The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-08-26
A Desperate Character and a Small
War in Butler County.

A bad state of affairs has existed in
Bloomington township, Butler county,
Kansas, for some time, brought about
by the alleged operations of one eide
on Stevens, whom his neighbors had so
much reason for believing bad man
that they have finally driven him from
the county. In 1872, he had difficulty
at an election with Ii. II. Fowler, and
got fined for drawing a pistol. He
threatened to make it cost Fowler
more than it HAD cost him, and shortly
afterward FOwler's wheat stacks were
burned. Afterward neighbor named
Music was absent from home part of
the winter, and on his return found
that Stevens had made pasture of his
wheat field. He sued Stevens aud re-
ceived damages, when Stevens made
the same threat-that it would cost
Music more than it had cost him.
When Music harvested his wheat and
had stacked it, it was burned like
Fowler's. Again Stevens watermelon
patch was destroyed one night and he
accused some boys named Elder of
having done it. Meeting the boys on
the road one day, he gave them a ours
ing, and repeated the same threat made
in this previous cases, and it was fol-
lowing with the burning of their
| wheat stacks.
This time the tracks of pony were
traced from Stevens pasture to the
stacks and back again, ..and Stevens was
arrested. After much party and inef-
| fectual effort to get the rioters to trial,
Stevens became alarmed at some move
ment he saw among the people, and
proposed that if the people would give
him an escort of three of his own Sc
| lection, he would leave the county.
The Walnut Valley Times tells the
| balance of tho story:
The three mon were selected and in
company with Stevens, started for
Wichita by way of Augusta, taking
Stevens team. Arriving at Augusta,
Stevens refused to go farther that night
claiming that if no did, they would
mob him on the road. The next morn
ing they all started for Wichita, taking
a road north. They proceeded about
| five miles. the party insisting that Ste
vens should turn toward Wichita.
He refused to do so, insisting that he
might have trouble on the travelled
road. Shortly afterward he informed
the party that he was going to Edo
RADIO. His escort then got out Of the
wagon and returned home. Stevens
came to Eldorado and swore out war;
rants for the arrest of number of
parties. The sheriff proceeded to
Washington township in company with
his deputy, last Monday, but returned
without making any arrests. stating
that none of the parties could be found.
| Stevens stopped at the Eldorado
House, but changed his quarters to
Shows National Hotel, opposite the
courthouse. About half past O'Clock
on the morning of the 18th, an armed
party of twenty or thirty appeared in
front OF Shows hotel, some masked
and otherwise disguised. They asked
Snow if man by the name of Stevens
was stopping in his house. Snow said
there was. They said they wanted
him. Snow said by the looks of the
party they had better give him time to
get his family and guests out Of the
house, which was accordingly done,
when hot work began at once.
The armed party obtained long
scantling with which they knocked the
door of Stevens room off its hinges.
They then fired several shots through
the open door into Stevens room.
They shot several holes through the
partition between the parlor and Ste
vens' room. The room being dark,
they took long plank upon which
they put light and then showed the
plank along in front of Stevens door.
Stevens came to the door and kicked
it out, at which time they shot him,
several shots taking effect in his left
arm above the elbow and in the face.
The party supposing they had killed
him, withdrew. On examination,
Stevens was found wrapped up in a
feather bed in the corner of the room,
bleeding profusely from his wounds,
but in fighting trim. The room in
which he was in was riddled with balls
and shot, and the floor covered with
blood and debris. During the melee
Stevens fired two shots through tho
parlor door, but doing no further
damage.
Stevens sent for his mainly on the
morning of the 18th. In the evening
he left far parts unknown.
This last mentioned trouble could
have all been avoided had he taken the
advice of many prominent citizens of
this community and left the country
in accordance with previous promise.
Other reports being in circulation that
he murdered his son, that he had
bought enough arsenic in Augusta to
poison all the people in Bloomington
township; that lie had killed stock III
his ncighborhood, and otherwise
threatened the lives of citizens, they |
could stand it no linger. For weeks |
past the people in that neighborhood |
had lived in constant terror, working |
their fields by day and standing guard |
by night over their property.
Whether he is guiltyor not, public |
opinion is so strong against him that it |
is impossible for him and the people |
of that township to live together in
peace and harmony. Thus it is in that
terrible and swift vengeance is dealt
on in southern Kansas.
We hope now that the good people
of Bloomington township will enjoy |
that peace and quiet necessary to in
sure happiness and prosperity for all
future time.
Gideon Stevens is fifty-seven years
old was born in South Carolina, and
ia the father of tweuty-Oun children |