Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-08-30
SHOOTING AFFRAY.
Farmers Have a Falling Out Over
Cattle Trade and Much
Shooting Results.
The Maxwell Grant Settlers Commence
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and an
Agent Driven Off.
Opium smuggler E. B. Gardner Selling
the Confscated Drug-Officials Ar
rested For Crookedness.

FORT WORTH. Tex, Aug. 25.-Sherih
Ship received a telegraph message yester-
day afternoon to go to Arlington, four
teen miles east of here, at once and to
take deputies, as serious shooting ARRAY
had occurred and more trouble was feared,
and he and Deputies James Thomson and
William Rea at once left. At ten O'Clock
last night Ship and Thomson returned
without having made any arrests.
Ship says the party engaged were
Harvey Spear, a wealthy farmer and
cattleman, Joe Elliot, also a farmer and
cattleman, and Poker Bill Smith. Some
three years ago Elliott and Spears made
contract by which Elliott was to take 400
cattle belonging to Spear in Taylor County
and care for them on shares. Eight months
ago Spears complained about the way the
cattle were handled on the range and bad
blood sprang up. Yesterday Spear and
Smith went to Arlington in a buggy, and
Spear putting Np his team asked if Joe
Elliott was in town. He was told that he
was and just then Elliott stepped to the
door of store which commanded a view
of the stable and emptied a double
q barreled shot gun into Spear. The
latter and Smith got a Winchester and
began firing and thirty five shots were
exchanged. Elliott was unhurt but Spear
was wounded in the breast in two places,
and his upper left arm was broken. He
was also shot through the cheek, his upper
teeth carried away and his right shoulder
filed with shot. After being wounded
Spear worked his Winchester with one
hand. Smith was shot in one arm and an
other old man named Martin shot in the
neck. After the shooting Elliott left, go
ing south, and Spear, assisted by Smith,
went north. News received later says
Spear died from loss of blood at farm
house three miles from Arlington. Spear
and Elliott both had wives and children,
and both We're good CT liens.
MAXWELL GRANT WAR.
TRINIDAD, Col, Aug. 25.-Intelligence
has been received here from Stonewall of
further trouble between settlers and the
Maxwell Land Company. The former
made good their threats of burning the
dwellings and contents belonging to
E. j. Randolph and wife on account
of their acknowledging the authority of
the Maxwell Company by leasing land from
them. Randolph and his wife arrived
here yesterday afternoon, having escaped
with nothing but the clothes they wore.
J. W. Lewelting, who had been working
for the Maxwell Company, was also
waited upon by 100 armed settlers. most of
whom were masked, and compelled to pack
his outfit and leave town. The settlers
say they will hold the country against the
Maxwell grant claimants at all hazards.
cans.
STEALING SMUGGLED OPIUM.
BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug. 25.-In Ogdens-
burg yesterday three reputable citizens,
John w. Stone, lawyer, Nathaniel H. Lit
tie, Jr., deputy collector of customs, and
William q. Cuminsky, janitor of the GUS
toms house, were arrested on warrants
sworn out before United States Commits
sioner Fairchild here by J. J. Crowley,
special agent of the Treasury Depart
ment at Washington, on the charge OF
conspiring to defraud the United States OF
about 40 pounds of prepared opium stored
in the custom house at that place. This is
the outcome of the arrest of Erwin R.
Gardner at Ogdensburg last winter with
nearly $25, 200 worth of opium in his pos.
session. When Gardner was arrested in
Chicago Tuesday it was found that the
opium he was selling was the identica
goods which had been found in his posses
sion and that of his cousin last winter and
had been placed in the custom house a
Ogdensburg for safe keeping.