River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-01-17
A BATTLE EoR lie Books.

a BAT TIE FOR l7E OOONSs
Serious Result OF a County-Seat War IN
Ransas-The Town Of Cimarron In
vaded by an Armed Force from ingalls,
The County Clerks once Attacked
and the Records Carried OLA Fight
Ensues. 81 which Two Men Are Killed
Troops at the scene of Conflict.
TOPEKA. Kan, Jan f4-The couuty-seat
war in GRAY County broke out afresh Sat
uri2v and resulted in a pitched battle
between armed forces from the towns OF
ingalls, and Cmarron, during which
over 200 shots were fired and two
prominent citizens Of the latter
town. " English and Jack Bliss
were killed and several members OF both
PARTIES badly wounded The trouble was
caused by the invasion Of Cimarron
by an armed party Of thirty men from
Ingalls,, led BY the sheriff, waO capt
ured the county records and sue
ceeded in removing them 70 ingalls, The
people Of Clmarron are intensely excited
and threaten to lynch the prisoners. The
town has been strongly fortified and more
bloodshed is feared The Governor has
ordered General Myers 20 proceed to
Cmarron with one company q militia and
see that the peace Is preserved.
}. Q Shoup. chairman Of the BcSFd OF
County Commissioners Of Gray County, ar
rived here Sunday afternoon from the
scene Of the county-seat war 20 lay the
matter before Governor Martin. He says
the militia arrived Just in time 90 prevent
another battle, as the Ingalls, people were
preparing 10 make another assault upon
tie town aud have threatened 20 Kill the
Una - leaders the first time an oppor-
luu.ty presents 49, ShOun told the Gov
eruor there would be mo-. ,,.-,,tl, "a
says that the people Of both towns as -,
intensely excited over the matter that on
ly the presence Of a strong force Of militia
viii prevent another bloody conflict
Mr.. shoup was in his Office in the court
house when the ingalls, crowd, all heavily
ar med with pistols and sh0t-guas,
suddenly entered he Gown and sur
rounded the county building The
first Knowledge he had Of the IN
vasion was when the leader % the mob
openei the door of his Office and cover ng
him with " nchester exclaimed. I'm
put a bullet through your head if you
move All the other county officers We're
held Up" in the same way so that il
was impossible for them 70 offer any re-
sistauce.
Reilly. the county clerk, saw the Ingalls,
crowd coming to the courthouse, and,
antic pating that they come 70 capture
the records. be locked the uf1ce-
After they had stationed guards al
over the offices four OF tae mob
broke into the county clerks office, over
powered Reilly. who was in the vault, and
took possession Of ali the records aud
lOaied them into the 70 wagons which
they brought for purpose While
this was being aO-e three Of the
ingalls, men stood in the doorway
OF the courthouse and fred at any Omar
ron man who showed Aii heat J. W.
English, a merchant, was passing ~ the
opposite side OF tae street. when he was
deliberately shot in cold blood by Ed
Daniels, a desperate who was in the In
gals party. Jack Bliss, who was offer
ing no resistance whatever, was also de-
liberately shot and killed.
BY this time the Cimarron people had
organ zed and armed themselves aud
opened fire on the Iugalls crowd, and
desperate ii CHIT followed. The battle took
place in the street IL front Of the court
house, the ingalls, force, about
thirty in number. occupying the west
side and the CimarrOn the east side OF
the street The CimarrOn forces were con-
stantly being reinforced by meG and boys
numbering about 200 and toward the
latter part Of the conflict three women.
armed with shOt-guns, came 10 the
assistance Of their husbands and
fired several shots al the invaders Sew
era Of the Ingalls, men were W unded.
and, finding that their ammunition was
almost exhau sted. they fed with the
county records and left the town
quickly as their hor es could take them
The c maroon crowd followed in hot pur-
suit, emptylng several guns at them, but
they finally gave uD the chase.
IN the meantime Fred Sangcrs and four
other ingalls, men who had been standing
guard in the court house were unable to
join their party. fearing they would be
shot as they left the bu' ing Tho
building was soon sur 4nded by
a mob Of Cimarron men, who
endeavored 10 capture the prisoners
and lynch them, but Sanger and his
men were well armed and began a pro-
mlscuous shooting among the c. -wd on the
outside and soon scattered them
The fight between Cimarron, the old
county scat, and ingalls,, the new aspirant.
has been in progress for more than year.
The latter place has had all the county
Offices, except county clerk, for more than
a year. At the November election N.
f. Watson, the ingalls, candidate FOR
the latter office, was elected on the
face Of the returns, but the people Of
Cimarron, backed by two of the county
commissioners, who We're CImarrOu parti
sans. claimed that the return from ingalls,
was grossly fraudulent and refused to
ALLOW him 70 take possession Of the books
Saturday invasion and battle were the
direct result Of this refusal
KANSAS CITY, No, Jan. Il IA special
from Wichita says General Myers tele-
graphs that he arrived at CimarrOn sun
day morning and that all was quiet.
The militia companies ordered cut are still
in readiness to move al a moments
notice, as il is feared the trouble is
not yet over, Ingalls was guarded all
Saturday night by farmers as il had be0n
rumOred that Cimarr0n sympathizers had
threatened 10 burn the place. Watson
and the deputies had been released By the
sheriff Of Dodge City before General
Myers arrived.
A Cimarron man named Gage and FL
Robbins of Ingalls,, met Sunday morning
q few miles from ingalls, and a desperate
encounter ensued. They first exchanged
pistol shots but Afterwards had hand-to-
hand tussel, IN which Gage received
a frightful cash in the neck, which will
probably cause his death.
As long as the militia is in the county
there Is not likely to be another confnct IL
is only by the presenceIof the troops that
serious trouble can be averted as tie
two rival towns are only a few miles
apart and tue feeling is so bitter that the
slightest provocation would cause another
outbreak. II is a life and death struggle
between tae two towns, as the success Of
one means tne downfall Of the other.
q