The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-08-28
NO MANS LAND MURDER,
Tho Case Of Cyrus Freasc and His
Friends,
A Complete History Of tho oele-
brated Case.
Prominent oitizens Dragged Thousands
OF Miles From Home, and Convicted on
evidence That Had Been Purchased

The following from the Cincinnati In
quIrer will he Of much interest here SIX
men are In jail al Paris Texas, under sen
tonee OF death,
They we're convicted Of what 10 known
Aa the 'No Mans Land" murder
The case ID attracting great auenu9n
throughout the country, aud eapeelally w
this section, as one Of the condemned 10
irom Ohio,
An effort il being made to secure elem
ency for the men, 40 ihere arc grave
doubts as 10 their guilt, "No Mans i.allu
N small strip between the states OF hah'
sas and Texas, The prisoners were prom
inent citizens Of lugerlon, kann ana
we're dragged 1850 miles from home and
friends for trial, There
HAD BEEN soME CONTENTION
Bstween the town Of llugerion and Wood
vile, near the Texas line, over the county
seat which was at the former town,
A prominent attorney Of Woodvllle ana
n man named Robinson could not agree
an some matters, and Robinson went 70
Hugerton 10 reside, Constable Short was
sent from Woodylle 70 serve warrant
on him. lie hallooed 10 him from the
street and then shot at him twice while he
was alttIng In his own door. The conala'
ble also shot al another Hugerton man,
missing both, and then rode back TO
Woodyille
few days aiterward some hugerlon
men. with their wives and children, took
carriages and went into "No Mans Land'
for a picnic and 10 hunt and fish, A man
named Cross aud about seven other Wood
vile men went ont 70 hunt them, They
surrounded the picnic party ~ small
adobe hut, where they we're cooking ana
eating dinner, and told them that II any
ons attempted 20 move they would shoot
him, Robinson having q heet horse
mounted
AND RAN rIm GAUNTLET,
Five OF the men pursued him.. firing az
him 40 long aH they could Keep ~ highl oi
Nm. The Hugerton men asked leave OF
the Woodyille party left on guard 70 soma
ihs women aud children 20 q place oi
aAfety. which was not granted, SO ihey
mt the women aud children In their car
rIapes, aprang In with them and drove
,anldly away, and reported matters ht
home, Robinson not returning by morn
Inc, Ills wife and friends became very
anxious, aud eight men went TO ilnd hiin'
Another body OF men wont out from
Woodylle 20 attack them, Robinson not
returning by afternoon Mrs, Rohinaon,
fenrlnu he lad been wounded or killed,
begged the Hugcrton men 20 20 In search
OF him and bring him home, alive ordead,
and end the terrible suspense.
Nine Of the best citizens OF lugorton
Went ON horseback and In carriages 10
byinp him home. Among them was
Cyrus Freaso, a merchant, once Captain
An the Nineteenth Regiment OF ONO vol
unteers, formerly Of Canton, ONO Iht
Hon. {. u, Cook, a candidate for Congress
and his brother we're also IN the parry
They we're all excellent mon, ANA quiet,
neneenblo citIsrna, going Tor humnuitys
snke. and doing nvighhorly duty 70 the
gfisf.strlclon wife aud friends Thcy
Travelled along into mo Mans Land
mud met Robinson aud the mon who hhd
gone out from llugcrtOu IN The morning
Robinson had bocn riding about thirty
miles south, and was unhnrmcd, ltbcing
near night, they concluded to
40 DOWN AMoSu TUE HAY'MARERs
Al the hny.atac,s and stay over night
The boraomen and carriages were Ming
along the road. Cyrus FrcasC, Hon, G, E,
Cook aud brother being In the last car
aagoa. After awhile they heard hiring In
iho distance, and IN ABOUT twenty minutes
thcy arrived nt the hny-siOcks, They found
four dead mon, and one, u boy wounded,
One Of the dead men was Cross, who came
from WoodyIllo In the morning 90 Kill the
Hupcrtou mon, TIE others were his COM
DanIona, Who did the killing Nv only
known 10 those who did the firing, but
Cyrus Frcnso aud Hon G, Il, Cook and
brother were not there nt the tlmo OF the
nhoolng, They arrived twonty minutes
nft0r thoahots woto fired, This was proved
In Court by the wounded boy aud two Of
tho hny.mnkcrs, Cyrus Froaac, Cook and
brother were not molostcd for over year
No ono ever charged them with the muir
dor but "A WoodvlllC attorney and n Few OF
bis friends had failed OF their vengeance,
and wcrO quietly at work with such men
na thoy could use. They shaped up mat
tOrA until they thought they could make
out case, aud then they had eight mon
OF Hugertou, who had committed no
crime but had only done Kind and
neiqhbory service, arrested for murder
Robinson was not arrested. They were
takon 1000 miles away from home 10 the
little town OF Paris, TcNn
THRUST INTO PRISON
And tried Tor murder, They were away
from friends By whom they could have
proved their irrcpronchablo character
They had never supposed otherwise than
they would be readily acquitted. When
tho Jury rendered the verdict OF guilty OF
murder In the first degree not only were
the prisoners nstonishod, but the people
OF Paria were also horror-stricken.
When asked by the Judge whether he
had anything TO say why the sentence
Ahould not bo passed, Cook said
@HAyo anything 10 say why the sen.
tenco OF death should not bo passed
aRainat ne? I have. owe II 10 myself (;
owe II 70 my family who are near and
doar 10 me, | owe II 10 tho state from
which I came; owe II 70 these people
who have boiriendod us, ] owe II TO- my
God 10 say that / am innocent OF the
charge OF which / am convicted. We
hnVo been draRqed over one thousand
miles from home, from frlendsand nolgh-
bors. 20 be tried for this great crime
among strangers We have boon stripped
Of tho constitutional right Of u trial by u
Jury OF our poors and neighbors, who arc
aoGuninted with the good character OF the
defendants and are able 70 Judge OF the
cf0dbility OF witnesses who were TO tosti'
~ .ainst us
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY WITNESSES
Have boon brought here, on on average
oTponse OF $3.50 each, 10 testify against
these defendants. / have no word OF
consuro against the court or jury, but there
bau bocn one OF tho counsel CON
nected with this prosecution
who has brought men hero TO swear
nRninst these defendants, and has out OF
Ihom, In dark alleys and back rooms, con-
cocted porjurod evidence, by which these
defondnnts have boon condemned. As an
illustration of the character Of this evil
donco, / call the Courts attention 70 the
testimony OF one Fox who gwore that
ho had conversation with VIM, OCon
ner ON the 2sth OF July, 1898, one day after
the killing, and that O'Conner told hin
We had killed five, and now demanded
sam Wood and Ed Short that wo might
Kill them and then shake hands In peace
II was proved bya dozen witnesses tina