Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-08
A TOUCH TOWN.
1T WAS NEWTON, KAN, NOW A
NICE AND ORDERLY CITY.

ing It Had No Equal-The Gun Settled
An Disputes 1t Was Death to BE |
Marshal
Nobody ever knew of tougher town thap
Newton, Kan, was in the early days of its
existence. Nobody knows of more lovely |
or more peaceable city than that same place
is today. In the spring of 1871 the terminus
of the Santa Fe railroad was at Emporia. 1t
was determined to build to point seventy -five
miles further west The object was to catch
the Texas cattle trade. On the 18th of April,
1871, the writer reached the banks of Sand
creek Two men were found camped there.
There was not foot of lumber in what is
now Harvey county, Kan. These men were
the pioneers of the town that Capt. John
Sebastian afterward named Newton.
Six weeks later there was a population Of
nearly 1000. The history of the town for its
first eight months Is a story of lawlessness
and blood that has never been equaied on
this continent. Other places, mining camps
and cattle towns, have kept up the music of
the pistol greater length of time, but for
downright cussedness and cold killing New
ton wears the belt. As soon as it became
known that Newton was to be the end of the
railroad for year, and that it was to be
cattle shipping point, whisky sellers, gam
blers and thieves focked there by hundreds.
OF course many respectable men, seeking
legitimate business, went there, too, but the
great majority of the new corners were
dangerous.
PREACHING A ING Dry
They migrated there for the purpose of
robbing the cowboys and cattlemen For
months it was never ending battle between
these law breakers on the one side and the
men who knew no law on the other From
first to last thirty-six were killed with their
boots on. At least dozen gambling houses
had places on the main street, keeping their
doors wide open day time and night time,
Sunday and all the time. One of them, the
''Gold Room" was capable of holding 500 or
600 people Every known kind of gambling
was practiced A sight was seen in this
place one Sunday night that is not often wit
messed. A Methodist preacher went to the
boss of the place, Doc" Thayer, and re-
quested permission to hold divine services
1t was granted, and with every gambling
table running, the bar sending out its liquid
he'll, that preacher, the Rev Mr.. Hahn,
stood up and told the story Of the Man of
Nazareth. Before be had finished his sermon
quarrel arose ut one Of the card tables and
a man was shot. A detailed account of the
killing and murders is not intended If a
gang of cowboys rode into town the smallest
provocation would set their guns going, and
| going to kill.
hApI lola fnt1r hold
constables were appointed for election day
| One of them was a Texan named Martin At
the polls there was quarrel between big
| lrishman, who went By the name of McClus-
key, but whose real name was Arthur De-
| laney, and the special constable, Martin The
| result of that quarrel was the death of eight
men and one woman, and the wounding of
| just an equal number. After the election
was over McCluskey and Martin met in the
Lone Star saloon and renewed the quarrel.
| A proposition was made and accepted to go
out on the street aud settle it with the fist.
Both men laid Off their belts and started for
| the street, Martin, however, had gun hid
den in his boot and just as the door was
reached be went down after it, intending to
| kill the lrishman; but McCluskey was too
| quick for him, and, taking the gun away
| from him, shot him dead. McCluskey gave
himself up and was acquitted. Martin had a
host OF friends, and they vowed vegeance on
| his slayer.
THE BIG KILLING"
The death of Martin led to what has al.
ways been known as the "big killing in
| Newton. There were three dance halls
| across the railroad track in what was known
as clyde Park" In one OF them the ''big
killing" occurred. McCluskey was a hanger
on at one of them Martins friends swore
| they would kill him and all that took his
part Martins friends got the worst of the
fight. 1t was known by both sides that the
fracas Yves likely to happen on certain
| night. The engagement took place accord
ing to programme. McCluskey was killed
early in the fray, two holes through his
neck and enough lead scattered around
| through his body to make any one who digs
him up after q while imagine that he has
| struck q paying lead mine A man on the
| McCluskey side shot nine OF the long horn
| crowd and did it in a novel way. Knowing
that the fight would occur, this man, Riley
| by name, went prepared to make himself
felt. He had four six shooters on him Al
the first pop of gun he deliberately walked
up to Texan and shot him in the eye; Their
running his two arms between the arms anG
body Of the dead man, he made human bar
ricade and shot at will from a safe ambush
After the fight ended he went out, mounted
horse and left The dead at the big killing
were speedily disposed of, the wounded
taken care of.
BOSS OF THE side TRACK"
Mike Fitzpatrick kept dive that he callet
the Side Track" The unlucky chap tina
got in there found himself side tracked unit
his money was gone. Some of the decen
people were bold enough 10 protest agains
some Of his robberies, among others prom
inent merchant. Mike did not like any in
reference with his business, and one morn
ing he loaded himself a little fuller thai
usual with his vile whisky and started out t
do q little Strengthening. The merchant wa
sought, but happened to be out of the stort
Nike went up the street terrorizing every
J body and walked into a saloon There b
! saw the city's police judge, George Halliday
, and without the slightest provocation or
word of warning be Shot him through til
t heart, The marshal, Jack Johnson, ha
. been advised that Mike was on
!: raid and had started to capture him. Sc
. ing Mike coming out of the salool
, johnson took rest for his Winchester riff
on the well curb and shot him down. Tn
!, was Newton's last killing In an hour afte
ward the citizens had formed league an
the suspicious characters were notified
Ii leave, They left. Only few incidents al
mentioned; only few of the shootings d
: tailed. Tom Carson a nephew of Old K
Carson, was sent for and came to take Il
E marshalship Of the town He stayed thr
t weeks. The toughs had it in for him, and
!, save his life he skipped wild Bill" d.
Y Hickox) tried to be marshal. He couldn't
e it. Marshal King was killed in the discharj
of his duties, and altogether it was the toug
est town on record.
II The person who sees the lovely city toda
the county seat of one of the best count
: Harvey in the state, with its business,
opera houses, its street cars, gas and wat
y works, and talks with its law abiding Al
IS wide awake citizens, little dreams of t
+ scenes of blood witnessed in its infancy.
|. Omaha Herald.
II A Virginia Beauty.
Y Porter Ashe has made nm his mind that II