Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-12-16
A BLOODY HIGHWAY.
Record of the Crimes Committed
 on a Kansas Road.
Favorite Resort of Thieves and Mur. derers Who Plundered and Killed at Every Op-
 pOrtunity.

Grouse Creek road, in Cowley county, has attained an une nviable notoriety during the last few years To the ghost hunter it would prove a rich field, for here can be found enough horrors to fully satisfy the most morbid imagina- tion. A few years ago a cattleman, known as Dave Bright, was driven in a hack on this road from Arkansas City, beaten senseless and robbed of $100. A little further down, at Silverdale rail way station, George Blair was shot and killed while trying to rob the postofice. Near where the road crosses Grouse creek, known as Estus ford, United States Richard Walker, unaided except by his Winchester rife, captured a party of five horse thieves who had camped there, preparing for raid prior to run down into the territory. He was more fortunate than the city mar shal of Coffeyville, who, with posse of five men, rode into camp of three horse-thieves, near the same spot, and demanded their surrender. The mar shal was shot down by the leader of the thieves, when the posse fired a volley, bringing down the murder. Both men were carried to little log schoolhouse near the creek, where they were ten derly cared for until both the officer and the outlaw died few minutes later. | The latter was buried beside the road and the marshal was carried home to his mourning family. At Estus ford an old man named Kieth was knocked | from his horse, robbed, bound and | gagged, taken across the creek and turned loose on the burned prairie to | make his way the best he could, bare footed, to Arkansas City. In the log schoolhouse which had sheltered the murdered officer and his slayer, within few feet of the grave that could still be plainly seen, Tom Armstrong was captured by the sheriff of Cowley county. Armstrong had shot and killed James Riley in front of his own store in Arkansas City, and had fled to the old rendezvous. Down this trail, or road, many stolen horses had been led across the river out of reach of danger. So numerous had become these thefts that finally vigilance committee arrested High Hager, who was suspected of be- ing one of the gang. They took him out to Grouse creek and hanged him from tree until he was almost dead He did not confess, and was finally turned loose. Only little farther down the l EOdu d uOTSS Uu1S1 uduOO 4O11SS " dS rested after brief battle in which no one was injured. This time the right man was secured and he is now serving long term in the penitentiary. A short time since John Seeley, another man afflicted with desire to appropri- ate other peoples horses, was arrested and taken to Guthrie. He had taken shelter in one of the draws immediate ly beside the road. Later on comes the murder of Lee West, who was shot and killed just as he had crossed a little bridge over Grouse creek. Farther ur the creek is an island on which an old man named Tournier was killed, while eastward in the valley and only short distance from the road the body of an unknown man was found shot through the forehead. In the early days this section of the state was said to be the headquarters for horse thieves. On ar island formed at the junction of the two rivers was at one time a regularly fortified camp, where a tough gang might be found at any time. As the country became settled the lawless ele ment sought shelter down in the rougf country of Indian territory, but the rec ord of Grouse creek road has become { more bloody one,