Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-24
IN OKLAHOMA.
The Ready Revolver Not Al
gether Absent.
THE JUMPERS" WILL BE SAT- ON
The Guthrie Citizens Parched With
Thirst-The Cherokee Strip
to obe Raided.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

Stars Guthrie special says: The frs
homestead filed at Guthrie was by s
Conn, of Fort Smith, Ark. The frs
soldier to file a declaratory statement
was Benton Turner, private, Company l
Sixth Illinois Cavalry. During yesterday
three townsites, Guthrie, 0klahoms
City and Edmunds, three homesteads
and twenty one soldiers declaratory
statements were filed. At 1912 William
Johnson, heading little procession al
the Land Office, laid down rough chart
of Guthrie and filed it as a townsite.
This was the first paper presented. -Four
clerks for the Land Offices from Wash
ington arrived yesterday for King
fisher and two for Guthrie. The Land
Office at Kingfsher will not be open till
Thursday.
"JUMPER" DONE FOR.
At 5 o'clock yesterday evening pistol
report across Cottonwood creek, west OF
the depot, outside of the townsite re-
serve, attracted attention. In moment
man on horseback went over the hill
at bre eakneck speed. The deputies went
over, but we told that nothing had oc-
Cured. A Star reporter got a boat and
crossed the stream, however, to investi-
gate. In the bushes were collected half
q dozen men. On the ground, and BE-
side half made grave, was stretched all
that was left of s. T. Compis. A ball
from a revolver had passed entirely
through his heart. The shooting was
done by a man who claimed to have
first atak ed ont the claim
This claim, Comps and his partner
had settled on. The murderer jumped
on a horse and escaped. Believing that
secrecy was the easiest way out, Compis'
partner dragged the dying man into the
bushes and said no one had been hurt.
He would not give his name, and the Pc
culiarity of the situation prevented a
searching inquiry. The dead man is
about 80 years old, and had black hair
and eyes. Compis' companion took
possession of the murderer's outfit of
wagon and two horses. The body was
buried in the bushes. This was the only
murder near Guthrie up to midnight
despite other reports.
SHORT OF WATER.
All night there was much suffering for
water. The railroad company refused to
let settlers take water from the railroad
tank for fear of its exhaustion. The
water in the Cottonwood is red with mud.
A water famine seems imminent.
Hawkers went about the depot last night
with buckets of water, charging five cents
a glass. The engineers were besieged
by thirsty people for drinks from the en-
CINE tanks, and many were accommo-
dated. Up to midnight not quarrel on
the Guthrie townsite had occurred.
UNCERTAINTY OF SITES.
Wild estimates at the number of peo-
pie at Guthrie were telegraphed last
night. A liberal estimate is G, 900. There
were some queer scenes yesterday. A
number of men would get together and
agree that street should run in certain
direction. Lots would be staked to face
it. The man adjoining would declare
those fellows stakes directly in the
street, and that their lots faced the
streets. Thus no man knows for q GER
tainity that he has lot. Nevertheless
many sites were sold, one man paying
800 for q supposed business site. In
the state of uncertainty everyone is
good natured and hanging on to his
claim.
A great prairie fire ragged east of the
city last night and, with the camp fires,
made beautiful sight. A squad of Gen
eral Merfict's soldiers guarded the land
Office all night.
REsENTING INTRUSION.
There is great indignation at the fact
that large numbers, including many
prominent people, got in before noon yes
terday and made selections. Also there
is much Indignation oyer a hundred or
more deputy marshals, who used their
authority as a cloak to get on the ground,
and resigned at noon. They are to be
singled out and complaints lodged against
them. A resolution was adopted that
every invader be complained of and ef-
forts at once made to drive them out.
The feeling. is very strong in this matter.
HUNTING DOWN JUMPERS.
ARKANSAS Cry, Kan, April ga
special from Guthrie this morning says
that three men who took up claims yes
terday, we're foully murdered by claim
jumpers at o'clock. The names of the
assailants and victims were not learned.
A vigilance committee is securing the
Territory in search of the miecreants,
whe will be summarily dealt with if
caught.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF EHE STATUS.
WASHINGTON. April 23.-Second Assis-
tant Postmaster General Whiteford has
under consideration the establishment of
several star mail routes through Okla
homa. 1t is expected that one or more
will be decided upon tomorrow. The
Secretary of the Interior, to-day, re-
ceived telegraphic reports from Depart
ment Inspectors stationed at Guthrie,
Oklahoma, and Arkansas City, Kan.
The former says; Everything is qniet
here; good class of people are in charge
of affairs. The Guthrie Land Office is in
full operation. King6sher will open
about Thursday. The people will settle
the townsite quietly and await Legisla-
ton. to perfect their titles. There is alb
solutely no ground for administrative
uneasiness. The public meeting held
here tonight was as orderly and as con-
servative in its character as it would be
in New York.
NOT GALL BEER AND sKITTLEs."
CHICAGO, April 23.-The Daily News'
special from Guthrie, Oklahoma, via
Arkansas City, says: Guthrie is plunged
in seemingly inextricable confusion.
The differences of the rival factions at
the seat to control the town have baffied
the efforts of half dozen public meet
ings to settle them. The excitement is
at very high pitch and confidence is
beginning to waver. The suffer
ing of fifteen thousand unshel-