St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-29
Latest Reports From the Seat
Of War in Stevens
County, Kan.
Ante-Mortem Statement of
3 One of the Victims, Who
. Was Left for Dead.
Gov. Martin Taking Prompt
9 Measures to Stop the
Trouble.
State Officers Sent Down and
= Ordered to Make Thor
. ough Examination.

LIBERAL, Kan, July 2S.-The bodies
OF the four men killed by the Hugoton
party were brought to Voorhees,. Stew
ems, night before last, and with the
wounded boy, Herbert Tony, afterwards
taken to WOOdSdale. No further Shoot
ing is reported, but armed squads of
Hugoton and Woodsdale people
seen by the travellers in different
parts OF the county may provoke an
other conflict. Herbert Tony, the
nineteen-year-old boy who was seriously
wounded, made an ante-mortem state
ment at Voorhees,, July 26, sworn be-
fore ii. V. Tucker, notary, as follows:
July "A, 1888, went, in company with
John Cross, sheriff of Stevens county, to
arrest Sam Robinson, then said to be in
the neutral strip. We went down so
the neutral strip, but failing to find
Robinson, we proceeded to return July
20, and stopped to remain a while and
rest our horses at Wild Horse lake, in
the strip. We lay down ourselves at a
hay stack. In about half an hour I
heard the sheriff say: Boys, they have
got u.s. looked up and saw they
WERE ALL AROUND US.
their number consisting of about twen-
ty men. Sam Robinson demanded of
Sheriff Cross that he give up his arms.
Cross replied that he did not have any,
Whereupon Robinson said: ''Sheriff
Cross; you are my first man," raised his
Winchester and fired. Cross fell. Rob-
inson then killed Hubbard in the same
manner. j. B. Chamberlain, one of the
county commissioners of Stevens
county, shot me in the shoulder, but I
ESCAPED BY FEIGNING DEATH.
L heard Robinson say he shot Eston,
the fellow who had formerly pulled a
gun Oh him. They also shot and killed
Wilcox. They fired into the dead bodies
to make sure, but they left me for dead.
The posse consisted of myself, Cyrus
w. Eaton, Bob Hubbard, Rolla Wilcox
and John Cross, sheriff. After they had
gone, | saddled my pony and made the
best of my way to Voorhees,.
LIBERAL, Kan. July 2S.-The Lib
eral Leader received to-day. the follow
ing statement from c. E. Cook, editor of
the Hugoton Herald; Saturday, July
21, party consisting of G. E. Cook, o.
f. Cook, A. Mcdonald and Sam Robin
son, with their families, went to the
Strip hunting and fishing and gathering
wild plums. On the third day out, at
Colts creek.
N THEY WE'RE SURROUNDED
by party from WooddSale, led by Ed
Short, and a demand made for their i'm
mediate surrender, which, of course,
was promptly refused. The party then
determined to divide their force, which
consisted of eight men. 1t was decided
to. have Sam Robinson take one of the
horses and flee, which he did, with five
men in hot pursuit, on horseback, and
armed with Winchesters. The remain
ing Hugoton men hitched up their
teams and let their wives take charge
of them, while they marched out with
their Winchesters and protected them in
!. = MAKING THEIR ESCAPE.
They made a forced march to Hugo.
ton, and force was Immediately organ
lied and started in pursuit and for the
rescue of Robinson. They met Robin
son in the strip, on his way home, about
eleven miles in the territory, and as it
was now midnight, he concluded to 90
into camp at some haystacks near by.
When they reached the stacks, they
were fired upon by parties secreted in
the stacks, and general fusilade be-
gan. When it ended, Sheriff Cross, Bob
Hubbard, T. Eaton and Wilcox were
dead, and young man by the name Of
Tony was seriously, if not fatally,
wounded. Sam Robinson, Of the HUI
gOtOn party, was shot through the leg.
ORDERED TO INVESTIGATE,
WICHITA, Kan, July 2S.-Brig. Gen.
Murray Myers, of the Second brigade,
to-day received orders from Adjt. Gen.
Campbell to proceed at once with a staff
of officers to Stevens county and report
the condition of affairs in that warlike
section. He left tonight for Liberal,
Kan, accompanied by Capt. John Wall
ace. They will join Gen. Campbell and
Attorney General Bradley at Liberal
and proceed overland to Hugoton, the
county seat of Stevens county.
LETTER FROM GOV. MARTIN.
TOPEKA, Kan, July 2S.-GOv. Martin
has decided that the lawlessness en-
gagged in by Stevens county people
must stop. Accordingly he has directed
Attorney General Bradfork and Brig.
Gen. Myers to proceed there, investi-
gate the SituatiOp'and report to him as
soon as possible. The attorney general
left at noon and will be Joined by Gen.
Myers en- route. The governor has
also written very sensible letter to
Congressman Peters on the subject, in
which he says:
Office of Governor OF Kansas, Topeka,
KAN, july %, 1SSS.-To Hon. S. r. Peters
The sheriff of Stevens county and four or
five other citizens OF Kansas have been killed
in mo Mans Land just south of the state
line. That country is now and has been for
years the home or hiding place of outlaws
and criminals. 1t is under no jurisdiction,
and has no laws. 1t ought to be attached at
once to the District of Kansas so that the
United States marshal could drive out or ar
rest the outlaws who infest it; to attach it to
the judicial district of New Mexico would
not improve matters. l hope congress will
adopt some measures of relief
JOHN A. MARTIN.