The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-09-04
SLAIN nv A MANIAC


Chautauqua county, Kansas. The
birthday of the Youngest child, little
Katie, took place about a week after
their arrival, and the event was cele-
brated by little feast and jollifca-
ton Her father yielded to the wish
Of the little maiden and presented
her with a locket of antique work
manship and of considerable value.
After the happy dinner was over
Katie, the child, strayed laughing
and singing, away from camp, and |
was never seen again.
Becoming alarmed at her prolong-
ed absence the father made a frantic
but fruitless search. Almost dis
tracted with grief, he returned to
camp just in time to seek shelter
from the most violent storm that
probably ever visited Chatauqua
county. When the tempest subsid-
ed search party was got together,
and, although among them were
some of the most expert truckers in
the Cherokee nation, no trace of
Katie could be discovered. 1t was
believed that she had been drowned
in some of the swollen streams.
Early in December George Bitters,
the halfbreed mail-carrier, started
on his triweekly trip from Sedan to
Peru, and never arrived. His horse
was found by a searching party
quietly feeding in the dense timber
and stripped of saddle and bride.
In the spring of the next year Elmer
Johnson started out to hunt squirrels
and failed to return. His gun was
found with the stock smashed and
and beside it lay his hat with a pro
fusion of blood upon it, but the boy
himself had disappeared as mysteri
ously as the others. It was though
at the time that he had been killed
by either a bear or puma.
On February - Oscar Beach, il
company with Frank Rcveor, a half
Creek and mulatto, was huntin
within half mile of the nation line
They separated and Beach was neve
again seen. The halfbreed was sus
pected of having murdered his CON
parton, but came of it. When tn
railroad, which will have cars rur
ming here next week, began the grat
ing and cutting at what is known 9
the Cascade they brought a gang {
Italians under the management
an Irishman, Pat Durfee by nam
who is prodigy of strength. Durft
had habit of wearing a heavy gol
neck chain. For several nights Il
Italians who camped in the limb
complained that they were frequen
ly aroused by some one bowling me-
the camp. Durfee ridiculed the
fears. He fell asleep one night, b
was aroused by feeling his watt
chain torn from him, and SIT l
only to sec a figure bounding aw;
in the starlight. Plucking forth l.
revolver he fred, and the figure f
with yell of pain and fury tn
sounded like the roar of n wild bea
AS Durfee approached the PR
trate figure arose, revealing a IN
over six feet tall clad in fantas
garb of leather and with anindescr
able look of ferceness. He hurle,
huge club at Durfee, who attempt
TO fire again, but was knocked sen
less, while the stranger bound
away, in spite of a bullet in his |
AS soon as Duriee recovered
started in pursuit with the Italis
and a number Of Irish grade
Three Chcrokcos acted as guid
They followed the trail deeper II
deeper into the heavy timber a
entered the wild and broken Fl
Hills.
Late in the day they were sudd
ly halted by a large stone strik
one of the Italians on the head, {
ing him to the ground. From
hind a huge boulder sprang the
ject Of the pursuit with furious y
add rushed deeper into jungle
hollow in the hills that en-
abruptly at what looked like
mouth of a cave. Here the '
man made stand, partly concei
by large stone, and began to tn
missiles with unerring aim in
midst of the pursuers.
Three men fell and Durfee f
every load from his pistol, but "
out more than wounding the stri
being. Emboldened by his sue
he rushed at the little band of TIA
brandishing a huge club and roa
like the maniac that he clearly 81
ed himself to be. Right and LEI
struck stunning blows, and
went down like nine-pins. The
ishmen were all armed with G.
o,,I e4,.o,.a T., J;eolIo him Int ,