Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-01-14
THE WAR IN KANsi s.

HE WAX IN kANSf ,.
the Scene of the Attempted Assassina-
tion of Judge Botkin and the killing OF
Sheriff Dunn-A bloody Encounter Ex-
pected When Judge Botkin Attempts
10 Hold Court in Springfield.
TOPEKA, Kas., Jan. 7.-Dispatches
Teceived yesterday from Stevens
county. the scene of Tuesdays murder
OF Sheriff Dunn and the attempted as
4sassination of Judge Botkin, show that
only measures of the most prompt and
vigorous character can prevent a seri-
Gus uprising and much bloodshed.
Acknowledgement Roberts with sixty
xniIitiamen reached ArlSalon yesterday
afternoon and telegraphs that Judge
.Botkin is there and declares that the
Emilitia will be needed in the place for
weeks to come. This morning the mil
1tary will escort Judge Botlin across
the country to Springfield, the county
seat of Seward county. a distance of ~
miles. where he will open court. The
troops will remain there during the
term. and also assist the local author
aties in serving warrants for the arrest
of the criminals. Two Springfield men
were arrested near Judge Botkin's
house yesterday and taken to Arkalon.
There is every probability that a
bloody encounter will take place to-
DAY, at Springfield. when Judge Bot
kin goes there to open court. The
Judges enemies, recognizing the fact
that Tuesdays murder cannot be al
lowed to pass unpublished, are now, it
Is said, more than ever determined to
make away with the judge. His honor,
however, declares that he will hold court
there to-day in spite Of all the Wood
gang.
Word from Springfield last night was
10 the effect that a mob of Woods adj
heTentS were in possession of the court
house. 1t is probable that when the
troops arrive there to-day these men
will see the advisability of withdraw
Eng from the building, but that a con-
dict between them and Judge Botkin's
friends can be avoided is hardly among
the possibilities.
Sheriff Dunn's body was brought to
Arlzalon yesterday, and shipped to his
-<v fe, who is now at Pratt.
The mob which shot Sheriff Dunn
-sxas comprised of members of the Citi-
zeus' Alliance of Woodsdale and Spring
Sieid, reinforced by a half-dozen des-
oeratc characters from Grant county
under the leadership of John S. Loff1e,
who was found guilty last summer in
Judge Boti1in's court of horse-stealing
and sentenced to four years in the pen
Sfentiary. He has appealed to the SUI
Ssreme court, where the case is now
pending.
Gov. Humphrey thoroughly appreci-
10
7exists in the southwest, and states that
me intends to bring the guilty parties
sa this affair to an account if it ex-
2az,gsts the military power of the state.
Gov. Humphrey received message
last evening from Judge Botkin asking
dsin TO send arms to the aw-abiding
citizens of Seward county for self-pro-
lection. that they might be prepared
for an outbreak by the lawless mob
,w2se killed Sheriff Dunn. The gov
esrnor replied as follows:
-'Adit.-sIcn. Roberts is on the ground
70 preserve the peace and protect life
If tie authorities are unable to servo
warrants for the arrest of parties
charged with the killing of Dunn, Gen.
Roberts will aid them when called upon
by tise sheriff or the coroner acting as
be subordinate to the civil authorities
4 rely upon you as judge of the court
TO exert all your power to the end that
peace may be preserved and the further
teffuaion of blood prevented"
Attorney-General Ives, in speaking of
the lawlessness in the southwest said:
THE trouble in Seward county adds
one more chapter to the already check
cred history of the extreme southwest.
The troubles, as near as / can ascer
tain. first commenced by an at
tempt upon the part of Sam
Wood to resist what he claimed
was fraudulent organization of
Stevens county, which organ
ization was subsequently legalized by
7Ehe legislature of the state. The
srolable rs usually attributed to a county
seat contest between WoOdsdale and
Hugoton. No such contest has ever ex-
listed. After the troubles resulting from
an attempt to prevent the organization
IF Stevens county, rival propositions
for bonding the county in favor of
Tnisnoads intensified the feeling al
ready started between the differ
sns factions of the county. This
finally eliminated in the murder of
Sheriff Cross and others in the neutral
strip and the attempt to bring the al
,feged perpetrators of that crime to
Justice in the United States courts at
rl,aris. Tex. subsequently personal
troubles arising between Judge Botlin
and Sam Wood had a tendency to spread
the iIi-feeling existing in Stevens
county over the whole district, and the
Impeachment proceedings in which
Wood was alleged to have taken
3fxelv interest, to a certain extent in
~olred the whole state in the diff
GU ty."
Meeting Of the Bay State Legislature.
ToSroN, Jan. THE legislative ses-
=sions at the state house were opened