The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-14
AN OLD TRAGEDY REVIVED.
Two Men Arrestei for the Murder OF McQuin
in Barb ,unty Seven Years Agl.

stayed over LAST night in hopes that he
will be-well enough to proceed to Medi-
cine Lodge this morning.
The arrest revives one of the tragedies
of southern Kansas that ranks next to the
Hillman case III the public mind. The
story, as related to an EAGLE reporter. is a
long one, and intensely interesting, but
in the interest of justice all of it cannot be
told at present. 1t contains two
full chapters one OF which, and
the most interesting, must in
part be kept from the public for
the present. for secrecy is imperatively
necessary if the mission Of justice is to be
accomplished.
IN 1856 man named 3lcQuinn, hailins
from Albany, No, arrived in Barber coun-
ty with considerable money, and the pub
lie land being still cheap he concluded to
take enough of it 10 make him nice
ranch. In order to do this it became nee
essary for him TO hire or engage men to do
the proving up for him on an agreement
that was naturally understood. At or
near Albany, Mo, a family Of Thompsons
lived, between whom and the McQuinns
feud existed for many years By some
nd two of the Thompson boys were
among those engaged by McQuinn to prove
up land in Barber county for him. He
built them house. etc, and while he re-
manned in Barber county he made his
home with them. During all this time
McQuinn was supposed to usually carry
about him or keep in his possession other
wise IL sum OF money ranging from S40G0
TO s., 900. Some trouble arose among the
settlers or some law suit was on hand that
necessitated the Thomspon's giving bond.
McQuiun came to their relief and put up
a cash bond of $40 in the hands of RUDE
Lake of Lake City for their appearance.
Everything was soon settled as to the
trouble and MCQuinn went to Lake City
to recover the cost bond he had put up.
Rube Lake, in the meantime had put all
his money in the bank at Medicine Lodge
and he gave McQuinn a check for the $40
McQuinn and RUDE Lake were both Dem
ocrats of the same school and during their
short acquaintance became last friends.
On this day when McQuinn started to re-
turn home Lake made him a present of
new hat.
\ day or so after some one came to
Thompson house and asked them where
McQuinn was and one CT the boys, it is al
legged said: The id so and so must have
frozen to death as his horse has come
home without him. When the party asked
them why they didn't go in search of him
they replied. as the story goes, that he
was no good anyway, and that he was bet
ter Oft dead than alive. The party in ques-
ton noticed one Of the boys washing a
blanket in rear of the cabin and asked him
what he was doing that for. The reply
was that the blanket was full Of bedbugS
and he wanted to get rid of them. This
was noticed to be very strange in view of
the fact that it was then in the dead of
winter. 1t became noised about that
something was wrong and a party OF about
fifty men began searching for McQuiun in
vain. Then it was noticed that the Thomp-
sons were telling some very contradicting
stories, at one time saying that he had
gone to Missouri and at other
times somewhere else. They also
stated that they had brought out
ali the things belonging to him on the
claims, including his interest in them.
! This was suspicious in view of the fact
that the required time OF settlement had
nearly expired prior to securing patent
for the land.
| Things ran along this way for some
weeks when the body of IA murdered man
was found some mills to the west 1t was
decomposing very rapidly but Mrs. Nc
! Quinn and man vino knew McQuinn
well, recognized it as his body, while 9TH
ers who claimed to know him failed to
I l.,
! bullet holes. while the back of the hea d
was mashed in as if he had been struck
! there with a hammer.
| Several parties were arrested for the
murder but were acquitted IN the prelim-
mary examination. The strongest point
made was the inability Of the prosecution
! TO prove beyond doubt that McQuinn
! was dead Now then afterwards it turn
! ed out that the blanket which was
mentioned above had two bullet holes' III
| it as did also the end Of the bed in which
! McQuinn usually slept at the Tnompson's 5.
! All these correspondent with the two bull
| let holes found IN The body of McQuinn.
1t will be remembered also that the
! Thompson's said that McQuinn's horse
came home without him ana that he had
but it afterwards turned out that the hat
given to the deceased by RUDE Lake was
found in the house OF the Thompson
which proved that McQuinn did return
from Lake City. It will also be remem-
bered that Ruhe Lake gave McQuinn &
check On the Medicine Lodge bank for 81
and this check has never been presented
at the bank. which is considered very good
proof that McQuiun IS dead The matter
was passing rapidly into ancient history
until some time ago when Sheriff
! Dobson heard some things concern
ing the tragedy which interested him
! He began making investigations
which promised intensely interesting
/ revelations. He took County Attorney
/ De Greer into his confidence and the re
/ suit was that that gentleman issued war
rants for the arrest of the two Thompsoas.
/ After considerable work Sheriff Dobsor
located them at Springfield. Colo, where
he arrested them as stated Several
! bluffs were made when Nix Dobson WAS
preparing to depart from Springfield with
| the prisoners. but no trouble resulted.
| The case is now in excellent shape and
I when the Thompsons are brought; to trial
, they will be encountered with evidence, Il
! true. that will make them trouble. Il
may be possible, Of course. that they are
/ Innocent, but the evidence against them !:
( very strong.
BOUGHT OFT The KNIGHTS.