Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-05
A MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY.

one OF MOrganS raids, made MS appear
ance on Yocum creek Immediately after
the surrender at Appomattox and bought
. small tract of rough land on Squirrel
ridge. BY dint of much labor he cleared
away the heavy timber and thick under
brush and erected small cabin, a COW
shelter, and the other rude shanties that
go to make up the buildings of a ridge
farmer.
His nearest neighbor was Squire Dink
Hanna, and one night, much to the
'SQuire's indignation and every one else's
surprise, Crippled Bill and his neighbours
youngest daughter, Capitola, mounted
their horses and rode across the country to
the Ohio river and were married. About
year after the elopement daughter
was born to the strangely matched couple.
and three days after the little one opened
| its eyes the mother closed hers in death.
To everybOdy's surprise the child lived.
Her father called her Kate and as she
grew older the adjective little was added
10 her name because Of her fairy like grace
| and delicacy of limb and feature, and
! when she was years old everybody on
Yocum knew crippled Bills Little Kate.
She loved her rough old father. and he
| lived only for her. About this time, or, to
be more precise. in 1874, Crippled Bill fell
in with the Alfrey boys, and then induced
! him to join them in running moonshine
still The profits of the business We're
something enormous-if you didn't get
| caught-and Crippled Bill became their
partner For upwards of ten years they
conducted their Illicit business and defied
capture.
Yocum creek is one of the most peculiar
cfr i'll 10 L.a a.
in Morgan county and empties into the
Licking nearly opposite Morehead. For
distance of five miles it runs through the
NarrOws Of Yocum, deep and gloomy
canyon through which trends rough
wagonroad. This road crosses the little
stream Isl times and the gorge is one Of
the most weirdly picturesque spots in
America Cliffs whose tops lower hun
dreds Of feet above the bed of the stream
wall it OF either side. Their faces are COW
cred with thick growth of laurel bushes
and tall frs and pines overhanging their
SUBMITS Professor Henry Of the Smith
sonian institute visited the Narrows once
and made careful examination
of the cliffs on both sides He found be-
hind the screen of laurel bushes roomy
caves, and in the depths of these cayerns
VIZ o'HSo vi ehC esiCat SttNC octti anu tidCco
Of that curious prehistoric race, the cave
jewellers. 1t was i'm one of these caverns
that Crippled Bill Elliott and the Alfrey
boys carried on the business of Illicit
distilling. They disposed of the product
OF their still to the iumbermen on the
river and divided among themselves the
profit. The gang had numerous encount-
ers with the revenue officers, and one after
nnlf her of tho L lal
only Dick remained There were warrants
out for his arrest, charging him with
killing revenue officer, and with Illicit
distilling. Armed with his long squirrel
rifle he roamed through the mountains
and freely visited the towns, boasting that
he would kill the first man who made a
warlike movement toward him. He spent
his money freely and had hundreds OF
friends scattered around the country, who
warned him whenever a marshal's posse
approached.
Once in 1880, while visiting his fathers
house on the Licking river road, party
Of revenue officers rode up and surrounded
the house, keeping, however, at respect
full distance, for they knew that Dick was
n dead shot, and none of them wanted to
make martyrs of themselves Every door
"hN "hAop" va tiS hOtASt WIS
and when the marshais men cautiously
approached Dicks voice was heard order
ing them To halt
"fe all dassent make a rush, for III kill
half dozen NV We afore We git hyar. The
ole mans well purvided with rashuns.
an ken stand ye off for month. Dad
an I'll take turns standin' guard, an Wen
keep it up night an day.
The uaarShoIS narty aftar
among themselves, mounted their horses
and rode away, and Dick went back to his
mountain eyrie to distiIl more whisky.
Crippled Bill Elliot was the factor or GO
between of the Alfreys, and when only
Dick remained to carry on the business he
and the old man shared the profits Of the
still equally. Crippled Bill saved his
money to spend it literally on Little Kate.
whom he decked in the handsomest gowns
that could be purchased at the crossroads
store. She was of finer clay than he. and
from making occasional visits to Morehead
and Liberty, and once as far down the
country as Mount Sterling, new and
higher life was opened up to her She
kept her secret longings to herself and
never divulged the hiding place of the
still. In the early summer Of 1854 Little
Kate celebrated her 18th birthday.
She was a daughter Of the mountains
bright curly haired, fresh faced.
with rounded limbs and good digestion.
and able TO shoot a rifle or ride horse with
the best man in the country. A score or
more of the young mountaineers endeav-
Ored, in their homely fashion, to make |
Katy their sweetheart, but she repulsed
them all One hot August day. when the |
little underground stream that supplied |
the moonshine still in the cave behind the |
thick laurel bushes on Yocum cliffs had |
run dry, and Crippled Bill and his partner !
had removed their business to secluded |
spring branch, where they were busily en- |
gagged making rum Little Kate sat on |
the rude porch whose roof oyerhung the |
door of her fathers cabin, busily engaged |
in spinning, singing like lark mean |
while.
A man. young and strong limbed as
Hercules, wearing clothes whose texture |
and color were hidden beneath thick |
coating Of dust, and carrying light pack |
on his back, strobe up the mountain road |
which led from the Narrows. He paused |
for a moment in front of Crippled Bills |
cabin, cast an admiring glance at the girl |
ON the porch, and then boldly unattached |
the rude gate set in the paling fence which |
inclOsed the little garden, aud marched up |
to the steps Of the porch.
Il beg your pardon, he began. and Lit |
tie Kate dropped her distaff with fright |
ened cry and turned to the intruder with |
flushed cheeks and eyes big with sppre- |
hension. at Is very dusty continued the |
stranger, land am very thirsty Would |
you kindly give me drink of water,"
"Sartin' sure,' answered Kate "Ill git |
ye fresh drink from the spring. and |
seizing a wooden pigeon which stood on |
shelf beside the door, she ran quickly /
down the mountain path leading 10 the |
spring. while the stranger dropped his |
pack on the porch and with a grateful |
sigh seated himself in the rush-bottoned |
chair which Kate had motioned him &c |
take.
IF you have no objection, he said. when \
she returned with the water, and prof |
fered HIM gourdful, which he drank in |
ieep draughts. Il will rest here while |
have Travelled long distance and am |
very tired"
"Sit We thar, stranger. as long as ye |
please, answered the girl, Hospitality. -fe
are plumb welcome
He awaited himself Of her permission |
with thinks. and when he began 20 talk
snd his words brought mp the pictures she
had heretofore seen only in her day |
ireams-she stopped her spinning and /
irawing up her chair beside his listened |
with eager interest.
They were sitting there together when