The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-14
THE RUSH FOR HOMES.
Great Suffering Among the Would
be Cherokee Strip Settlers.
AN APPEAL TO SECRETARY SMITH

Newspaper Men Unite In Urging n Larger
Force Of Cicrks-severaI Dead Bodies
Have Been Taken from the Line of
anxious Walters.
ARKANSAS CITY, Ark, Sept. 1.-THE
pltrcury in Arkansas City yesterday af-
terioon indicated temperature of ITO de-
gre,,s, the hottest day Of the season in this
part Of the country. Many persons over
come by the heat were carried from the
lines home seekers. Some of them will
recover, but others will die Six men died
yesterday.
There is great discomfort among the
home seekers because the forces at the
booths are not large enough to register
more than one half of the people who wish
certificates of registration. Great press
ure is being brought to bear upon the
authorities at Washington to induce them
to move the booths to Arkansas City or to
discontinue all registration and to permit
every ole to enter the strip and locate a
claim.
Lieutenant Caldwell yesterday after
noon sent telegram through his superior
officer, Colonel Parker, to Secretary Hoko
Smith advising him of the conditions ex-
isting at the booths and suggesting that
as tho registration has proven almost n
complete failure that il be discontinued.
All of the newspaper men representing
metropolitan papers last evening united
in the following dispatch to Secretary
Smith:
In the name of the papers we represent
we resnectfully request thut You take inn
mediate steps to alleviate the condition of
the home seekers who are seeking regis
tration at booth near this city. The
booth Is situated on dusty road four
miles away from water and shelter, the
weather is extremely hot and hot winds
are blowing gale The suffering is great.
A larse number of home seekers have
been stricken down and some have died.
Registration is progressing so slowly that
hundreds OF men are compelled to stand
in line for days, exposed to the sun, dust
and thirst, Cannot you cause the booth
to be removed to this city and put on
larger force of clorks or abandon registru-
tion at once? Fer the honor and welfare
of the administration we beg you to take
immediaee action. Humanity demands
it."
So bitter Is the feeling agail.yt the regis
tration system that when Friday night
arrives, and it is appa "ent that the thous-
ands i'll waiting will be unable to have
their names placed on the list. n riot will
be precipita'ed. Practically the same con
dition exists Mt Orlando, Saltwater Hum
newer ana CaiuWeil 1t VIII De lmpoSsl-
BILE to enforce the erissued by Secretary
Smith on Monday, forhidling any one to
board the trains entering the strip at noon
who are not armed with registration GER
tifcates, Trains loaded to their fullest
capacity arrived here today, and this in
flux will be kept up constantly until Sat
urday noon. ..5.- ........
At Hunneville last evening boomer
was killed in his wagon and robbed of all
his money. The murderer was captured
and quickly removed from town to pre-
vent his being lynchcd Several attempts
at murder and robbery were made at the
booths near this city, but the vigilance Of
the soldiers prevented any fatalities