Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-01-08
Ten Thousand Dollars Damages.

Il
n civil suit was instituted here this
week, the style of which is VIM. r.
Griffin VS.. Eli Smith, David Stith, I'll.
O'Bryan, c. {. Sparks and Ed Will
liams. The attorneys for the plaintiff
are Hudson s. Reed. of Fredonia, Will
son county, where Griffin was raised,
and where his father now resides.
Judge Hudson, one of the attorneys in
the case. was here yesterday and filed
the petition in the suit, which recites
in substance as follows:
That on the 10Th day of June, 1885,
Griffin was working at his trade, that
of house painter, in Medicine Lodge;
that on that day he was engaged by
party to drive team from this place to
Elm Mills, sixteen miles north of here;
that when nine miles from town he was
met and stopped by defendants who,
with revolvers, made him leave his
wagon and team, and putting rope
around his neck led him to forest
tree, $50 yards away, and then de-
manded of him the names of the parties
who were engaged in the robbery of one
Snyder, few days previous. He de-
clared himself in ignorance of such
names, when one end of the rope was
thrown over limb of the tree and for
He was then let down and again re-
quested to give the names, and he still
protested his ignorance. Two of the
party then went aside to consult and
| on their return one of them held his
watch and told Griffin that he had but
two minutes TO live, and at the end of
that time he was again strung up.
! Returning to consciousness after being
! let down the second time, he was taken
back to bis wagon and allowed to re-
turn 10 Medicine Lodge. He AYERS that
he knew nothing of the alleged robbery
of Snyder and was entirely innocent of
any connection with il.
lie alleges that by reason Of the Sc
we're treatment lie received at the hands
of the defendants, who he claims were
the parties who met him, he was per-
manently injured, his throat being
made sore, his voice and hearing i'm
paired; and further, he claims that by
reason of the inGignitY cast upon him
he was unable to get further work in
Medicine Lodge, and therefore he asks
for damages in the sum of Sl0,070, as
follows: Loss of time, 10 days at 50
per day, $50; loss of one month in get
ting other work, $50; for the indignity
and mental anguish, 5000, and for
permanent injury to his neck, hearing,
etc., $1,000.
Brand & Long have been retained as
counsel by defendants.
AS further explanatory of this case,
a review of the circumstances attend
ing it may not be out of the way here:
Last spring young man named Ben.
Keyes was arrested, charged with
changing the brands on cattle. Chit
wood, the principal witness and two of
his brothers were here awaiting the
i preliminary examination in June, and
Griffin was their constant associate.
/ About the 18th of June a young man
named Snyder, who appeared to have
plenty of money but poor judgment,
started with one of the Chitwoods to
Elm Mills. When eight miles north of
i here they were halted by two men and
Snyder's money taken from him and
they were then started back to town.
Snyder claimed to have recognized the
two ChitwoOd Doys as his assailants,
and SO stated when he returned to town.
The three Chitwoods were accordingly
arrested charged with the robbery, but
were subsequently acquitted. Pending
their preliminary examination, Riley
Griffin, the plaintiff in this damage
suit, was very active in hunting up
evidence to prove their innocence, and
it was generally remarked that he might
know something of the robbery. When
therefore, several evenings afterwards
he was seen to take Chitwood's wagon
and team and start north about dark
with lot of their plumber in the wagon
the suspicion against him grew stronger
and it is generally understood that a
party did follow him. Who was in that
party or what they did 10 him, the
INDEX is not supposed to know, and il
: fact does not know.
Griffin left here several weeks after
wards with the Chitwoods, it is said
and his attorney says he is now in Col
orado.
Several weeks since the father OF
Griffin was here and met at least three
of the defendants in this suit, and it is
believed talked with them about the
treatment his hoy received At that