The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-04-09

Captain Payne made his first raid into
the Oklahoma country in July, 1880. Presi-
dent Hayes had issued a proclamation de-
claring an invasion of Oklahoma an offense
against the law, and ordering interlopers
out Payne and his party were arrested by
United States troops. He was tried civilly
at Forth Worth, Tex; the court decided
against him, and he was warned by Secre-
tary Teller to keep out of the Indian lands.
In 1882, with twenty-nine followers, he
again pushed across the border, and settled
in Oklahoma. The troops again drove
him out. Again he went back, and in Au-
gust last two sQuadrons of the Ninth
United States Cavalry (coloreG arrested
him and the whole community which he
had established at Rock Falls, and escorted
them, with their personal property, to the
Kansas line 1t is said that Payne at his
death was worth sixty thousand dollars
Captain Couch succeeded to the command
of the boomers on the death of Payne in
November last On the 18th OF January
last, General Hatch, in command of the
United States forces opposing the boomers,
sent word to Couch from his headquarters
at Camp Russell, Indian Territory, warning
him not to proceed in his scheme of coloni-
zation. Captain Couch, then at the head
OF four hundred men, defied the United
States officer. On January %, General
y
soldiers, to Captain Couch at his encamp-
ment at Saltwater. Lieutenant Day re-
quested the boomers to quit. Captain Couch
ordered them to prepare for battle, and
Lieutenant Day retired. On January 25,
General Hatch visited Couchs camp in per-
son, and offered him twenty-four hours in
which to retreat. The General had at hand
four companies from Fort Leavenworth,
one from Fort Gibson. Indian Territory, one
from Fort Lyon, Colorado, three from Fort
Wingate, and three troops of cavalry from
Fort Riley. After parley, Couch made a
conditional surrender, and on January 26
eft the Territory with the honOrs OF war.
Troops and boomers fraterniZed Immediate
ly after the surrender.
The troops escorted the boomers to
Arkansas City. There the boomers were
received with applause by the citizens. A
public meeting passed resolutions condemn
ing the action of the Governments and
declaring the intention of an early renewal
of the attempt to cOlOniZe the Oklahoma
country. Captain Couch ii. ii. Stafford.
George w. Brown. and Colonel S. f. Will
cox were imprisoned in Arkansas City on a
charge OF conspiracy and rebellion against
the United States Government. They were
arraigned at Wichita, Kan. before
United States Commissioner Sherman, and
bound over in 81, 600 each for hearing on
February 10. While awaiting trial, Captain
Couch presided at the Boomers Con-
vention at Topeka, which assembled on
February 8. Delegates from sixteen Okla
homa colonies were present. They declared
that they represented twenty thousand
boomers. A committee was appointed to
prepare and publish an address to the peo-
pie of the United States defining the
position of the boomers, and also to present
the case to President Cleveland, anl to
protest against interference with American
citizens who contemplated settling on such
lands in the Oklahoma country as did not
belong TO any Indian tribe. Arrangements
were also made to send Sidney Clark, an
eX-member of Congress, and 5. n. Wood,
an editor, of Topeka, East to present the
case of the boomers more clearly to the
President.
There was not sufficient evidence to con-
vict Captain Couch and his associates at the
trial on February 10. They are now at lib
erty, and Captain Couch is in command of
the encampment of boomers on Cheeota
Creek. 1t is said that many of the boomers
are old soldiers, and that most of them are
frontiersmen accustomed to arbitration by
bullet
On March 10, General Hatch telegraphed
from Caldwell, Kan, to the Secretary OF
War that there were then no trespassers
upon the Indian Territory, though the
boomers on Cheeota Creek were threatening
to go over the line. Troops, he said, were
stationed in the Territory, and would drive
out any invaders
On the same day President Cleveland
issued a proclamation warning the boomers