Wichita eagle., 1888-03-16
THE MURDER OF ARCHIBALD DOUG
LASS In RICE COUNTY.
Two Prominent Citizens Of Duran
60, Colorado, to Answer for
the Deed Of Years Ago.
The Story Of the
Crime.
Topeka Commonwealth.


Archibald Douglass, was revived: and
the murderers were located, Frank West
and A. C. Myers. They are now resi-
dents Of Durango, Col, esteemed citi-
zens, wealthy. and one is a leader in
church society there. Scarce fort
night ago Governor Martin issued re-
QUESTION papers for these men: Cover
nor Adams of Colorado hesitated TO
honor them. as he knew both men and
/ knew of the esteem in which they were
held, the prominence to which
! they had advanced. He feared some
mistake. He dispatched to Governor
! Martin, and ne wrote him convincing
/ him there was no mistake. All this was
! told in detail in Yesterdays Common
wealth. Herewith the Commonwealth
! republishes an account Of the murder as
! given few days after it occurred, the
| story being taken from the Rice County
/ Gazette, published at Sterling, OF the date
of September 81, 1915:
| Last Monday morning man named
Patten came to the house of J. B. Hope.
who lives about seven miles west of
| Sterling. and asked 10 be brought to
| town. He was covered with blood and
| had a ball in the back of his head and
another in his right cheek. He said he
and another man, Archibald Douglass
had been shot by A. c. Myers, who was
! taking them as as prisoners from Wichita
| to Great Bend. Eli G. Patterns story
was that he had belonged to a
gang of horse thieves, of which
| 4. G. Meyers was chief. with headquar-
ters on the Paladora, IN the Panhandle OF
| Texas; that he had put some stolen stock
| into the herd and that Myers had refused
| to let him take them away; that ne took
! them without Myers consent; that Myers
| had him arrested: that he turned state 5
| evidence; that since that time Myers had
been untiring IN pursuing him: that he
had him and Douglass arrested in Wich-
tia short time ago. and finding that the
| preliminary examination was likely to
beat him Myers had gotten the case
| transferred to Great Bend on requis-
ition from the governor, that they had
been delivered to N yers by the officers at
Wichita: that he had fought against be-
ing delivered to Myers custody, saying:
''He is worse man than l am and will
kill me before | get to Great Bend; that
they had travelled nearly half of
last Sunday night; that the driver
had turned out nearly half a mile
from the road; that he and Douglass
We're lying in the wagon chained to-
gether with shackles on their feet. at
daylight, Monday morning, when Myers
rode up behind and shot him in the back
Of the head taking off finger of his
right hand which he had under his head:
that Myers then stopped the wagon, shot
Douglass, unlocked the shackles from
Patterns foot. threw HIM out, shot Doug
lass again: had lost the key and was
unable to take the shackles from Doug
lass feet: said, IF anybody finds these
men these shackles will tell the whole
story on u.s." They then drew Douglass
out, dragged him off into the weeds;
came back to Patten; saw him breathe;
Myers put his revolver to his face; Pat
ten caught at it; Myers stepped back and,
with an oath, shot him again. They
then took him by the heels and dragged
him off i'll the weeds; took off his vest,
nat, boots and pants and left
him for dead with his shirt
and underpants on. They then
took sand. tried to rub the blood from
the wagon and went on west. After
reaching town Patten telegraphed to
Wichita about what had happened and
for help He then had his wounds
dressed. talked freely about the matter
and after noon went with party of
men to the scene of the shooting where
Douglass was found hid in the weeds
dead The blood and marks in the sand
showed where the men had been thrown
from the wagon, and the tracks left by
dragging them into the weeds, and by
the wagon returning to the road and
going on west, all showed that Patten
had given correct version of this part
of the affair. He said that Archibald
Douglass. the young man who was
killed, was as innocent Of any crime as
any citizen of our town; that he never
saw him until they were thrown into jail
together at Wichita: that he came from
Texas with herd of cattle and that his
uncles now lives in San Antonio.
Patten declined to make complaint
against Myers, but swore that if he
should ever get the drop on him he
would kill him even if he was under ar
rest. When the party returned with the
dead body. a dispatch was handed to the
constable from Wichita ordering the ar
rest of Patten, and that officers at Great
Bend should be notified. The order was
executed and Patten placed under guard.
In the morning a coroners inquest was
held and verdict returned to the OBJECT
that the deceased came TO his death On
account Of pistol shots at the hands of
4. c. Myers. The morning train brought
an officer from Great Bend, who. after
looking at Patch. asked the constable TO
go with him 10 see the dead man. After
calling q man to take has place In guard
ing Patten. the constable went across
the street with the officer, and when
they returned the prisoner had es-
capped through the window. the guards
said. The poor fellow got about two
miles east of town by eight o'clock, when
he was given breakfast by Friend Hugh
Hanks. and went on his way down the
railroad. He was re-arrested a short
distance below Nickerson and brought
back and taken to Great Bend on the
FIVE O'Clock train. His brother came
from Wichita on this same train in
answer 10 an appeal for help from the
prisoner. teleCraphed him on Monday
The prisoner went very reluctantly 70
Great Bend fearing he would be mobbed
II is propar TO say that Patten claims 70
have captured the stock in dispute from
a band of Mexicans who had made raid
into Texas after horses.
He saws. he was one OF party under
the command of Myers. who took herd
of stolen horses from them and in the
division this stock fell 10 him. The story
of the officers from Great Bend is some
what different from that of Patten. BE-
ing that told bv Myers. and TO the effect
thar Patten and Douglass had stolen some |
stock from Myers herd on the Paladora. |
had brought il TO Barton county and |
there disposed of all except one team. |
They had been tracked and traced all the |
,r- fro,, Taxas hv Myers who ~,