The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-06-26
shot Down in the Court Room at
HugotOn, Kan
BED OF A TOUGH NAMED BRENNAN.
zzss r1OsbIs Due to the County Seat war
Eg&ossd's EventfuI Career a Pioneer OF
Kansas and Up to His Untimely
Death.

>
= tteAdz2ee upon the court, which IS
-.itttug Aeree and got into an alteration
with B-ennan over the former troubles
Ser county seat wars and Brennan de-
UberaGe1y shot Wood down, killing him
-zaIszost instantly.
The murder of Col S. n. Wood. took
psz1z.e in the presence of his wife. Wood
Uas shot three times. dying in few
Enoments-
After the shooting Brennan deied
the officers and said that he would not
E1 arrested by Sheriff Cam, of this
ssounty, but would allow Sheriff Weir,
. Of Morton county, to take him, as he IS
"A citizen of that county.
The arrest was made and Brennan is
now IN charge of Sheriff Cam, who re
seiVed him from Weir directly after the
ssarFe@f-
Brennan is recognized as one OF the
tough characters of this section and
was one of the principal witnesses in
the famous Cross murder trial which
his recently been returned by the SUI
zn-eEue court for new hearing. He Is
one of the principal men in Hugoton
and has been prominent in all the
troubles over the county seat removal
questions
The killing is looked upon as cold
FLOODED affair as Wood was exciting no
trouble and was here attending a case
In court
Is
county over the seat troubles since July
-. 1888, when Sheriff Cross and party,
consisting of Hubbard, Wilcox, Eaton
a nj Tonney, were shot and the first
f0tsr killed, while the latter was left
for dead, at what is known as the hay
camp on the public land strip, or No
Mans Land. For this killing six citi-
zenSo of HugOton, Kan, were under SEN
eSnee ST death, passed by the United
States court at Paris, Tex.
For two years the citizens of the
rival EovVnssof Hugoton and WoOdsdale,
IN Stevens county, had been opposed in
deadly Eeud, growing out of county seat
-routeS rs and other rivalry
ENTFUL CAREER
Col. S:Isss Wood was IA native of Ohio. He
SEsas is9Tn at Mount Gilead, December 30, 1923
Hse was the son OF David and Esther Mosher
Wood Quakers. From cary youth he was
educated to uncOmprOmising opposition to
ssisTV and became an abolitiOnist OF the
most pEOnOunced type. At the age of 10 he
" IA -, tde chairman of the liberal party in
IIfs a8tive county and in 1884 he was admit
zcJi 20 sAs bar in Morrow county.
An ~siuRest oppOser of thr Kansas and Ne
l,rasa a Enuv Wood moved to Kansas in 1854 to
assert his principles in that fight. He To-
aEssS near Lawrence, where hs resided
z.uITuv the cxcItin,. times of 1855 and 1917
n Lr ,verv soon III lde n i'm prominent in
-zIhv AMI slavery party and he at once took d
-1prIsEs FASnt part in the early struggles, the
zaistCsry of his life being closely interwover
witt chat of Kansas as IA territory. He was
not SsnIr effective stump speaker but
der Iu1ians. He was a candi late for mem
ii; 49,: the AFst territorial legislature, but
- I-Nl N 0S4eac At q meeting out OF Whicl
" the ''WauEarusa war" he was one o
2t+= principal speakers He was a Kansas
@-t' gate 80 the Pittsburgh convention ii
Is g. 81 which the Republican party was mrs
ss-r med as national org gan izatiOn and at thS
-sLs+sequsnt con vention which nominated
Fremont for the pres idency.
wood was an extremist in everything h
did His Outspoken manner any and al
.sllBeoee 81 consequence often made hin
nEHgsl sid bitter eonntVGu q
ms political death But he was irrepressi
IlaIs ana would bob up serenely at the mex
seztz convention with much energy a
chr previous one when he had been so I'm
zzlercIfuIly sat down upon.
The GESt home of this pioneer on kanss
:soH was n claim taken in 1886 six Eliiss Yves
of Lawrence Here he erected small fran
hozss fOr his wife and two children an
ETvseG &keEs for short time only. He bot
Wre . and spoke in the cause of the FIRE
state p.sEty- HIS contributions to the fe'
newspapers OF the day were nUmeroui
EeSEesiy an issue passing of all papers nes
-cfEaEzeterlstic. rasping. personal articles
which he so delighted In attacking q
enemy He was thoroughly well posted 0
che Bible. having read il through more tina
GWsasE- I've times He had happy facult
az quoting oOPIOusiy fitting paragraphs
I'm 1859 Wood established the Kansas Pres
az CofeOnES-sd Falls. The same year he va
zEeEtsd sOdhe territorial Legislature and p
elected Ia 1854. He was afserward elected
zks senase aad ia each house was mad
sshaIgms2 ct shs Judiciary committee d
Was appointed collector of customs at Pas
<5e- E0Ete. Tex. by President Lincoln. bI
EesSg1sd at Sae breaking out OF the war.
As captain of She Kansas rangers Woo
won distinction at Wilson'S creek and
other haseIes He was removed so Mason
and placed at the head of FremOnt's batta
aoa and finally made lieutenant cOlons
AFTER che ne several times eIscts
70 the senate and house He was speaker
ahe house IA 1857. IN that year he estabIishs
she Chase County Leader. he was sppOiz
I'D judge OF the Ninth judicial district
ZsEg. During 1853 and 1870 he was engaged
SsAe cattle business in Texas In isI2 he Ia
She republican p arty, which he had help
SO found, and ardently supported Hora
s1Sress1ey for the presidency. From that tin
advocated financial and labor refor.
1z2king more advanced and radical Eyroun
shan either st the old parties He edited 3
Kansas Green hacker at Emporia from Is
1874 and was editor in-cBief of the Ea
ssas state Journal ia 1851 The same year
VA q candidate for congress from Z
Fourth congressional district and eontps az
she election OF Judge Peters