The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-19
SETTLED AT POKER.
A COUNTY SEAT WAR ENDED By A
RESORT TO CARDs.j
Two Horse Thieves Play Seventy Three
Hours, the Winner to Have His Free
dom and Els Town to Take the County
Records.

was settled by game Of poker that lasted
sevcnty-thrce hours and caused the COM
nlete suspension Of business in two busy
towns
In The spring Of '6l the citizens oil Min
nescia, u live mining town in the BLACK
hills district, Lawrence county, made
bid for the county offices which We're NJ
Speartisl,. burg much larger than MIN
ncscla. situated in the midst Of rich agri- |
cultural country. so clcvcrly did Mn
nesela work the political wires IN the
spripa elections that she was declared the
, county head OF Lawrence county by n
,neaeer majority OF fifteen votes. The
citizens OF spcarfsh did not take kindly TO
this turn of affairs, and when demand
WINS made for the transfer OF the county
records to Minnesota they refused to obey
the official order and declared themselves
ready 10 fight II out, not through the
courts. AS IL would take too long TO settle
II I'm, with implements Of war, man
sgainsi man. and their challenge was
promptly accepted, for one night loo
armed citizens OF Minnesota stole quietly
iuto Spearish, and, breaking into the
court house, bore away the county records
from under the very noses OF the sleeping
SloaTiish bclligercnls.
There was music In the air the next
morning when the county records were
found missing. and the Speariish oomlnun-
ity sci itself about planning an expedition
against Minnesota 10 recover the lost or
stolen documents
The men Of Minnesota werc not somno-
lent. IL WIS mining town, and tile citi-
zens were wilo-awakc, thrifty dare-devils,
who, aside from filing their leather belts
with freshly.panned gold dust, rclishcd
nothing better than n hand-io-hand en-
counter with their fcllow.man; and 80,
when one night Spcarflsh citizens, 25O
strong, mnrchcd into Minnesota, they met
warm reception, and pitched battle
followed, in which two men were Killed
outright and twenty-five badly wounded
During the melee Charles Williams and
Edward FcntOn, two Spcnriish merchants,
broke into the office Of the Town mnrshai,
where tho county records wcrc kept and
securing them, started Tor Spcariish. Their
iellow.iownemcn hearing oi their success,
bcgnn a retreat, being holly pursued by
the iniuriaicd Minnesota men, who had
discovered the success Of their opponents
strategy.
Thc Two towns were about thirty miles
npart and when half this distance had
been covered the contcndng forces we're
40 badly used up that their leaders
concluded 10 negotiate settlement 81 the
affair. II possible, without more bloodshed,
for bv fhis time noru than fifty men were
suffering from serious bullet wounds or
cracked skulls. The two factions campcd
on the banks Of the Minnesota creek,
which ran through the rich valley aud
4 "a. Ii IL lao
dulaiing sweep OF agricultural land 10 the
south.
ON this spot Anton R0rapaugh, MARSHAL
81 Minucsrla. in whose veins ran an oven
w haAnnccd mixture OF French and Indian
blood, and Peter MarSiay, sturdy Scotch
dealer IN farming implements and The
mayor ui Spcafish, met In consultation
while their constituents rested ON Their
arms aud giared AZ each other across the
muddy creek. ready to fight NJ mo-
,nputr notice, VT willing 10 abide by
the decision OF their leaders, whatever II
might be.
Il litlo past noon the arbiirators met,
aud their negotiations lasted lar into TIC
night heiom satisfactory plan had been
decided upun, and this MAS how tbs
question oi the right OF p0sscssion oil TN
county seat houors was To he determined
IMn MNtkN NtlNft WV h'NhfF -
emcu,e james Carney, better known
"Rcddv.m because oi the great shock q
blazing hair that covered his head, IN
William Edwards, known ~ "Bhn
lilly ON account Ol having hal one ey
rourud cut in q lmT.roOm fight, had Zee
caurlt in the act ol stealing horses, III
they we've living In iail awaiting trial, bl
they well know that whalcyerthc scntenl
III tire cour might Ice, they would
strung up hv the viglantCs, who hal 80
sentence OF death against every m
caught IN the aci Of horse stealing ~,
dvH wrs lanpuishing behind the bars
The Minnesota jail, while blind b,l
was iueAfreratcd Ia fhe SrcartSh ptis'
Thee. two horse thieves wcrc "a settle
differences between the citizens Of
rival towns by playing a game Of pok
Zach man, ai Tho opening of the gaT
WIS Ia hc given loo chips, and the ,
Who succccdcd IN winning oil tho oh
was a. bring tho county seat honors 10
town hat he represented. In order 10
surc an interest In the r'iirc by the D
who pilyrd H. Il Wa agrccd that tho u
who Won should bc granted his freed
i.on the minute that he laid down
winning cant With this understand
the lnf~e thieves were brought TO n
prscln creek.
All iifN MuiMhA 81 way w. nlf
game began. 4 rough wooden table
been brought from Spcafiish and set {
level slai on the south side ol the en-
nbon. hliy yards from lie bank, an
this ialAc the men were seated. III
men were selected ~ an arbitration c
miucr 10 settle any dispute that m
nriso over the game, and around the =
crs Wa stationed n Gordon Of armed
ycns lot the purpose oi keeping back
mol, Who VIEW inclined 10 pr-s- aTc
the table u was On exciting con
Two men lighting Tor their lives an
exriicl mob Vutsing when one 81 I
held a losing hand. lie crowd fought
drank and snarlcd like bnitcs arounS
circle Il guards. and WcklCssly laid v
on The result II the game Al day the !
of the cards went on aud NJ nighlln
well bad the playen watched their !
cslr their stnrks OF chips were abo
cvonl, divided ~ when the first carl
dealt IN the morning.
News Of The holly contested game
60, hack 10 both towns and ihc cit
foclci 10 the scene OF the battle.
chants closel their stores and the post
ter TOT the benefit Of the stage d
when he should arrive with The
posted a notice on the oflico door e
eiieci that he had gone 10 Minnesota
on important business and the date 2
return was exceedingly doubtful. II