The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-07
Critical Stage Of the County,
Seat War in Kansas.
Armed and Desperate Rioters Confronted
With State Militia.
Rescue Of Prisoners Threatened Governor
Humphreys Determined to Arrest the
Leaders Of the Conspiracy.
EICCisl TO THE MORNING CALL.

KANSAS CITY. Jan. Ga special TO the
journal from Arkalon, Klaus, says:
Forty as determined and desperate men as
can be found on the border and armed to
the teeth, barricaded behind the wall Of the
Courthouse at Springfield; forty soldiers as
determined to dislodge them and bring them
70 Justice; number Of soldiers are guarding
three Of the murderous mob arrested to-
day. under orders to shoot them before sur
rendering them to their companions in
crime, who will probably endeayor to re-
lease them before daydawn. Still more
soldiers are guarding the house of Judge
Botkin from an attack Of the enemy bent
upon taking his life. Such is the situation
tonight at the scene Of the atrOcious killing
Of Sheriff Dunn yesterday.
ARRIVAL or TROOPS.
At2:45 o'clock to-day Adjutant- General
Robert reached here with seventy five troops
under command Of Colonel Rickseeker Of
Sterling. The company Is formed of part
OF Company L Of Hutchinson aud II
of Sterling of the Kansas National
Guard, and they met General Roberts
at the former place this morning. The in
tention OF General Roberts is to assist the
only constituted authorities in the execution
the law. He IS not here, he says, to take
anybOdy'S part On any side.
At Mneola word was received that the
W0odsdale people had taken possession Of
the Courthouse at Springfield, and Judge
Botkln is at Arkalon waiting Te-ent0rce-
ments to help him open court.
At Mead 1t was found that BOtkin asked
that town for help, chiefly in the way of
arms. 1t will be remembered that his first
telegram to the Governor was not for troops,
but for arms. He seems 10 think there are
men enough here. but they are not sut1i-
cienty equipped for the emergency.
Judge Ellis Of Pratt, where the family OF
the dead Sheriff Dunn resides, came in on
the train with the intention Of taking the
body home He accompanied the late
>herld's eldest sOI. At ATkalOn Judge
BOtElu and his followers were awaiting the
arrival Of the train, all armed with VIM
chesters Judge Bntkin himself carried a
big six-sh0oter in his cartridge belt and
many others were similarly armed. His vest
was uubuttOued 10 the cutting wind and
not one in the town wore any covering on
the hands IN OTder thai the greatest free
dom might be preserved aud the quickest
kin's first speech to Adjutant- General Rob
erts was that he wanted arms. He would
rather have fifty armed aud mounted depu-
ties than all the milltiamen in Kansas.
THREATENED RESCUE OF PRISONERS.
To-day Butkin wired to the Governor
again to send hundred stand of arms. He
also wants troops kept here three weeks and
the county placed under martial law. Cen
eral Roberts has telegTaphed the Governor
for Instructions
Charles Orner and a man named Zandt,
both of Springfield, were arrested this morn
ing. They were in hiding in a canyon near
Judge BOtklnS house, three miles this side
Of Springfield. Yesterday afternoon B0tkin
himself arrested Bay Robinson of Fargo
Springs on the streets Of ATkalOn and
placed him under guard. The three men
are kept under separate guards to prevent
them from talking.
Word was received here that an attempt
would be made TO rescue the prisoners to-
night, upon receipt Of which report Botkin
ordered that they be SHOT before they are
surrendered.
About o'clock Company H. In charge Of
Colonel RickSecker. started for Springfield
in wagons TO aid Deputy Sheriff Larrabee,
If necessary, in serving thirty warrants Tor
arrest. Company 4, the reEimental band
and General Roberts remained here 70 as
siSt the deputies guarding the prisoners, and
be ready TO repel any attack. Company
took plenty of provisions, and the remaining
company established quarters in a vacant
store building; part Of Company ii at
the residence Of Judge B0tkin 10 do guard
duty tonight. At sundoWn the Judge
started from here for home, accompanied
by a big revolver and his Winchester.
ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE.
TOPEKA (kans.), Jan. 3. - Governor
Humphrey arrived at the Executive office
thi, morning. "If there is sufficient power
in ha Afufn I n lar
of this affair arrested" said he This is
about all that can be done"
Attorney General Ives, speaking Of the
remedy for lawiessness, said The trouble,
50 far as ! can ascertain, began with an at
tempt by Colonel Sam Wood to resist what
he asserted was the fraudulent organization
OF Stevens County, which organization was
subsequently, lcgaliZed by the Legisla-
ture There seems to be a general
mlscOnceptiOn Of affairs in that county
and the trouble Is usually attributed to the
cOunty-seat contest between WOodsdale and
HugOtOu. No such contest ever existed.
After the troubles resulting from an at
tempt TO prevent the organization of
Stevens County, a rival proposition for
bonding the county in favor OF rail
roads Intensified the feeling already started
between different factions, finally culmi-
mating in the murder Of Sheriff Cross and
others in the neutral strip AMI an attempt
to bring the alleged perpetrators Of that
crime to justice. Subsequently personal
troubles arising between Judge Bot
kin and Sam Wood had a ten
dency to spread hostilities. The result
Of the impeachment trial of Judge Botkin,
which ended in his favor famed the
smoldering embers into another fierce
flame, which eliminated in the assassina-
tiOn Of Sam Wood. June 23d last. The sub
sequent failure 10 obtain a jury fer the
trial OF Colonel Woods alleged assassins
added TO the confusion, producing a
feeling Of Insecurity among the law
abiding inhabitants, which has been
taken advantage Of by the lawless who saw
an opportunity to commit Outrages for
which, under the present state Of affairs, it
is impossible to bring them TO justice. The
only semedy | can see is through the Legis-
lature, which should at once dsOrganizo
and attach the sparsely settled territory to
the more thickly settled counties for judicial
purposes"