Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-04-24

Captain Payne made his first raid into
the Oklahoma country in July, 1880. Presi-
dent Hayes had issued a proclamation de-
claring all invasion of Oklahoma an otfense
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 t%wenty-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 (colored) 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-
cation. Captain Couch, then at the head
OF four hundred men, defied the United
ANe'SCo OliACCA. VII JdllulIy SO, 0CllCIill
Hatch sent Lieutenant Day, with forty-two
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 rs,
General Hatch visited Couch's 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 a parley, Couch made a
conditional surrender, and OIL january 26
left the Territory with the honors OF war.
Troops and boomers fraterniZed Immediate
ly after the surrender.
Arkansas City. There the boomers were
received with applause by the citizens. A
public meeting passed resolutions condemn
ing the action of the Government, and
declaring the intention of all early renewal
Of the attempt to cOlOniZe the Oklahoma
country. Captain Couch, H. H. Stafford,
George w. Brown, and Colonel S. E. 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 i'll $1,000 each for a hearing on
February 10. While awaiting trial, Captain
Couch presided at the Boomers Con-
vention at Topeka, which assembled on
February j. Delegates from sixteen Okla
homa colonies were present. They declared
that they represented twenty thousand
boomers. A committee was appointed to
prepare and publish All address to the peo-
Dle of the United States defining the
position of the boomers, and also to present
the case to President Cleveland, and 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-mcmber of Congress, and S. 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