The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-08-02
WAR m STEPHENS COUNTY.
The Sheriff and Pour Deputies Murdered by Out.
-aAa4.,n.nt al Cal w Wind

The Sheriff and Pour Deputies Murdered BY Out
iaws-statsmsnt Of Col. 8. W. Wood.
EDITOR NEWS: I left Woods
dale on Tuesday evening last on bus1
ness to Garden City and Dodge City
was TO have left Woodsdale on Mon
day but various causes prevented me
leaving until Tuesday. On Sunday at
ter had retired for the night L was
walked up by two citizens of Woodsdale
and informed that q party was organ
izing to go to mo Mans Land, south
of Stevens county headed by Constable
C. E. Short with warrants for the
arrest of Samuel Robins of Hugoton
who was said to be visiting the strip. !"
L got up and partly dressed when
others called on the same errand. The
sentiment seemed to be against the
trip. went up town and found some
twenty men and counseled with q
number. insisted there should be no
blood shed and was assured the trip
was given up for that night. On Sum
day at about 9 a. m. went up town
and on inquiry for Constable Short l
was told that he had gone to horse
race at Liberty, Seward county, and on
inquiry learned than VIM. ManSley and
Dick Wilson went with him. l be-
lieVed at the time they had gone to the
strip. During Monday learned that
it was proven in HugOton that three
men were in the strip, and that Sam
Robinson, G. E. Cook, 0. j. Cook and
A. M. Donald were also in the strip. l
had intended to leave WOodsdale on
Tuesday morning but waited for news.
At about O'Clock Tuesday night a
message reached Wo0dsdale, with the
information that Short and party had
Robinson and party corralled on Pary
creek thirty five miles south OF WOODS
dale and would hold them there until
reintOrcements arrived. ! went up
town and found the whole town IN
arms. I learned rom the messenger
that w. B. Reed and Noah Legg, OF
Moscow were with Short. l saw Sher-
iff Cross and found him with party
of four men ready to start. told him
| to prevent any one being killed and to
avoid fight, that with overwhelming
numbers they would surrender. 9th
ers soon followed. l drove east ten
miles and saw Captain Franklin an old
soldier and captain of a volunteer COM
pany to which Reed and Legg belonged
and urged him to get all the men he
could and go to Parry creek urging
him at the same time to avoid fight.
l drove to Ulysses the next morning
and took the stage for Hartland, where
| found it impossible to get team
| until the next day. a passenger on
| the stage from HugOton Informed me
that the Cooks and Donald got to Hugo
| ton the night before and that Robin
son had gotten away. l then felt easy
and hoped the war cloud was over. On
Thursday l came down to Dodge
City, attended to my business
there and took the night train for To
peka. This morning was Mortified to
| learn from a gentleman from Spring
| field that Sheriff Cross and his four
deputies had been murdered. That a
party of thirty or more had found him
and his four deputies asleep at my
up in a row and murdered the whole
party. Four men at the hog ranch wit
messed the whole affair. The names
of the murdered men are John Cross,
sheriff, N. w. Wilcox, Fl. fancy, S
Hubbard and G. w. Eaton,
The outlaws stole their arms and
| their valuables and horses and left. ]
/ met Captain Price at breakfast at
Hutchinson who confirms the worst.
The five men are dead. lie says terri
BILE excitement exists and determine
ton to wipe cut Hugoton, the home OF
these outlaws. The dead bodies would
reach Woodsdale this morning.
1t will be remembered that Sheriff
Cross was driven out of Hugoton june
the I'd, the day of the bond election. a
| day or two afterwards Constable G. E.
Short, under Sheriff James Garrian
went to Hugoton with a warrant fol
the arrest of Robinson on a charge OF
assault with intent to kill, where they
/ f., 4, nth NUsr0hnafnrc
who not only refused to allow Robin.
sons arrest. but opened fire and drove
them from the town. Since then it has
been impossible to make arrests in HUI
| goton, and the lives of several Woods
dale men have been threatened if they
went to Hugoton for any purpose. II
will also be remembered that the sher'
| iff telegraphed to the governor stating
the facts and asking help, which The
governor refused. We now have the
beginning of the end.
| s. N, WOOD.