. AID tdet all- 10
| Tie in1c OF these desperAdocs. or ciean
them nut To lire among t1eEn, CT iuSi'u
their friends 10 DO to. from ptnsbofn fac:s.
| tscane s,nressoa4l'le, and iu anF dcceus
secsc. i1uprseticahie. Some good uasn may
coutenu ihat honest citizens had halter harn
/ rcitexted 12ck east. or he'd to tue Western lu'
| G,.Er. than to have adoytet1 tlc violence re
+otre,: to. but let none attcm2t to Ignore The
| :',crnatisc presented. Both parties could nc
moro live on tho semo territory than sheef
ard wolves in the ZANE fold.
TEs c.siztns, or enough Of thc:u to do the
wnik, did determine to drive ont th,s terrific
gang, or put the leaders thereof 10 death
Tho latter cxrejient Was forced upon them
and on txo occasions they hive elain four o'
tie clan. in ali. eight, Ahons th'
l.ve lef. the Country. and o.her
arc Eeirg: the hcre is sater:ainel that thI
tsnd III trcken up ard their roguesy ende1
All is now qniet. and peace prevails. Ten ndaE'
aEn r.estd 1oEn The valley converting freel,
With al parties. and iookirg straight into al
the fsctr, sleeping uear DonEtAs the night II
ter the last fnut were Hanged. aad cannot L,
mistaken Atont the thfcEH write. OF nor,
than cue hundred citizens. whose ostnions
haze heard, but two have questioned tho nc
| s.-sity Of the remedy OF couyse, the cl,I
alad few t5mpathizeEs. looee frontier mc',
and few eood men condemn the remedy. t.t
the names Of eood circumstances. uac'
chact4, 1nechsu:cs. doctors aau ,21scrs
Character or Eeru:ttion accept the sitnat.o: s
having tesn forced hy the thieves.
6. None can overlook the fAet t!lat tho ;"a
have, fer yea1s. ignored and ont!awcd I'LL ls;S
This i- the end and aim Of their osEt-iz ation
| and this their dailt and nightly vocation
Vixen General Dradaock attacked the 1ndiAu
IN regular u.li.axy order. Nas shineton wafue
Lin of his error. aut predicted tbs dsfes
! | which quickly followed. Savagss must b
, | fought ~ thtv right: even 60 wi'h ;his outlaw
i | i1g gang. II met aud var4ui.hcd, 70 it mus
be en- their mode Of attack. THIS has bee
! done. ard they are suodnetl. leaving thet
aroloEi-eEs no jutt caute to complain. th1
!; they have been fought on their c9u ground
That II the Duke OF Wellington said b
: whipped Napoleon in the only possible way L
: could have been whipped. and 60 have the:
| terrible men been varquisbed and tho count
: saved Ia the onls rorsibIc way.
i. e or ccurrc it 10 aot pretended thas ever
. man ia the vl6il1=ce Committee is pure an
!. perfect. II Lore thieves are to 60 unaut
3! teht.t unit! teet Without s,a ca1 be fonnd I
ruuish them. they. H indeed Ill othet ot1e:l'
!. trx. mutt live and dte With irup1n!:
: 1u'Ges AID Jurors ase ali sinner. e:d: !
/, | tentence; Int eucl sad tasta 1'y no moaus :
4 licve The gully.
> \. Lastl., ii m1y be truly and distinctly !
\ hined that. at no time since Walnut Y,
= ley las been settled, has property or pera'
r be Ell 70 eafc II at present. Em;grauts m
Z low como with no fear of lo=inE 'htir tclr
Z CT the.r lire-, ri: CT tho tragedies oecuJ1i
y have teen terror to eE,!-doe1s, aud they j
Il t1st. Some arc deAd. soa,a have tled, othe
=. arc eclrE, and The remainder sfe fcEeed to
u 1icve thar ''honcs:y il tito best polio,
e N,ithtr il tnero any probability cf tho Vi
;e larce Cnh,b4ittsc having 10 repeat their tes
r bic remedy.