The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-12-12

walking. At the time Ashcraft first
tapped me on the shoulder Frank
VOght was four or five steps ahead OF
me with the creamery man. The
creamery mas did not come back.
I had no revolver. pistol or knife.
Had nothing in my hand. 1t was very
dark, but / could see Ashcraft's face
plain enough to know him. Don't
know where he came from. He came
out of stairway, it may be, but 1 don't
know. He was facing east when fired
first shot. There was a window bro
ken, guess he fired through there.
I'm sure one shot went through there.
He pulled loose when he shot me. 1t
was the last or last but one shot that
hit me. I was shot in the right shout
der from in front. / had hold of him
when he shot me. Frank Voght was
not armed. Didn't see any arms except
what Ashcraft had. He said some
thing when told him he was not an
officer, but cannot tell what it was.
1 think grabbed him Immediately. l
think he had the revolver in his hand.
I am positive he had the revolver In
his hand. He first stepped to my
right side. I think the third shot took
effect in Voght. First or second shot
went through the window. did not
see Frank fall. The ARRAY took place
at southeast corner of NickOlett's Office.
Voght was found only step away
from me. 1t was southeast corner
where 1 was standing. Frank was
three or four steps away. did not
see him shoot at Frank, he was trying
to shoot me. Can't say that Frank
did anything. Ashcraft was trying to
shoot me and 1 was trying to keep him
from it. After tapping me on the
shoulder he took hold of me and pull
ed me out to one side. Igrabbed the
right hand. 1t had revolver in 1t.
Then he shot. 1 struck him In the
face two or three times. 1t was after
the first shot 1 struck him. / did not
strike him before he shot. / struck
him with left hand. He patted my
shoulder with his left hand, at the
time think 1 saw the revolver in his
right hand. 1 did not know when
Frank came back.
Several other witnesses were exam
ined, eliciting no new facts. The jury
desiring to hear the testimony of Cor
don, who was out of the county search
ing for Ashcraft, an adjournment was
had until Thursday.
Immediately after the affray Ash
craft fled and was not heard of until
Wednesday when the sheriff Of Green
wood county telegraphed that he had
placed himself in his custody. John
Brown went the same day to get him.
In the absence of Ashcraft's story,
and even of the verdict of coroner's
jury, it would be folly to venture an
opinion as to the degree of
guilt. The testimony
of Mr.. Scheer, who is GER
tainly interested i'm throwing Ash
craft in as bad light as possible,
shows that the killing of Vogt was
accidental. But putting the worst
possible construction upon it, the con-
duct of some of the citizens of Hum
boldt is reprehensible in the highest
degree. They seemed to go perfectly
wild, and if they could have found
Ashcraft that night, they would UNI
have hung him. They
even threatened John Brown, believ-
ing that he was concealing him. But
they took it back when Mr.. Brown re-
them that he had been in
Kansas too long to stand any foolish
ness. A mob of 80 or 40 went to
Geo. Amos residence and insisted ON
searching it. They were up here
twice that night to search the Jail.
Hearing that he was expected in from
Eureka Wednesday, fourteen of them
came up at noon to meet him and es-
cort him to his preliminary trial at
remarking that after the
was over he would be no
expense to the county. Such. actions
and such talk cannot be condemned
too strongly. If A. w. Ashcraft is
guilty of willful murder, every good
citizen will insist that the extreme
penalty of the law be visited upon
him; but whether he is thus guilty or
not can only be determined after a fair
trial, and this he must have. No one
can say whether he is guilty or not.
Let the law decide, not mob.
ASHCRAFT'S STATEMENT
Since the above was written, John
Brown has returned from Eureka,
where he found Ashcraft in the custo- |
dy of Sheriff DeFoe. with whom he
has left him, as Ashcraft did not think
it safe to come here. He says
that Ashcraft's statement is as
follows: II arrested Scheer and he |
was about to go along without much |
trouble when Voght struck me and |
knocked me against the window.
Scheer then fired one shot at me, when |
Voght struck me, knocked sme down
and kicked me. AS 1 got up drew
my revolver and shot Voght twice
and killed him. Scheer then clinched |
me. / shot twice at him and jerked |
loose, tearing my coat in doing so, and
ran.n
TEMPERANCE LFcTuREs IN MORAN