Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-09-16
THE rush FOR HOMES.
Great Suffering Among the Would;
be Cherokee Strip Settlers.
AN APPEAL TO SECRETARY SMITH

Newspaper Men Unite in Urging a Lsrset
Force of Clerks-Several Dead Bodies
Have Been Taken from the Line Of
Anxious Walters.
ARKANSAS CITY, Ark, Sept. 14-Ths
mercury in Arkansas City yesterday af.
teinoon indicated temperature of ITO de-
grees, the hottest day of the season in this
part of the country. Many persons over
come by the heat were carried from the
lines of 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 one to enter the strip and locate a
claim.
Lieutenant Caldwell yesterday after
NOON sent a telegram through his superior
officer, Colonel Parker, to Secretary Hoke
Smith advising him of the conditions ex-
listing at the booths and suggesting that
as the registration has proven almost
complete failure that it be discontinued
All of the newspaper men representing
metropolitan papers last evening united
in tAe following dispatch to Secretary
Smith:
In the name of the papers we represent
we resnectfully request that you take i'm
mediate steps to alleviate the condition of
the home seekers who are seeking regis
tration at booth 9 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 large 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 a
larger force of clerks or abandon registra-
ton at onces For the honor and welfare
of the administration We beg you to take
immediaee action. Humanity demands
it''
So bitter is the feeling againgt the regis
tration system that when Friday night
arrives, and it is apparent that the thous-
ands in waiting will be unable to have
their names placed on the list. a riot will
be precipitated. Practically the same con.
dition exists at Orlando, Saltwater, Hun
newell and Caldwell 1t will be impossi-
BILE to enforce the order issued by Secretary
Smith on Monday, forbidding any one to
board the trains entering the strip at noon
who are not armed with registration GER
tificates. Trains loaded to their fullest
capacity arrived here today, and this in
fiux will be kept up constantly until Sat-
urday noon.
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 lynched Several attempts
at murder and robbery were made at the
booths near this city, but the vigilance Of
the soldiers prevented any fatalities.