Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-09-25
VOL. 10 MEDICINE LODGE. KANSAS WEDNESDAY

Uccu carried on Dy Juelr IrIenus.
A little later the Baker gang carted their
dead folks away and in half an hour you
wouldn't have known that any thing un-
usual had happened-the games were all
running, the blood had been washed up, and
every thing was as peac full as ever.
"Every one about camp was Offering bets
OF four to one that the fight wouldn't
end there, and it didn't, for in less than
two weeks after the saloon fracas news
reached camp that a battle had taken place
out on the range. The fight occurred one
afternoon about sundown. Houser's men
had gone into camp on a little creek and
were cooking supper, when Bakers vaou-
eros came riding down upon them like q
band Of Comanche Indians, shooting as they
came. The camp was in arms in minute
and some Of Bakers horses were riderless
In Jihy. But the rest Of 'em didn't stop I
NO, sir! They Ralloped right into camp and
began to shoot as wicked as you please
They fought more like lot of savages
than like white men, and didn't seem to
care much whether they passed i'm or not.
In little more than five minutes from the
time the first shot was fired all was euiet
again, and one lone man sat on his horse
and looked around him at the dozen Of dead
mon scattered around. It was young Baker,
and he wasn't very lucky, for he had q bullet
In his shoulder
"Houser didn't happen to be among the
dead. He had been at the main camp all
day and was not with his men. Two daya
later Baker rode into Liberty to get the
bullet dug out Of his shoulder or course he
dropped into the Nightcap first for drink
just to steady his nerves. He didn't get It
though, for Houser was there to receive
him. Baker was standing at the bar with a
glass OF whiskey in his paw, when Houser,
who was sitting next the seven spot at the
faro table, saw him. A couple of seconds
later there was a pistol shot and Bakers
hand dropped and the glass Of whisky fell
to the floor. He faced about and ATTEMPTED
70 draw q gun with the other hand. But II
was no use, for as soon as he turned
Houser began TO sift the lead into him and
he went down all in heap in front of the
bar before he could reach his gun.
"The committee on law and order at Lib
erty had allowed several times that the
moral cinch on the camp was getting loose
and needed Tightening, and each time Baker
and Houser got to shooting they were
promptly mentioned as being good subjects
for the committee to commence work on.
but somehow they kept deferring action.
But the night Houser killed young Baker
fifteen or twenty Of the committee got to-
gether and expressed it as their opinion
that while Baker ought to have been killed
long before Houser hadn't give his man
fair show. The committee then
proceeded to the saloon where Hous-
er was and notified him that
they were going to try him and they reck-
oned 1t meant hanging. He told them to 20
ahead, and then went on making his bets on
faro and kicking on the splits Just as
though nothing else was happening about
the shanty. Finally the committee went
over into corner to decide on a verdict It
came back in few minutes and the chair
man called Houser over and told him that
the committee had decided to hang him on
general principles and asked HIM if he had
any requests to make before he shuffled off.
He asked them to let his brother in Pike
County, Mo-, know OF it. That was all.
Half an hour later the job was completed
and Houser was swinging in a cool, shady
place at the lower end of camp.
"That's the way it used to be down there,
but It's played out now. You see folks
have got to discountenancing that sort of
thing; said a camp that tolerated it was low
down and unenlightened, and began hang
Ing every body who shot anybody else.
Why, they strung up five fellows at one
shake once, and then the scrappers allowed
that the palmy days was past and one by
one they sneaked away to places where they
wasn't known. But quiet, well-behayed
people never had any trouble / was down
there two years, and barrin' a few close
calls like gettin' bullets through my hat
and coat sleeves by accident l wasn't ever
in danger. But got tired of it and drifted
up to Frisco and went to printing again. I
like it good deal better'n COW punchin'
It's a lot peacefuller. ."-Chicago Times