Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-02-16
WICHITA COUNTY TRIAL.
NINE MEN BROUGHT TO GREAT BEND
ON A CHANGE OF VENUE,
TO BE TRIED FOR
MURDER!
Eight are Released by Judge Clark,
For Want Of Jurisdiction
Tom Allen Now on Trial!

The cases of the state against Thom-
as Allen, w. A. Frush, n. B. Sykes,
John Knapp, a. II. Wheat, James
Secrist, C. a Hare, Jack Leahy and
Charles Secrist, charged with murder,
at Coronado. Feb. 9th, 1887, has been
occupying the district court at Great
Bend since Wednesday of last week.
On Thursday the case against a. b.
Sykes was dismissed upon motion of
defendants for want of Jurisdiction.
Friday morning the case against Tom
Allen was taken up and the eXamina-
tion of witnesses for the state began.
Saturday afternoon Judge Clark
dismissed the cases of all but Allen,
for want of jurisdiction. There are a
large number of witnesses for both
prosecution and defense, and a great
deal of time will be taken mp in the
trial. Both the prosecution and de-
Tense feel that they will have a fair and
just hearing before Judge Clark and
the jury of Barton county men.
THE KILLING.
From a Coronado paper we get the
following description of the affray
which resulted in the death of the men
for whose killing the prisoners are now
being tried:
Sunday morning last, Rains and
Johnson came to Coronado with the
mail from Wallace and while here stop
ped at the drug store for the purpose
OF getting a bottle of beer, but were in
formed that there was no beer in town.
Rains walked to the door and seeing
but one OF two men on the street asked
the druggist were all the people We're.
The druggist told him they were
christians over here and that nearly all
in attendance at church. Rains re-
marked that it would be a good day to
round up the town, and jumping in
TO the buggy with Johnson started to
Leoti.
Nothing was said regarding return
to our city, but between two. and three
o'clock ii spring wagon containing
kins, Borey and Denning was seen
beer sitting in it. They drove to
Wright's drug store and unloading the
beer proceeded to the inside, where all
who were present were invited to
drink. four of the Leoti party drawing
their revOlvers and rapping them on
the counter. 1t did not matter who
came into the store, all had to drink,
whether he was drinking man or not.
After half an hours sport of this kind,
they proceeded to the drug store of
John Shilling, where they again drank,
but drinking became mOnOtOnOuS, and
Coulter pulled his revolver and fired
four shots behind the prescription case
into the floor. He then stepped around
and at the point of his revolver, COM
PEELED the nurse in attendance on
Shilling to dance. Leaving the drug
store, they proceeded down town,
Johnson firing off his revolver, until
the YankeeNotion Store was reached,
when Coulter, Rains and Borey step
ped on the wooden sidewalk and began
dancing a jig. AS soon as the pro-
prietress stepped to the door they be-
gan making ugly faces at her and other
wise insulting her. This was done no
doubt to draw us ont, as this is the
house in which we live, but failing in
this they proceeded to Wright'S drug
store. Ten minutes more were spent
there in drinking, and all having their
appetites Satiated, came out and got
into the spring wagon. The whip was
applied and sigh of relief went up
from our citizens as the wagon was
seen to turn the corner of Main and
Ninth. Just rs the wagon rounded the
corner. Frank Jenness spie3 Frank
Lilly standing on the bank corner and
tie team was stopped. JennesS jumped
out ana asked Lilly if lie wanted to
fight. Lilly said lie did not, and Jen-
ness pulled off his overcOat and said he
could whip any s. Of a bin COro-
nadO. Rains next jumped out OF the
wagon. with revolver in hand, and
asked Lilly if he wanted to fight him,
and Lilly replied that he did not.
Rains then went TO the wagon and laid
his revolver on the seat and came back,
remarking that he would fight him
even. Coulter then jumped out and
going up to Lilly asked him if he
wanted to fight him. Lilly gave HIM
negative reply. and Coulter whipped
out his revolver and struck Lilly oyer
the head with it. saying, You S. of
B. I'll make you fight" As soon
as Lilly was struck he started across
the street to the Hotel Vendome.
Coulter then spied Mr.. Nickel standing
on the top platform of the stairway
leading TO the Offices over the Wichita
County Bank, and pointing his revol-
yer at his head, commanded him to
come down. Mr.. Nickel did as he was
commanded. The next thing Coulter
did was to strike Louis Jackson over
the head with his revolver. Lou was
leaning against an awning post and
was an innoceI& spectator, but that did
not matter 70 Coulter, for he brought
the revolver down with such force as
to cut a terrible cash IN Jackson's
scalp. Charles T. Loomis was the next
man assailed. being accused by Coulter