The Osceola times., 1888-08-04
BLOODY WORK.

Details Of the Recent Massacre In NO.
Mans Iand-The Trouble the Outcome
ef the stesens County seat fiaht-Gov.
erRof Martha of ksnsas Appeais IN Con.
ktess IN Provide lfelieis - -
Topeka. Kan; July -. -Governor
Martin received several telsgrams yester.
day from Liberal. Meale Center and other
points in the vicinity OF Stevens Conuty,
which proves that the Stevens County
massacre was worse than ot first report
ed There being no telegraph line in
| Stevens County, It is impossible to get
direct informa tion 10 ascertain the state
Of affairs. Governor Martin dispatched
Attorney General Bradford yesterdaysto TO
the scene, and he will be joined by
Brigadier- General Murray Myers of the
State Militia at Hutchinson, aud together
they will repair to Stevens County TO in
vestignte and restore order IL possible.
A strange feature of the case is the fact
that even though murder has been COM
mittcd as foul aud blood as de-
soribed, the guilty wretches are not amen
able 10 any law. ms No.Man's- Land, the
scene Of the crime. 4 not within the
jurisdiction OF any court Of the land as
fac as the law Is concerned. Though
murder was proved the men could 60 scot
free. No. Mans Land Is a section of the
country without law, and is ruled only
by might 1t is rendezvous for murder
ers, horse thieves and blacklegs general.
| lr, In fact place OF refuge. The Gov.
ernor yesterday talegraphed Congress.
man Peters as follows;
Hon. S. A. PETERS, HOUSE OF REPRESENT.
AriyEs WAsHISoroS. d. C.-The Sheriff Of
a -
| Texas have been killed In No -Man's.Land, Just
sonth ~ the Stat. linz, That county is now,
and has been for years the home OF hiding
| place Of outlaws and criminals. 1t Is under no
| jurisdiction and has no laws. II ought TO be
| attached at once 10 the district q Kansas, so
that the United States marshal for this State
could drive out or arrest the outlaws who infest
| ~ Toattach II TO the district OF New Mexico
would not improve matters. | hope Congress
will speedily adopt some measure OF relief.
Joas A. MART n
Governor Martin last evening received
| adispatch which says that the whole coun.
ty is armed, and that there is likely to be
an outbreak at any moment, and the citi-
zens of both towns have organized into
companies, ali armed and ready to fight
at moments notice. Barricades have
been built at Woodslale, aud sentinels
have been stationed for a distance OF sew
eral miles around the town. Instructions
have been given that il p Hugoton man
attempts to pass he shall bs fred upon.
The feeling is so intense that clash be-
tween the two towns can hardly b. avoid.
ed, and II 1t should come. there will be
wholesale bloodshsd. The Woodsdale
| people Friday ordered one hundred Win.
chester rifles and large supply cf am
munition. Advices from Hugoton state
that the town is in arms, and no stranger
is permitted TO enter until he gives satis-
factory proof that he is not friend Of
| Woodsdale. Even the boys and women
have been furnished with firearms, an at
tack by the Woodsdalo people being an
ticipated at Any tinie;
The whole trouble grows ont Of a bitter
county seat fight between Hugoton and
Woodsdsle ehich has been in progress
for the past two years. Hugotol got the
county seat originally by a small vote,
and petit on was subsequently filed in
the Office of the Clerk of the Supreme
| Court, attacking the validity OF the coun-
| ~ Organization. 1t has been constant
| fight down there eyer since; and no hear.
ing has yet been had on this petition,
| which is still p,n ling, the county seat
meantime remaining at Huyoton.
Captain |. c. Price, mayor of Woods
dale, who arrived from the scene of the
war late Friday night appeared before
the Governor yesterday afternoon and
| implored him to take some action at once.
He filed written statement, in which he
gives the following facts regarding the
| murder Of the sheriff "Cross and his
| posse were dlsarm, I'd and stripped OF
everything valuable. They were then
stood up, and the command was given,
Line up, Three men lined up and at
| least twenty shots were fired simulta-
neously The men fell dead in their
| tracks. Two men refused TO line up, but
one was shot. The other started on q run
| for the lake and reached it, but was rid
died with bullets. The party then rode
| rapidly to the north, As soon sas they
were out of sight the hay campers crawled
out of their tentan examined the bodies
Every man was dead and every body was
simply riddled. 81
| "Amessenger was at once sent to Voor.
hees, the nearest town, eighteen miles to
the north in Stevens County, and here the
| people were Informed Of the occurrence.
From Voorhees, messenger was dis.
1
were sent south from the former place to
| procure the bodies. As soon as the news
| reached us about eleven o'clock in the
morning it created great excitement. A
meeting was Immediately called in the
town ball, and every citizen attended. J.
L. Murray presided. Everybody was in
favor OF arming and proceeding at once
TO Hugoton TO burn the town and kill as
| many men as possible, In retaliation, but
finally wiser counsels prevailed and that
was abandoned. Arrangements were at
once made TO bury the men as soon as
they arrived, which was Friday morning
| II Is hard to tell what the outcome will be.
The county and every citizen is armed,
and IL the trouble comes TO head there
| will be more lives lost. ........s
| A dispatch received last night by Gov
ernor Martin says that the total number