The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-09-30

Iildt SCCI!Cli. eiLii CttSti t'dl ~ iicV u|.4S
all sorts Of threats OF taking the land by
force. a force of deputy marsha.s and
deputy sherihs under the sheriff Of this
county had been despatched there to
preserve order, and it is believed that
they will be able TO maictaln peace.
One of the unique sights at Tohee
was company Of young ladies from
Guthrie, who had formed a colonization
company to proceed TO the new lands
and settle on adjoining claims. They
were mounted on Texas ponies and were
ettired as near as might be in cowboy
costume, armed with revolvers and
equipped for camping out. They made
the race in a body. So far as has been
ascertained, up to the present time no
serious conflict has taken place between
the rival .laimants, and the country has
been peacefully occupied.
Government supervision OF taa npan-
in9s Of the lands s0em' to have been
sadly deficient. The entire government
force was composed Of TWO companies
of United States troops, or t"o hundred
men, and the forces Of three United
States marshals, numbering about two
hundred and fifty men. Of these latter,
fifty were sent to Langstcn to preserve
peace between the cowboys and negroes;
fifteen we're required ateach Of the three
land offices. and twenty-five at Tohee.
Or the regular troops, Il squad OF men
were stationed at each Of the two coun.
ty seats. This left only some 800 men
to patrol borders of about 200 miles IN
extent, or one man to every two-thlrds
of a mile of border. The men, however,
were not stationed at regular intervals.
In some places there w're ten and HI
teen men to the mile, while at others
there were stretches OF five or ten miles
entirely unguarded. Under these con-
ditions it might have been expected that
pun bers OF boomers would enter before
the appointed time, and they did. Two
miles north of Tohee about 200 boomers
had gathered on secluded spot, know
ing that the government force would be
massed at the border towns. They had
all set their watches three hours ahead
last night so that their testimony would
agree if ever their claims should be con-
tested on the ground Of their being
''sooners.'
At 9 O'Clock their watches all indica-
ted the hour OF noon, and they rushed
over the border and began the fray tor
the. choice sections. The ''sooners" at
other unguarted portions of the border
were also very numerous, and it IS esll-
mated from all reports that the number
of settlers who entered the land before
the leg II time was tully 5000.
Tohee this morning was an Indian
town just over the Iowa border, due east
from this place; tonight it Is white
mans city OF 1900 inhabitants: 1t fell
into the hands Of the Town Site COM
panv, organized here by the president
OF the Board of Trade, the president OF
the First National bank, James Mcneil,
and the city marshal OF Guthrie. a rep
resentative OF the company returned 10
this place this afternoon and Tiled at the
land office plat OF q town and county
claims. He reports that an election was
held this afternoon, at which McNell
was chosen mayor.
AT Il point live miles below Tohee
quite a number o! boomers were ya,ll-
cred to make the race. Among them
was one woman whose name has not
been learned. whose impatiencc got the
better OF her discretion. She crossed
the line before the appointed time and
one oI tgc deputy marshals guarding the
party arrested her and forced her back
over the line. Soon afterwards she
again crossed the line prematurely and
when the deputy Il second time ordered
her back she drew revolver from her
dress pocket and opened lire upon him.
The marshal returned the fire, and shot
her in the LETT leg just below the knee,
shattcriny the limb. She was unable TO
make the race when noon arrived. The
boomer was LETT this side OF the border
stretched under tree unable to move.
4 humane hack driver brought the un-
fortunate womau to this place, where
she is being cared Tor.
The story every arrival from Lang
Ston agrees that there has been rlotlngg
lttween negro settlers AMI cowboys.
No lai;,!itics are reported as resulting.