Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-04-16
THE OKLAHOMA BOOMERS.

Payne, Couch. HIIi nnd Their Adyentur-
Gus Followers.
Tho original boomer was Capt David L.
| Payne originally of Indiana, and later Of
Kansas; and tho raidins began iu April, 1880.
As tho map shows, tho Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad now has u limo running
south through Oklahoma, and is therefore
interested In having tho region settled.
Whether there Ia any connection between
this and tho numerous boons each respler
must decide for himself; but tho Indians
veheinently charge that the road inStigated
the Payne and subsequent movements, The
cattle man, lesscos Of tho Indians OF course
accept tho lnttor'syicw, and assist In cxpel-
ling tho boomers. Tho invasions continued
from 1850 till 1885, when tho Santa Fo road
got its right Of way across tho territory,
when they suddenly ceased Divested Of
legal vcrbiago tho claims Of tho boomers
worc as follows:
"Tho land in question had been purchased
with cash. Therefore the tito was vested in
tho government Therefore tho Indian tide
had been extinguished. Therefore the lands
were government lands Therefore thoy were
open 10 settlement, because. according TO the
rcviIed statutes, section 2,2ji. all lands DO
longing 10 tne Ollteu ottitco 70 Nnicl tno IN
dian title has been or may hereafter be extin-
giishcd shall DO subject to the,ight OF pro
emption.h"
II is n significant fact TINT though tho
leading boomers were often arrested, they
were as often released without trial 1t
would seem that tho other parties did not
want tho matter tested by law. Tho fate OF
Capt. Payne wRs Ead apd mysterious. At
the Hotel Barnard, 10 Wellington, Kan, on
the morning Of Nov. -, 1854, be came down
to breakfast In his uslnl health, and whom
the waiter came TO take his order he asked
for glass Of milk. Tho milk was brought
from the kitchen, and Payne drank tall at
draught As he placed the glass on the
table he suddenly started up as II seized with
a spasm, and, grasping the cream pitcher,
hastily drank its contents Then, while
striving to put the pitcher back on the table,
he fell to the floor and died instantly.
No inquest was held, although d is be-
lieved by many boomers that Payne was
poisoned by an cmissary OF tho cattlcnen.
This will not be deemed such violent sup
position when II Is remembered that two
homesteadcrs were burned alive by Prince
Olive, cattleman, In Nebraska, less than
fifteen years ago.
Payne's body was inclosed in n metallic
casket and buried in tho Wellington ceme-
terry. Tho concourse that gathered to do
honor TO his memory was the greatest ever
seen In southern Kansas More than 5000
people, it is said, followed his body TO the
grave
Another leader OF tho boomers worth men
tioning was Capt w. L. Couch, who had
been Payne's chief assistant up to the fall Of
1881, who became tho chief when Payne died.
Taking advantage Of the excitement that
followed after Payne's death, ho worked up q
colony and formed town site company, with
himself as president, II. II. Stafford, secro-
tary, G.. II. Brown, treasurer. md l.. S,
Wilcox, manager. Some time during the
latter part Of December, 1884, Couch led 450
colonists into the territory. They had ocut
their way through wire fences that inclosed
10000 cattle, and finally campcd on the left
bank OF the Cimarron. near Cedar creek. The
place was called saltwater. The colony made
dugouts In the sand hills, and erected log
school house.
Here he was found by Licut Day with
thirty men from Fort Reno on Jan. 7, 1885.
The lieutenant ut once attempted to arrest
Couch, but 900 men with Winchesters md
double barreled shotguns intcrferod. The
lieutenant sent for re-enforcemcnts and
starved Couch and party out by cutting
off their supplies Last off all colony Of
negroes located in Oklahoma under tho I'M
preston that il was reserved for freedmen |
according to the original contract with the
Indians; but they were hustled out much |
quicker than tho whites had boon, for they |
had no "Winchestersn or did not know how |
to use them