The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-05
RED BONES DECLARE WAR
A FREE FOR-ALL FIGHT IN LOUIS
lana.

Nine Reported Killed and Sixteen
Wounded-Cettlemen After Those
Who Commit Depredations Upon
Their Property - The "Ashworth
People" Long a Terror to the Neigh
borhood.
ST. LOUIS. Mo-, Aug. A dispatch
from Orange, Tex. says: "Bender Sanders.
who has just returned from Lake Charles,
La, confirms the report of a riot at Lock
Moore & Co.'s ranch. The last report he
heard was from wounded man who left
the scene at o'clock yester-
day, who stated that fourteen
men were killed and two were missing. 10
was free-for-all fight between the Red
Bones and cattle thieves. Sanders says that
many different reports were being circu-
lated and nothing more authentic could bs
learned. Officers and physicians have gone
to the scene"
ANOTHER REPORT OF THE RIOT.
Another report of the riot coming from
West Lake, La, is TO the effect that dis
pute was caused by the breaking out of an
old feud between a band Of robbers known
as the Ashworth gang, and the cattle men
of that section. The former. it is said, had
been committing depredations upon the
community for quite time and
they had killed a number of cattle.
They had been notified by the rsnchmen TO
desist and leave the country. but the gang
continued their proceedings, and at last
they were caught and fight began. The
Red Bones are the leaders of che cattle
men. A man named Webb. it is said, led
the gang Of toughs and killed three men
in less than minutes time.
SIXTEEN WOUNDED.
late report increases the number OF
wounded TO sixteen.
A special from Orange, Tex, to the POST
Dispatch gives a partial list of killed and
wounded as follows:
Killed-Dyson, Marion, Markle, Lee Per-
kins, Owen Ashworth, all of "Red Bones"
gang. and Jesse Ward, one of the cattle
men.
Wounded Willette, Dupree and Lecomb.
The latest reports are to the effect thab
everything is quiet. The coroner has gone
to the scene, and an investigation is now
going on.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
HoUsToN, TEX, Aug. 4-News Of war
on much more than ordinarily extensive
plan has reached here as having occurred
some twelve or fourteen miles from West
Lake, on Lock, Moore a. Co.'s logging
| tramway. In the battle, as reported
neEHs ulu5 Uneu WbIo hAlieu duu bA4bo6n
wounded. The point at which the
encounter occurred is just on the line OF
| Texas and Louisiana, and the Reighborhoodd
hasfong been the headquarters Of q gang
whose depredations have made them a ter
ror 60 all who have any permanent interest
| there. It is known that some of them
| reside on the Louisiana side and others in
| Texas, and it has been the custom for the
forays into each state to be made by those
from the other side, thus escaping the
| penalty of the law and at the same time
sharing unlawful gain.
GANG OF HALF-BREEDs.
This gang is known as "Ashworth peo-
ple,n and is made up mostly Of a lot Of half-
breeds who take delight in stealing cattle
and fighting.
The cattle owners Of the section have
lived in dread of these men and suffered
severely at their hands for a long time, and
at last the ranchmen had sent them notice
| that they must desist or take the conse4
| quences, not only this, but that they must
leave the country. The depredations con-
| tinued, however, and so bold did they become,
that the cattlemen found it necessary to
| organize and arm in order to protect them
selves and property. The Red Bones are
leaders OF the cattle men, and when it was
| learned that the gang was again on foray
they called their men together and set OUT
to find the marauders. They suspected a,
man named Morris as the leader Of the
thieves and ordered him to leave. Morris
was supported by the whole strength OF his
| faction and dehed cattle men to Danish him or
compel him TO leave. The quarrel grew
bitter and one of the Ashworth crowd.
named Ward, drew his gun and shot Red
| Bone Peter Dyson. Then the battle began.
| The firing became general, and Marion
| Markle and Lee Perkins Of the Red Bones
were killed and Willette, Dupree and Le-
comb were wounded. Hostilities then
ceased for time, but in the afternoon
another attack was made on
the railway people by the cattles
men, in which William Swan Of the
Red Bones and John Owen and Henry
Ashworth Of the other party were killed.
DIR. Meyers and his brother, who had come
to attend the wounded, were fired on by
train boys, but were not hurt. 1t is i'm
possible to get the exact number Of wounded,
Hs the men were carried away by their
friends. Word was sent to Lake Charles
for a sheriff's posse and a coroner, the
presence Of the latter seemingly being mosp
important.