The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-08-01
CATTLE QUEEN Kate" MAXWELL.

SuNtrs AuHF HN'Hf y" 1ANf -
dEfns.
CATTLE QUEEN KATE" MAXWELL.
The life ending 90 tragically, by
the aid OF COW boys, q little over
week ago, IL one that may be studied
A dispatch from Cheyenne, Wyom-
ing territory, says:
Mrs. Maxwell, whose rapid descent
since the debaueh which followed
the gambling house adventure, had
somewhat dimmed her lustre, was a
character indeed. She wAs once q
Chicago variety actress, but with
the sdaptabllity of women OF her
class, fell into western ways rapidly.
She improved vastly on ranch life
by importing race horses, fighting
dogs and spTinteFs and holding
Journeys ut her place. Her hus-
band died myEteriOusly. IL was
whispered that she poisoned him.
The ranch foreman, whom she had
known In the east, became the pro-
prietor. This liAson was open, but
Kate was true to her lover. She
resented the familiarity Of a drunken
Mexican by sending q bullet after
him. Mrs. Maxwell participated In
an Indian war before she had been
in the country thirty days. One Of
her thorOughbreds showed heels to
the fast pony Of Chief Sharp Nose,
an ArapahOe dIgnitary. The same
day sprinter from the east
defeated easily defeated q young
brave In q dash Of 100 yards. The
Indians lost money. ponies, blankets
and even squaws on the event. They
started away from the race mutter-
ing threats, aud suddenly turned
aud opened fire on Kate and her
men. The latter rallied aud repulsed
the ArapahOes, killing several. No
white men were killed I'm the con-
fiIct.
Life on the ranch was now gayeT
than ever, but after the recovery Of
the money from the skin gamblers
at BessemeT, things went to the
dogs. Rates paramOur made trip
by railway and forgot to come back.
| The men left one ut q time, horses
| were stolen, dogs killed and cattle
scattered. A cOlOFed servant who
had been Hates body servant was
the last to disappear. He took hei
i diamonds along. She set out In
/ pursuit, overlook the dArkey and
shot him down on the highway, re-
covering the Jewels; but they were
soon pawned. From her high
estate as the wealthy and powerful
queen Of the cowboys, she became
i q prairie tramp, but still high spir.
tied, walking into camps and
| ranches aud helping herself as
though an attache OF the outfit
She knew that Averill was a thief
/ and seemed To become one herself
after the dOubly unhOly partnership
had been formed. Again estab.
lished In a home she sought 60 re.
/ sumo her place In the hearts Of the
i cowboys but they were fearful Oi
by her Establishments. Failure "a
reOrganiZe a lawless band did not
discourage the dashing Kate and
her terrible partner. For a time
they were guarded In their crimi'
nal work, hut everything coming
into the net Was fish. They would
kill u steer, burn the hide and sell
the carcass to employees who owned
the animal. IL was darkly hlnted
i aud doubtless not without fOunda'
ton that the pair were veritablt
Blenders. Their ranch was only
q couple of miles from the road
Travellers stopped for meals, while
| freighters loved To camp beside 9
splendid spring just outside the
| Maxwell aud Averill pasture.
Many Of these visitors were lured
10 financial ruin at least by the
wiIes Of the winning Kate, who wa
faded, but still q beauty. She
played every card game well and 60
/ fleece the innocent was only
pastime for her aud her husband.
| Two men who mysteriOusly disap-
| peared were traced to this deadfall
| where they were, Ia all probability
murdered for their money. A
| thorough but fruitless search Of the
premises was made. The "rustlers''
/ At first stole calves I'm the night, but
soon brAnched out, and on numerous
/ occasions were met on the range in
broad daylight, driving lunches Oi
young unbranded beeves To their
/ corral. When thus detected they
would ut pistol point make those IN
possession Of the evidence against
them scuTry. Within two months
they had stolen hundreds Of cattle,
selling many to men who came In
the night and hurried the piunder
across the line into Utah. They In
tended making big shipment TO the
eastern market this fall.
During the hanging Kate seemed
| 10 have no thrught OF death, only
desiring TO curse the lynchers. She
referred to her mother without feel
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