The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-26
"A BLOODY HIGHWAY.
Record OF tho Grimes Committed
f. On a Kansas Road.
"A tavorite Resort OF Thieves and My
T. derers Who Plundorcd and
Killed ut Every OPP
- portunity.

!
Grouse Creek road, in Cowley county,
sas attained on une nviable nptoriety
curing the last few years. To the ghost
nuhter II would prove n rich field, for
mere can be found enough horrors to
!ully satisfy the most morbid imagina-
,.ion. A few years ago cattleman,
known rs Dave Bright, was driven in a
mack on this road from Arkansas City,
beaten scnscless and robbed of $780, A
little further down, ut Silvcrdalc rail
way station, George lair was shot and
killed while trying to rob the postofficc.
Near where the road crosses Grouse
creek, known as Estus ford, United
States Richard Walk er, unaided except
by his Winchester rifle, captured a
party of five horse thieves who had
campcd there, preparing for /, raid prior
to run down into the territory. He
was more fortunate than the city mar
shall of Coffcyvillc, who, with posse of
five men, rode into camp of three
horsc-thicves, near the same spot, and
demanded their surrender. The mar
shal was shot down by the leader of the
thieves, when the posse fired volley,
bringing down the murder. Both men
were carried to Il little log schoolhousc
near the creek, where they were ten
derby cared for until both the officer and
the outlaw died Il few minutes later.
Tho latter was buried beside the road
and the marshal was carried home to
his mourning family. At Estus ford an
old man named Kicth 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
schoolhousc which had sheltered the
murdered officer and lis slayer, within
q 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 thcfts that
finally IL vigilance committee arrested
High lager, who was suspected Of be-
ing one of the gang. They took him out
to Grouse creek and hanged him from
a. trec until he was almost dead He
~''~ NV NciiiSs's,' Gnu WAS luIncu
loose. Only little farther down the
road Il horse thief named Tollcs was ar
rested after Il brief battle IN which no
one was injured. This time the right
man was secured and he is now serving
n long term in the pcnitcntiary. A
short time Since John Seelcy, 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 IL little
bridge over Grouse creek. Farther up
the creek is an island on which an old
man named Tournicr was killed, while
eastward in the valley and only a 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 an
island formed at the junction of the
two rivers was at one time regularly
fortified camp, where n tough gang
might be found at any time. AS the
country became settled the lawlcss ele-
ment sought shelter down in the rough
country of Indian territory, but the rec
ord of Grouse creek road has become n
more bloody one.