The Helena independent., 1889-04-24
BOOMERS SUFFER.
The Settlers a. Guthrie Reported to
Be in a Very DeplOrable
Condition.
Water to Drink Being Sold by the
Railroad Company at Five
Cents a Pint.
Thousands Leaving the Country, but
shooting Anray and Lynehing.

CHICAGO, April pa Daily News
special from Guthrie, Oklahoma, via Ar
kansas City, says: Guthrie Is plunged IN
seemingly inextricabe confusion. The
differences OF the rival factions and theil
efforts to control the town have bafiied IN,
efforts Of the half dozen public meetings Il
settle them. The excitement is at very
high pitch and confidence is beginning Il
waver. The suffering OF 1900 unshelteret
and unproyisioned people is something
that could be endured only amid sucl
furore. The scenes by night and day ar,
unexampled. Thousands have left IN,
town and country and thousands NOR,
have poured In. There Is a feeling Of wild
uncertainty and apprehension that amount,
TO distraction. There Is no food, no water
no covering for the bitter cold of the nigh
and the whitening heat OF the day. Tn,
raliIoad Is g0rged with business, an(
is temporarily imperative. The townsit,
is changed every hour by rival parties, a,
each secures temporary power. Not a
building has been started and but few more
tents have been reared. Nobody know,
where the streets are and everyone Is jus
now yielding all things else 10 the clamol
for food, drink and shelter. To complet,
this tremendous excitement a disastrou,
wreck occurred just south OF the town dur
ing the forenoon. A freight and passenger
train met and both engines went into q
ditch. No one was hurt but the track was
blockaded for hours.
The sight at Guthrie upon which the sun
rose this morning was never before wit
messed In the history of the world. A ma
jority OF the 1900 people lay blanketless
upon the ground guarding their claims, OF
slumbering where they had fallen Of
fatigue On the depot platform they lay al
close as corded wood and In the few tents
many as could took the meagre shelter af'
forded, but there quickly came a limit "a
the capacity, beyond which neither tears
nor bribes could prevail. Thousands were
stretched upon the ground. Those who
conld not sleep In the cold,
and they were legion, crouched
in groups, swearing or weeping. "a
suited their spirit The sun fairly leaped
out of the prairie and within two hours
the cold had been supplanted with a
Sahara heat. The wind rose, but without
cooling effect. and blew q sir0cc0 that
scorched the flesh and filled the air with a
binding alkali dust To complete the
general misfortune. the only large tent
which was accommodating one thousand
people, fell under the stress OF the furnace
blast. IL could not be repaired and other
tents could scarcely be mounted. The
climate provoked an Unsuitable thirst, and
water was the first supply TO fail. There
is quite a stream hard by, but the water Is
too alkaline 10 drink. The railroad tank
that takes Its supply bya gravity pipe
forded the only possible drinkable water,
and Il Is brackish. IL was attacked by q
thousand people until the railway officials
called military protection under the pre-
tence that they needed the water 10 operate
the road. The tank men, however, sold
the water at cents pint thereafter, as
did the locomotive engineers from the
tanks Of their engines.
The railroad seems 10 be completely
prostrated and does not deliver the bag
gage Of the suffering throng. Pneumonia
and sun stroke are beginning 10 claim
their victims, but the sick have neither
refuge or sympathy. The whole scene In
It's countless varied and painful details Ii
simply indescribable. Here stands a big
city out of doors and without supplies.
Only one train left over the crippled road
and II was crowded beyond additional
space for mouse on the floor or asparrow
on the roof. Those who could not get on
cheered defiaDtly as the train pulled out
and another Just as crowded pulled In from
the north. The Daily News correspondent
secured footing on the pilot Of the loco
motive TO reach Arkansas City, nearl,
eighty miles north, with this dispatch
Along the route, during the long hours oi
the ride, scores OF boomers wagons could
be seen forging northward across the
Cherokee strip, retraclng the hard journey
they had just completed. Hundreds and
probably thousands Of them will halt on
al ~. nd srx m. rat at.s
They are strapped and desperate, and the
government must yield this fine region
now uselessly sequestered, or cause great
trouble.
Good humor is splendidly maintained In
the face OF these hardships. One boomer
was hailed from the train and asked as u
whether he was n0rihward bound, shouted
81 am going back TO my wife's people.
Everybody of whom inquiries were made
ON the train declared he was disappointed
In the country and would not put up with
Guthrie is filling up with gamblers and
thieves and the shrewdest aud most un
scrupulous scheming Is practiced. The re
port last night that three men had beer
killed settled down to-day 10 one mar
killed and his name and the location wa,
given. The Daily News representatly,
rode over to the scene, about three mile
west OF Guthrie, and found the facts 10 b,
that two men had divided equally a dis
puted claim and were sleeping In the sam'
tent. Pistols were drawn twice last nigh
and today 10 town. but In each cas-
one party retired before forcing the trouble
Some substantial news OF q fatality II
other parts Of the territory were brOugh
In by Deputy Marshal Vasnum Fourteen
miles west OF Oklahoma City man NAMED
Martin was found by the patrol this morn
ing. A young man named Compis, wh'
had failed TO secure a lot In Guthrie, files
on a homestead claim about two mile
from town this afternoon. He was accom-
panied by friend. meme unknown. Tn
two had scarcely driven stake when
man armed with Winchester rife issue'
| from the brush and ordered them of COmpi
showed fight. whereupon the man shot hin
through breast The wounded man wa
dragged into the timber by his friend an
there died In half an hour. When the new
reached Guthrie posse OF thirty men wa
organized and overlook the murderer abou
twelve miles north. lie refused 20 surren
10 the entry books showed that his nam
was probably G. Y. Lane.
A meeting OF Oklahoma boomers dlsaT
pointed In securing claims In the territor
| was held In the opera house at Arkansa
City this evening. There was
very large andu attendance
Speeches were made denouncing the way !
which Oklahoma was settled. II was freel
declared that large bodies OF men. psssin
as United States msrshals, in order 10 x,
into the country, have selected the bei
claims, and that II was unfair 10 law abi'
ing settlers. They came 10 secure home
and as they could not get them In Okll
homa they were going 10 gave them
Cherokee. About 500 men In Arksnsl
City tonight pledged themselves 10 90 u
morrow 10 Cherokee strip and stake claim
and let the consequences be what the
may.
The First Filings.