River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-25
BOOMERS. BLOOD SHE'D.

n
Who Had Crossed the Oklahoma Line
and a Band OF Deputies seven of the
Former Wounded and Thirty of Their
Number Taken Prisoners, but Afterwards
Released.
PURCELL, l. T., April 22-There was bat
tie Thursday between United States officers
and boomers and thirty boomers Were taken
prisoners. Seven of them were severely
wounded and one deputy marshal was
slightly hurt
raid was made by United States deputy
marshals Thursday afternoon on boomers
who had diregarded the law and taken up
claims in Oklahoma For several days men
on horseback and in wagons have been seen
fording the South Canadian north Of Pur-
cell and disappearing in the timber TO the
eastward
Thursday morning at sunrise thirteen
prairie schOonerss well manned, crossed the
Santa Fe tracks below the city and forded
the river The drivers urged their animals
with whip and clubs and the train was
across and out of sight before many of
the residents of Purcell were stir
ring A prominent citizen saw them,
however and he acquainted others
who have staked out claims and hope to
occupy them soon after noon Monday
next. The story soon gained general circu-
latiOn and before noon q meeting was held
in the Methodist church The chief
deputy marshal was called upon to do his
duty, and Immediately rallied his men In
a couple of hours accompanied by thirteen
assistants, he started in pursuit of the
trespassers About four miles out
one of the men noticed a thin
cloud of smoke arising above the
cottonwoOds to the right. A halt was
called and three of the party accommodated
They discovered four wagons about $40 feet
from the trail and five men seated around n
fire eating their dinner. These We're uncer-
enormously ordered to hitch up" The
chief deputy told them that if they delayed
their outfits would be confscated
The enterpriSing boo erv were thorough
" scared and in less than fifteen minutes
were on the back trail in charge of one
of the deputies, who was ordered to
escort them across the river and
then picket the fording- place until
his comrades returned The latter de-
ployed as skirmishers and advanced
slowly several miles Suddenly shot was
heard on the left and bullet clipped leaf
above the head of one of the party. A min
ute later volley rang out in 'front.' and the
ony ridden by one of the deputies sank to
the ground with bullet in the head
The chief of the deputies is noted for his
bravery, and he called out for his men TO
charge" Each had unslung his Win
chester, and all surged forward They
fired into the thicket and shouted like
madmen There was no response for
several minutes, and the men began to
think they had dispersed the assailants
They soon discovered their mistake. A
man popped from behind log and fired at
them, and this was the signal for another
fusillade from his friends. He retreated
down a ravine Just in time to escape the
fire of the d puties, who continued to aSl-
vance and pump their reporters
deputies discovered a rough barricade
of logs and brush across the en-
trance. and simultaneously a voice ex-
claimed: Now give it to them, boys" A
sheet of flame poured from the face of the
barrier and another shower of bullets sped
toward the officers, They had been suf-
ficiently warned, however, and but one of
their number was hit, and his wound was
not serious.
The chief deputy ordered a retreat and
gathered his men about him for council of
war 1t was evident that the barricade was
quite heavily manned and that a direct as
sault would prove disastrous, therefore it
was decided to divide the party and attack
the TANKS of the enemy. This movement
brought the deputies directly above the
barricade. At a given signal they began
shooting from the top of the ravine right
into the midst of the boomers, who were
utterly unable TO defend themselves
from such an attack Ten minutes
of rapid firing ensued and then a
cry for quarter went up from the bar
ricade. We surrender" shouted man
when the firing ceased. The blood pouring
from a wound in his forehead attested that
he knew he had had enough hasty adj
vance TO the fort and the officers were in
charge of thirty prisoners, seven of
whom We're severe V wounded Two
of these Thomas Mullins and David
Winship will probably die. Mullins has a
bullet in his left lung and Winship one in
his abdomen; MARGIN Fallon, of Gainesville,
Tex. received a ball in his left thigh; John
T. White of Fort Worth, was struck i'm the
shoulder; Samuel DOdd. of North Carolina
has deep cash in his forehead; Edward
Frabishey, of Texas, suffers a shattered
arm; John Young of Louisiana, is shot
through the shoulder
The prisoners. all of whom had rifles and
revolvers and plenty of ammunition. were
disarmed the wounded cared for as well as
possible under the circum stances, and the
march to Purcell was taken up The way
Ons and personal property OF the boomers
were destroyed The gang were all
Southerners, mostly from Texas, and pre-
scented a fOrlorn appearance.
Mcintosh and the other prisoners were
taken to the prison pen, five miles south
west OF Purcell, and placed under a strong
guard.
THREE BROTHERS KILLED.
Fort SMITH, Ark, April - Tuesday last
five brothers named Arnold, who reside in
Choctaw Nation near this place, started
with their teams for Oklahoma rnmor
reached here late this evening that three
of them were killed on the road. They at
tempted to pass other boomers on the road
which resulted in the fight for the right of
way, Albert Ward and Jones Arnold being
killed 1t is not stated whether any one
was killed on the other side. The ArnOlds
are well known as railroad contractors
WICHITA, Kan, April John Murphy,
a member of the Improvement Company,
met John Horton, a member of the League,
at o'clock Monday morning and quarrel
followed 1t was stopped by party of the
friends of each, but revolvers and Win
chesters were called into requisition and
firing was kept up in the main streets
of Purcell until daylight The cOntending
parties being under cover, the firing did not
result as seriously as it was feared it might
Three of the town-site men were injured
Tom Myers being shot in the head, Joe Mar
tin in the arm and one Simpkins (colored)
was struck in t5o leg. At daylight the
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