New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-24

--coMIcAL SCENES AND INCL
DENTS AMONG THE sErrLKRS.
snr zElEGnArH 10 rnE rxIsuxx;
Guthrie, Oklahoma, April ss.--The loosips n
the Guthrie town site Is the sensation Of the hour
IL is only by degrees that everything bearing on
this bold conspiracy comes out. Enough how
ever, is already known 10 justify the statement
that never before was there such q barefacod
shameless violation OF the spirit Of the law bys
those sworn to execute IL as characterized The
conduct Of the officials in this case yesterday.
1t is probably too late to remedy the wrong dons
to those who were unfortunate enough to obey
the law but this should certainly not prevent
the fullest Investigation Of the whole matter aud
the disciphning Of the wrongdoers by the proper
authorities. That much not only spirit of fair
play and common justice seem to demand. hus
sound policy, with the view Of preventing the
repetition Of similar occurrences In the future az
well. The whole episode is scandal which In
wolves officials from the Judge Of United States
Court, the clerk Of District Court and its mar.
shal and United States District Attorney, down
to every deputy of the Marshal and bis assistants
Those who were in Guth-ie at noon yesterday
say that long before that hour the site OF the new
town was laid out and lots selected by the con-
spirators. meeting was held on The SPOT, IN
broad daylight. in the course Of which plan OF
the town was submitted aud the names Of al
least two streets definitely settled upon All this
was done under the very eyes Of the military
authorities who might have interfered. but whose
jurisdiction was probably considered doubtful In
the premises. Four private cars chartered BIZ
party which included Judges Guthrie and Foster.
Colonel Clayton. twin-brothcr Of John NJ Clay
ton of Arkansas. who ran for Congress lsSs
fan and was murdered by ballot-bcx thieves and
Others had arrived in the course OF the night.
At any rate, the cars stood side-tracked at the
station In the morning. By what authority these
men were In Oklahoma before noon Is not known.
II they had passes it should be ascertained where
and how they obtained them. Ii they had nc0o
they were clearly there in violation Of the law.
Thomas B. Needles, the recently appointed United
States Marshal for the Indian Territory, had a
number Of men on the spot who had passed
into the Territory as his deputies, but this was
only TO disguise their real character for not hale
of them had been sworn in, and they were moro
intent upon holding down their claims all day
than In preserving order. G. w. Jones, the mar.
shal Of the United States Court at Topeka, whose
Jurisdiction hers is of the most doubtful char.
acter, bad brought down, IL is said, as many as
seventy men, all Of them deputies, but before the
day over il was discovered that every mothers
son Of them was the owner Of choice lot.
In short the looters Of .he Guthre
town site had s4len every precautlon TO
make the job complete one. They made IT stu
more so when IL o'clock came at last, end every
deputy quickly drove stakes inta the ground.
Ii was then that the bushes along the banks
of the creek, few hundred yards below the
depot, became animated, and from them werc
seen to emerge at least 200 men, who, wildly
swinging their hats in the air and yelling like
Comanches, dashed up the hill with stakes and
ropes in their hands tumbling over each other
in their mad rush to secure lot. When they
had done so they calmly sat down, awaiting
developments. A few minutes after IL q train
dashed up to the platform from the south, and
from it another hundred lcoters jumped and
made the race for town-site lots, To be In
Guthrie q few minutes only after IL o'clock
the train must have left Pursell and entered
Oklahoma long before noon, clearly violation
of the law IL it carried intending settlers. There
was quarreling, however, or contention, among
these men, They evidently knew what they
wanted, and they all seemed to be acting under
orders.
Fully an hour and half slipped away before
the first train from the north, which had passed
the border line few minutes after IL o'clock,
rolled in and began to discharge its human freight
One ought to have seen the look Of CONSERVATION
and surprise with which the men viewed ths
stakes driven in the ground, the tents, the ropes
and the other iararhernaha brought along bH
the loote-s, who calmly sat on their lots with
an air as much as to say: What are you going
to do about it? IL was no time, however, for
palavering or remonstrance. Hesitation woald
have been fatal The Iooters, fearing trouble,
and loath to arouse the anger OF the great
crowd, had thoughtfully set aside few lots
here and there which the newcomers were freo
10 seize They did this without further comment.
and made themselves as comfortable as was
Ia5sible under the circumstances among the
deputies, before the next train should
bring along new set Of rivals. No out
break took place, and the ieotsrs3 for the
time being, were evidently ssfs. There
was feeling of security among
them which the presence of q company OF soldiers
had no doubt contributed TO inspire. Indeed,
had they not done their best to " TX the galians
soldiers by tempting offers Of corner lotsr To the
credit Of the service, be it said, not single officer
Of the command availed himself Of the oppor-
tunities offered him. That many priystes, how
ever were not proof against the temptation is only
too true. This much must be said, though, jthet
they had at least legal right 70
lots they might see ft to pick out;
at any rate they were on the spot al
noon without violating the law, which is more than
can be said of The others. Their conduct is almost
a question Of moral ethics, and whoever heard OF
such an article in transaction involving corner
lotsP ~-
Every officer Of the command was probably sp-
proached In turn by one or two of the ringleaders
in the loo,. Que was told that couple OF choice
lots would be reserved for him II he would only