The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-02
THE REACTION.
Disguised Boomers Fleeing from
Oklahoma-The Railroads
Can't Haul the Crowd.
The First Child from Texas Born
IN a Wagon is Christened
Oklahoma.

boomers who are focking out of Oklaho-
ma in disgust, and are intending to COB
BILE Cherokee strip, will meet with an
other backset. General Merritt, in oom-
msnd of the military forces in the Okla
homa country, has ordered troop of the
Seventh cavalry to reinforce Captain
Hays command. The latter will have full
control of the strip, and has been ordered
to permit boomers three days for rest in
crossing and then to drive them off.
Chaos reigns not only in Oklahoma,
but in the entire tributary country. The
railroad is Frustrated and communication
entirely cut off. The Western Union
with its crash of train dispstching would
not touch message of any other charac-
ter in the territory though the earth swal-
lowed town site.
Guthrie's back seems broken, and there
Is furious stampede to get out. People
there are wild from deprivations that lack
of shelter, water and food impose upon
them. To these distresses are
added the misfortunes of tempest
heat and absence Of means.
When your correspondent reached Will
low Springs from Diamond Bar ranch he
learned that neither the north nor south
bound passenger trains shortly due had
been heard from. An hour of waiting
passed, when train of twenty cattle oars
crepS up from the south. The cars were
locked, but upon the roofs, amid the coal
on the tender, on the pilot and gangwsy
of the locomotive, and packed in and upon
the caboose, was a dense and miserable
throng of men. The train from Guthrie
had started with its strange load at 6
o'clock in the evening. 1t was useless to
attempt to enfoHee laws restrictive of
railroad travel. People were fleeing fran
tically for their lives. They had added
to long periods of privation the suffering
of seventeen hours without food or pro-
tection from cold. They had left howl
ing mob in Guthrie, ba1fled in it's efforts
to join in the fight. Since dark other
freight trains have followed. The cars
are piled with fugitives, thirsty and fam
iue-stricken, and Arkansas City is crowded
as it was before the descent. A terrible
storm last night raised the miseries of
Guthrie to almost horror. A violent
wind arose as the sun sank and filled in
with the sitting red alkali dust that strews
the plain. A deluge of rain followed and
throughout the night beat upon the thou
sands of snelterless. Tbs railroad is utterly
incom petent and is delivering baggage and
eli xuIt ha Of fn ha
protected fugitlves who cheer with Joy as
they alight here and rush to the hydrants
and eating houses. Curses are heaped
upon the region and the government.
Marshals Needles and Jones are execrated
without stint for the theft of land and the
railroad is denounced for its feeble SER
vice.
Guthrie is without form. The original
streets have disappeared and new sections
are being plated. Every hour values have
fallen to practically nothing end conf
dence is at low ebb.
GENERAL MERRITT's ESTIMATE.
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, April 25.-General
MerrItt's report of the number in Okla
homa is incom prehensible. The estimate
here ia that fully $4,000 are now in Guth-
rie, and more than $4,000 in the territory.
Nearly twice as many as he allows for the
whole territory left this place alone and
are still pouring In.
AN INCIDENT AT LISBON.
CHICAGO, April 25.-A special from Lis
bon, Oklahoma, says: Late last night a
negro came rushing into Marshall Wyatt's
camp. He said four of his companions in
little colony ten miles southeast had
des perate fight with rival claimants and
several were reported shot. A deputy WAS
sent out to effect arrests and has not lyet
returned. Two men are reported dead on
their claims four miles east, shot last
night. The messenger that came in want
cd help to bury them. He could not give
any particulars.
THE FIRST BABY.
KANSAS CIrY, April 25.-A Times special
from KiDgfsher says that three more COM
psnies of infantry have been ordered
there to be commanded by Captains Au
man, Cavanaugh aud Prince. There is no
disorder and troops are sent merely as
precautionary measure.
The first baby was born yesterday. 1t
first saw light in a wagon and was chris
tened Oklahoma Lewis. The parents are
from Texas.
A number of settlers have claimed the
north half of the section as a town site
and have named it Kiogfsher. They have
elected a mayor and council and are run
ming in opposition to the original King
fisher.
John A. Blair, secretary of the Cherokee
Livestock association, and three Others
entered the section between here and the
strip line. 1t is said the Rock Island will
bu Id depot on the site. One Of the
Blair party, who paid 5000 for the lot,
was chased off by settler who had frat
taken possession. The settler was armed
with hatchet. There are three or four
contests on every mans land and the
lawyers are preparing for harvest.
Reports of murders have come in but
ne have been substantiated and it is be-
lieved that not many have heen killed.