, 1889-11-08
THE FIRST KILLING.
A Murder at the Crook County
Town Of Newcastle.
Rev. Raiders Impressions of the
Future Great City.
Crook Voted on the Constitution
Mr.. C~offeen's Work.

Rev. d. L. RAIDER. who left the new
Crook county town of Newcastle last FRI
day. reaching home Yesterday afternoon.
tells of a tragedy occurring there Oct 30.
A railway contractor named Swobe en-
tered one of the numerous saloons with
three companions and stood treat several
times. George Taylor, a one armed des-
Dorado who served the liouor, finally
made an insulting demand for settlement
of the score. Swobe gave an evasive re-
ply, when Taylor leveled a six-shooter at
him. The contractor had no thought that
murder was in the fellows mind and
reached across the bar for the weapon.
The trigger was pulled and Swobe fell
with the exclamation. MY God, the cow
ard has murdered me-" He was uncon-
scious when picked up and blood was
gushing from a frightful wound in his
breast. He lived about thirty hours, but
was never able to make a statement. The
murderswas witnessed by at least thirty
men.
Taylor was for years rated one of the
worst men in the Black Hills region. In
a terrible hand to hand u with an
adversary who was armed with a murder.
GUS knife Taylor, while trying to remove
the top of his antagonists head, fred a
bullet into his own arm. An amputation
saved his life, much to the regret of repu-
BILE citizens. ~
TOWN OF NEWCASTLE.
The Burlipgton's favored town and the
prospective metropolis of Crook county
reminds Wyoming's Methodist superin-
tendent of Leadville N the early days.
1t is a hip-hurrah place where a rough
class makes things lively. Every other
building is a saloon and the intermediate
structures are gambling houses. Indoor
brawls and street fights are in progress
nearly all the time. The inadequate
force of executive officers seem utterly
unable to preserve order. The better ele-
ment hopes to soon gain control.
Newcastle's population is between 500
and 600. Tents are everywhere. There
is not the usual Main street of the from
tier town, but buildings are scattered over
a big area. Fitzpatrick Bros. & Collins,
the Burlington contractors, have erected
a fine brick block and many substantial
structures are in process of erection.
The town has a newspaper, another en-
route. two hotels and a third about COM
pleted and a bank. 1t will doubtless soon
be incorporated.
When Rev. DR.. RAIDER lett the railway
was still twenty-six miles away, but the
grade was completed aud the line is two
miles nearer the bristling village every
evening.
At Newcastle there is a ten foot meas
ure of excellent coking coal and it is beng
opened up as rapidly as possible. There
seems to be ar e1haustless supply of this
superior fuel. For miles around there is
known to be oil beneath the surface and
many petroleum claims are already taken.
There has been not a little drilling and
the owners are pleased at the outlook.
This magic city is the center of an i'm
mense tract of fertile land and the country
is streaked with streams. Mr.. RAIDER
says this section is one of the favored por-
tons OF Crook county and that the latter
is second to none in the State of Wy
omlng.
Sundance. the Crook capital is fifty
miles from Newcastle. Everyone expects
that the Burlington will be built from the
new town to Lead City and that ores will
be hauled from the latter vicinity for re-
duction to the Newcastle smelters.
In one Newcastle hotel a room 20x17
contained twenty-eight beds. The rush
to the place is simply a stampede.
NEWCASTLE CHURCH.
Superintendent RAIDER effected at New
castle the preliminary ORGANIZATION of a
Methodist congregation and left L. III.
Skinner in charge of the flock. The citi.
zens promised to build a church and the
edi6ce is doubtless now under way.
CROOK VOTED.
Joe Stotts of Sundance printed a big
lot OF statehood ballots and managed a
volunteer election. Polls were opened at
Sundance, Beulah, Jenkins and Young
and not less than 500 votes, nearly all af-
firmative. were cast in Crook county last
Tuesday. Stotts worked like a Trojan.
At jenkins and Young the ladies were
especially active and made a determined
canvass for the constitution.
H NORTHWEST.
Hon. Fl. A. Coffeen. Mr.. RAIDER said,
deserved the highest commendation for
his aggressive and untiring statehood cam
paign in Sheridan county, his home. This
bright and loyal citizen was indicate
gable in his work H, left his
business and like an apostle
OF old, spread the gospel. He ad-
dressed the people at farms. in school
houses, barns and fields and by his finished
forceful oratory induced many to Join the
onward march. The opposition was led