Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-06
COUNTY SEAT WAR
Judge Botkin of Kansas Fears
 for His Life.
PLOT TO KILL HIM Fo1LED.
Sheriff Dunn and Six Deputies Meet the
 Enemy and Disaster.

The Sheriff Killed and Several of His
 Men Wounded---TrOOps Sent to the
 Scene of the Feud By Governor Humph-
 ries---The Mob Awaiting to Kill the
 Judge as Soon He Appears.
 ARKALoN, Kas., Jan. GA bloody county seat war has broken out in this neighborhood and three State officers have already lost their lives while armed forces are now endeavoring to capture and murder a district judge. A bitter feud has been on in Stevens county ever since the killing of Sam Wood by James Brennan on June 23, 1891.
 This feud eliminated yesterday ill an ambush being laid by desperate men for the purpose of killing Judge Theodsius Botkin, but the timely warning gave the Judge opportunity to escape. Sheriff Dunn, with six deputies started out to find the ambushed men and ran into the ambushers and were fired upon. The sheriff was instantly killed and Sheriff elect Ray Guyman and Deputy Sid Nixon were badly wounded Judge Botkin was to hold court at Springfield yesterday.
 Seward county before its organization was part of Stevens county There is 8 county seat war on between Springfield and Arkalon. A mob composed of the | old Stevens county faction were deter mined that Botkin should not hold court at Springfield. The sheriff and posse were on their way to escort the Judge to his court. When near tbe Judges house a Mrs. Larabie ran to Judge Botkin's house and told him of bis danger. He | fled to Arkalon with his family and has taken refuge in a house while friends are holding the mob at bay. Friends of the Judge are calling on all able bodied law-abiding citizens throughout the coun ty to rally to his support
 Since July, 1888, there has been turmoil ill Stevens county. The county seat con test between Woodsdale and Hugoton cul- minated then in the massacre of Sheriff Cross and his deputies by Sam Robinson and his gang of twenty-seven men from HugotOn There was abatement | of the killing then until June B, last, | when James Brennan of Richfield, Nor | ton county, shot and killed Sam Wood of | w oodsdale, the acknowledged leader of the WcOdsdale faction. This killing oc- cured in front of tho little church in Hugoton, Judge Theodisus Botkin hay ing converted the church into q court room, where the June term of the Stevens | county DistLict Court was being held Brennan was arrested, and after two attempts to give him a trial on the charge of murder, he was taken back to the jail at Hutchison to await the third and last attempt to secure jury this month. | Since Woods death hostilities have l ceased in Hugoton, and now, apparently, | have been transferred over the boundary line into Seward County, which has been peaceful heretofore, though it has always been acknowledged that Springfield, the | county seat of Seward, has been in sym | pathy with Woodsdale and Arkalon, the prospective county seat in sympathy with | Hugoton. This feeling of favoritism | which inquest ipnably exists has evidently risen to that point where it became un- controllable, and the Springfield people have gone in to help out the Woodsdale faction.
 The direct cause of the projected attNck k on Judge Botkin is the fact that ever l since the feud began his sympathieS have been with Hugoton, though his home is at Springfield, in Seward County, forty miles away. James Brennan, who killed Sam Wood, Was his counsellor and friend, and travelled about with him on his judi cial journeys through the counties com prising the district
 Al the first attempt to try Brennan in September last at Hugoton, Judge Botkin refused to preside, for the reason, he said, that Brennan had been his friend. So nc trial was had nor any attempt made to secure q jury until November |, when Judge Wall, of Wichias, made the effort.
 TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 6.-Gov. Humphreys has sent q company of soldiers to the scene of trouble in Stevens County under command of Adjutnnt General Roberts They will reach the scene to-day.