, 1891-05-26

OMAHA, Nav 25.-Dunning, Neb.
Blaine county, is in mourning over the
unfortunate killing of Judge G. W.
AIkens, county treasurer and one of the
most popular and respected men in this
section of the state. Saturday night
Judge Aikens joiued a band of regulators,
who started out to round up some stock
thieves who had been preYiug upon the
cattle of raDchmen and farmers in this
vicinity for some time. Night before last
a farmer named Craig, living in The
southern part of the county, had lost two
steers Yesterday morning he started
out and traced the animals to DR..
Palmer's ranch, which is now vacant,
within three miles of Brewster, the
county seat. Some OF Craig neighbour
had accompanied in the search. Alter
c~onsultat on it was resolved to leave the
stolen steers where they were found, go to
Brewster and secure help. aud at night re-
turn and capture the thieves when they
came after the animals.
A large number of members of the
Anti stock Thief association OF the county
lplutl NIdiE anu us utlkuDOIs, duuDug
them beng Judge Aikens. They left
Brewster after dark and proceeded to
Palmer's ranch. where they threw out
pickets and awaited developments. About
IL o'clock Alex McAlvey. one of the men
who had been suspected of belonging to
the gang of cattle r%ustlers, rode up to the
ranch and started for the shack where the
stolen cattle had been hidden. He was
at once seized by the crowd and bound
hand and foot. After a large amount of
persuasion. in which a rope PLAYED an i'm
portant part, McAlVey confessed to the
crime and implicated several Others,
among them a negro named Eli Creigh-
ton, who McAlvey said had assisted in
running of Craig's steers and was ex-
pected to soon put in an appearance.
Ii was then decided to send McAlvey
to Brewster in charge of Judge Aikens,
aud the rest of the regulators scattered in
the hope of catching Creighton. Meal
vey was strapped to a horse which was
tied to Judge Aikeus' animal. The two
men had rome about a mile toward Brew
stor when two or three men we're heard
riding toward them. The night was very
dark, and it was impossible to distinguish
a person across the road. Judge Aikens
took the riders to be the negro Creighton
and some of his gang. and ordered them
to malt. Instead of that they opened fire.
The judge also pulled his gun and re-
turned the shots. but before he could fire
a second time he was shot through the
body and fell from his horse, dying in
stqntly. Almost at the same instant Nc
Alvey was pierced though the heart by a
bullet.
The men who had done the shooting
then rode hurriedly to Palmer's ranch
aud informed the vigilants on guard
there that they had killed two of the
thieves, The whole party returned to
the spot, and it was not till then that the
terrible mistake was discovered. A
young man named RittenhoCsc and two
friends were the ones who did the deadly
work, under the impression that Judge
Aikens and his prisoner we're cattle
thieves coming to McAlvcy's assistance.
They are nearly crazcd at the terrible re-
suit OF their mistake. The whole trouble
was caused by failure to comply with the
rules of the Anti-Stock Thief Assocrt-
ton. which provide hat in an emer-
gency OF this kind a signal and pass
word shall be agreed upon by those par
ticipating, No arrests have been made.