The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-08-10
A SHAMEFUL CHAPTER.

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| A SHAMEFUL CHAPTER.
| While of course deploring the brut:
fight that occurred in Elsmore towr
Iship last week between Columbus Cal
ter and J. w. Crisler, we yet found sal
isfaction in the thought that for ono
we could report a disturbance in tha
neighborhood that did not grow out {
the League troubles. This satisfaction
however, proves to be short-lived. ]
seems that Carter was recently place
as tenant upon a farm from whicl
one Smith, Lacquer, was elected b,
due process of law. The Leaguers con
sequently had spite against him an,
while he was in lola under arrest TO
his assault on Crisler. they gathere,
together and put Smith back in posses
sion of the place. breaking open tn
house to do so. They then planted ,
black flag over the house, hanged al
effgy from a limb of a neighboring tree
and constituted themselves an armed
guard to protect Smith in his unlawful
possession of the premises. Upon beins
released on bail, after waving his pre-
liminary last week, Carter returned t,
his own little shanty in Elsmore town
ship, but made no attempt to repossess
himself of the Smith place. On Mon
[day warrant was issued for his arrest
on the charge of assaulting young
Crisler. COnstables Moss and Morri.
son and Justice Cash, of Moran, went
to his house, arrested and disarmed
him, and took him to the Mattox school
house for trial before the two justices
Cash and Mattox. Before the trial had
proceeded far Carter's attorney became
convinced that preparations were being
made to lynch his client and demand
ed that Court adjourn at once and the
prisoner be taken to Moran. The JUS
tees consented to this and Carter was
placed in a hack, accompanied by the
two constables and q driver, and start
ed toward Moran. When within two
miles of that town, between six and
and seven O'Clock in the evening, the
hack was overtaken by fifteen masked
horsemen who rode up and demanded
the prisoner. The officers refused to
give him up and whipped up their
team. Two or three of the horsemen
rode in front of the team to stop it,
while others. at the command Of the
captain, opened fire on the men in the
hack. The officers manifesting no In
tention OF returning the fire, Carter
said, "For Gods sake, boys, if you're
not going to shoot, give me the gum"
One of them gave him a revolver and
he fired twice. At the second shot one
of the horsemen was seen to drop his
revolver, which he was in the act of
firing, and excel over'' on the saddle.
The officers then commanded Carter
to cease firing, which he did. By this
time the team was on a dead run and
nearly in town, and the mob dropped
behind and gave up their pursuit. The
next day Carter's preliminary exami-
nation on the..charge of felonious assault
on young Crisler was resumed and he
was bound over to appear before the
District Court. He gave bond in the
sum of 81 900 and is again at liberty.
That, as briefly as it can be told, is
a record Of the latest outrages perpe.
trated by the Leaguers. In defiance
Of law they have driven Carter away
from his home and re-instated a man
who was legally evicted; they have
hoisted a black flag over the house
and hung an effigyy as warning; a
gang of them surround the house
day and night, armed to the teeth,
openly defying any officer to serve a
writ; a mob of them, masked and
armed. attempted to take prisoner
from the hands of the officers with the
avowed purpose of lynching him, be-
ing only baffled by the GOODNESS. nerve
and craftsmanship of the prisoner
Worse than all this, it ID not
% be doubted that the sheriff takes his
life in his hand every time he goes into
he League neighborhood, for no other
reason than that he has done his duty.
All this sounds like Mississippi, not
ike Kansas, and we write it with a |
ceiling Of shame that such q record |
must be written of the citizens of Allen
county. But there is nothing to be
gained by concealing or condOning the
acts. 1t is a fact that the League, once
Known rs the Settlers Protective AS.
has degenerated into a reck-
ess mob, scOrning the courts, defying
he law, overriding the rights of good
itizens, holding by violence and in
imidadon that which they obtained
y fraud. We believe that the law
will finally triumph over this mob
ut there is a grave danger that great
Z outrages than have yet been perpe-
rated will be added to the shameful
acord before that frilmn}i cnmes