The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-05-02
4 BATTLE IN OKLAHOMA:

Uncondrmed Rumors of an Attack by Cow.
boys ON the Old Soldiers Colony, in
Which 1t Is Said Six Lives We~~ Cost
From Other and More Reliable Sources
However. the Story of Bloodshed. Lack
of Food and Water are Denied.
WICHITA, Kan, April 29.-Outof the many
wild Oklahoma rumors with which the
border Is full Is one which seems to bear
the elements Of probability Tho report IL
OF an attack on an old soldiers colony in
the western part of Oklahoma 1t was
first brought to Guthrie by a runner
to DR.. Mennick, the chief of the
colony. The doctor ut once left for the
SCENE. The messenger stated that the fight
occurred Wednesday night and lasted an
hour: The old soldiers ara located on
the northern bank of the Canadian and
hsaf the SOUTHERN b6raet of Oklahoma
Their lands are very desirable, and q
number OF cowboys tried to take
them from The settlers. The cowboys were
we'll mounted and rode down On the camp,
evidently with the intention ct SURPRISING
the colonists The old soldiers, however,
were up. :. The cowboys rode up and down
Id front Of the camp yelling and shooting
in the air. The Settlers began firing
on them, and a man and d horse
were brought down. The rider jumped
up behind u companion and both were soon
out of range. The cowboys then held con-
sultation, and spreading out Indian fashion,
began firing on the camp. The horses were
used as barricades and over their backs
the cowboys shot and killed several Of the
settlers. When the soldiers saw they
were getting the worst of 1T they
charged on the enemy and the cowboys re-
treated. but kept up firing: The battle lasted
hnlf an hour and resulted in nine killed and
several wounded. Then the cowboys rode
away across the prairie, but sent back
threatening yell to the effect that they
would return None OF the killed were from
Wichita From the best Obtainable infor-
nation the following are among the dead:
worth. Gu ncy, Ill.,; Samuel Hert Ter, Fort
Wayne; Ind; Stephen Denny Paris, KY;
Arson l.. Toyere, Galena, ILL.,; Robert Hutch:
ms, Milwaukee, Wis. Seriously wounded;
Antoine Creign.
Saturday morning at II o'clock a city
election was held at Guthrie, the prominent
candidates for mayor being Messrs. Dyer,
of Kansas City; Kelly, of Kansas; Hill, of
Oregon, and Hoggert, OF Dakota.
The last named was championed by
the gamblers, and the contest was
quite warm. On the Cn1fu DallOC colonel
Dyer rece ived EDS votes; Kelly, 1922; Hog
CERT, 81, and Hill, 1913. Dyer was declared
elected. Nineteen councilmen We're elect
cd Mayor Dyer is Republic
an in politics, and was former
ly an Indian agent under Presi-
dent Arthur One OF his first acts was to
give the gamblers twenty-four hours to
leave and the next train north took away a
good many of them.
WASHINGTON, April 29.-The following
telegram was forwarded to the War De-
partment Saturday afternoon from Chicago:
FORT RENO, l. T., April 2j.-Have just re-
turned from K,ngfsher; found every thing
quiet and orderly there. About 200 homestead
claims have been filed and large numbers are
waiting to make entry. Reports OF blood
shed are without foundation. All over the
Territory, 50 far as can discover, there have
been cases of violence reported, but in no sim
gle instance has investigation resulted in con-
firmation OF these reports. In cases where diff
ferent claimants contested for the same quarter
section the matter IS compromised or left for
final adjustment by proper authorities. I am
thus explicit because Kansas newspapers are
reporting scenes of boodshed. These, we'll
as the reports With reference to the invasion
of the Cherokee strip, are, SO far as can dis
cover, without foundation.
''MERRITT, Brigadicr-General."