The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-09-29
Two Men Killed and Several
Wounded In a County
Seat Fight.
Great Excitement Prevails and Blood
shed in the Future Is
Expected.
Philadelphia Court Holds the
@Kreutzer Sonata as Not
0bscene---General News.

LAMAR, COL. sept. 27.--Rival county seat
factions in Baca county, fought a pitched
battle ON the plains Saturday night la which
two men were killed and half a scoro
wounded. The county WAS created from
Las AnImas county BY the legislature over
q year ago. and the scat Of the local govern
mcnt was placed temporarily at Springfield.
This did not suit the people OF Boston, which
claims 20 be the hub of the county, and
they 'swore with horrid oaths written In red
Ink that they would have the court house
In their town or shere would be blood stains
on the sands OF Baca county Springfield,
they said, did not have tho $1,000 worth of
public property necessary to hold the county
capital, and at the next election they would
snow Springfield under and move the seat OF
government To Boston. The Springfield peo-
Pile sat down aud thought, and the result was
a scheme to make the Hubite= sick, They
quietly went 10 work and bought an unoc-
cupied hotel Rt Roston that was sold at
auction. The next thing was to get IL tn
Springfield, make court house of Il, and
defy Boston aud the world. Saturday night
q party left Springfield for Boston with
machinery 90 move the building to the
former town for use as . court house. and
prevent the county scat Issue from being
raised this fall on the ground Of insufficient
property. Rollers were put under tho build
Ing, which ls three stories high and the
finest IN the county. and twenty teams were
hitched % Il. Inside the house were
stationed twelve men armed with Winches-
ter rifles. Tho building was moved about
ave mites toward Springfield, which, l. about
twenty Ave miles from Boston, when the
people OF the latter place discovered the
trick and Immediately organized, All
available horses and rifles were brought
into requisltion and strong party started
In pursuit.
Upon overtaking the building movers the
pursuerx commanded a halt, which was an
swered by a volley OF shots from the men In
the building. fusilade was opened at
once ON tho structure, Winchesters, shot
guns reyoiveF~ and stones being used With
telling effect. Iu ave minutes the house
was without windows aud looked as though
/ a had hardly recovered from bad attack
OF smallpox. The 6re was kept up for some
time, the Springfield crowd OF movers beIng
beaten Of and the spartan band inside re-
ceiving the brInt OF the FIRE. Several OF
the attacking party foil seriously wounded
and the men In the building had not
escaped unhurt- The aght took on seri-
Gus HOOK anu II was feared thht
many lives would be sacrificed. Tke cry
was raised by the attacking party 20 fire the
buIlding and roast the daring few like rats
on burning ship. This called forth the
white flag from the eonlbatants inside and
they were allowed 10 beat hasty retreat
amid the jeers OF their victorious foes.
Coal oil was then procured and the floors
OF the house saturated. Fire was then APP
piled and the building reduced to ashes,
| Great excitement prevails, but owing TO the
| remoteness OF the scene, news ls hard 20 OBJ
tain. Parties arrived here last night from
| Springfield aud departed hurriediy, after
buying all the cartridges they could secure.
Several persons are reported a. dying from
4 their wounds.
The feeling between the rival towns has
been bitter since the election last fall. The
1 general assembly located the county seat az
| Springfield. bat only temporarily. Last
l fall the question was left 60 the voters, and
| Springfield had a small majority. This the
1 Boston people claimed was obtain ed by
4 fraud aud the most shameful manipulation
/ OF the ballots, However. no contest was
\ brought in the courts. Boston claiming that
i as Springfield did not have the $4,000 worth
| of county property necessary 20 make the
/ location permanent they would move the
i seat this fall O. their own town, There Was
| no building in Springfield suitable for q
/ court house. so the attempt was made 90
Import one from Boston