Dodge City times., 1889-01-17
THE COUNTY SEAT WAR.
At Cimarron over the County
Records

Of the battle at CimarrOn on last
Saturday between the deputy sherlffs
of Gray county and citizens of Cimar-
ron an eye witness gives the following
particulars of the fight:
''On last Saturday morning the Sher-
if of Gray county, with Fred Singer,
Neal Brown, Jas. MastersoD, Edward
Brooks, Benz. Daniels and VIM Thigh
man as deputies, went to Cimarron with
a wagon to convey the county records
to Ingalls,, for which they had an or
der from the Supreme court. On their
arrival at the building used for court
house at Cimarron, four of the deputy
sheriffs stood guard over the wagon
while the sheriff and the balance of his
men carried out the books. After they
had got all the books loaded and were
nearly ready to start, the Cimarron peo-
pie, who in the meantime had been
armlng themselves, fred upon the Off
GERS. This commenced the battle, and
the officers returned the fire. From this
out the firing was continuous, fully
l, 900 shots being fred. The team was
stared for ingalls, as soon as the shoot
ing began and was protected on its way
out of the city by the four deputies
who were left Ill charge, viz: Ed.
Brooks, Benz. Daniels, VIM. Tilghman
and Neal Brown, and although lead
was flying as thick as hail around them
they succeeded in getting away. Fred
Singer, Jas. Masterson and VIM. Aims
worth who were in the court house
when the firing commenced, were un-
able to escape on account of the mob
surrounding the building and who rid
died the windows and floor of the room
in which they were with bullets. The
deputh sheriffs with the records drove
to ingalls, as fast as possible, and then
telegraphed to Dodge City for aid in
order to release the other officers i'm
prisoned at Cimarron. Upon the re-
ceipt of the dispatch number Of the
friends of the officers took the after
noon train for Ingalls,, but in the even
ing Sheriff Bell and a number of our
influential citizens went on a special
train to Cimarron and obtained the re-
lease Of the Ingalls, officers.
After the battle was over it was
found that Of the Cimarron people, j..
W. English was killed outright; Jack
Bliss, was wounded IN several places
with buck shot but will recover; Lee
Fairhurst was wounded in the breast
but will recover and man by the
name of Harrington was wounded In
the hand.
Of the Ingalls, people, Ed. Brooks
Jared the worst, being shot in the back
just below the shoulder blade and two
different places in the legs, it was
thought at first that he would die but
the doctors now report that he will re-
cover the teamster who drove the
wagon received a wound in the leg !;
VIM Tilghman sprained his ankle bad
ly while crossing the irrigating ditch"
1t is very much regretted that the
shooting took place, but there is no
question but what the CimArron peo-
pie were to blame, as they started the
fight with the officers from Ingalls,, who
went there with the proper authority to
take the records. 1t is wonder to all
that any of the officers escaped when
fully % men were firing upon them,
none but brave ana determined men
would have lived to tell the story of
how they were attacked.
Most every daily paper in the east
has been filled with news of the fight
written by Cimarron people in which
they place the ingalls, men in the light
of murderers and heap a great deal of
abuse on Dodge City, but true state
ment of the fight is given above. The
citizens Of Dodge, although they do
not believe in county seat fights, can
not help but sympathize with the off,
GERS Of Gray county who were fred up
on by the Cimarron mob while doing
their duty. The Mayor of Cimarron
telegraphed for state militia which was
at once responded to by Gen. Murray
Myers and two companies of militia
who arrived at Cimarron Sunday and
remained until Tuesday morning. No
'urther trouble is now anticipated.
Young Jimmy Blaine has gone to