Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-03-07
A RIOT IN KANSAS.
Sanguinary Election Fight in
the Town Of Harper.
A Proposition to Issue Railroad
Bonds Results in Bloodshed.

A hundred men or moro have had a do
perate fight with guns knives, clubs AMI
various other weapons at Harper. Kan
When the battle ended two men had received
their death wound and nearly q dozen 9TH
ers were cut, bruised or shot, several Of them
50 badly that there is little chance OF their
recovery.
The trouble grew out Of a railroad bond
election, and the stealing Of their ballot
boxes, which have not Vet been found. Re
ports from the scene OF the conflict, which Is
seventy miles southwest Of Wichita, agree
that large number OF men were badly in
jured the list 50 far aS definitely ascertalned
being rs follows:
Tom Sabin "A cowboy slsSh"i with knife
afterwsrd died. john Tilio-d, a merchant,
mortal wounds: Robert c. Thomas, badly
cut probably fatally in jured; Henry Morgan,
shot in arm, head bruised; John Mulvcy, cut
in left side and hit with stone; Clarence
Logan, head badly bruised: Oscar Reed. shot
in the neck; Samuel Clayton, left leg badly
hurt by bullet amputation probably neces
sary; Silas Adams dangerous knife wound
IN the breast; Thomas clancy, frlEhtfully
cut on neck and shoulder, left ear cut
off; Mike Murphy, nose broken and left
eye knocked out: an unknown man from
Anthony. cut in the abdomen, injuries likely
10 be fatal.
An election was held at Harper 10 vote on
the proposition TO issue 100000 in bonds 70
the Salina and Cult road. The project was
bitterly resisted by many Of the leading cit
liens and as bitterly advocated by others.
For a week both parties had made every Of
fort to carry or defeat the proposition
The fight over the bonds was complicated
and made bitter by the fact that Anthony,
rival town three miles west of Harper. prom
iSed to issue the bonds if the railroad COM
pany would locate Its line at that place. Cit
liens living between the two towns were also
deeply interested in the struggle, and when
the election was held at Harper the town
was filed with interested outsiders anxious
to take Il hand in the matter
The company preferred to run its line
through Harper if the bonds could be voted,
and had sent a large gang Of graders and
other employees to help carry the project
through.
Many stormy scenes were witnessed at tie
polls during the day, and half dozen fights
took place, but general riot was prevented
by the GOODNESS of the leaders. When the
polls closed it was believed that the bouds
had carried. The ballots were not all
counted, and during the night the boxes con
tanning the votes were stolen and disposed OF
so effectually that they have hot yet been
found.
The only ward estimated as going against
the bonds was the First, and its ballots were
not stolen. When the affair became known
the next day there was great excitement. The
railroad crowd had number of arrests
made, and warrants were sworn out for
others who could not be found. An effort
WAS made to arrest Tom Sabn, who has been
q cowboy in his day. He made a fight, and
his friends joining, hundred men IN few
minutes became engaged in desperate battle
with the results stated above.