Arizona republican., 1893-12-02
A WILD RIDE.
The Stirring Experience of Ken tuckian in the Cherokee Strip.
Terrible Scenes Witnessed in the Mad Rush for Land in the New1y-Organ- ized TerritOry-Hard Times
 in Store.

Lieut.. Arnold, who is attached to the staff of Gov. Brown, of Kentucky, recently arrived here from the Chero- kee strip, where he was successful in securing splendid claim, says the St. Louis Republic. On the mem orable morning he made the run on a thoroughbred race horse he had brought there expressly for the purpose. Starting from point four miles east of Hunnewell he had to ride sixteen miles south of a point known as Black wells. He covered the distance in fifty-two minutes, accompanied by 'cow-puncher'' thoroughly acquainted with the country. At least fifty we'll mounted men were in hot pursuit for the same claim, but the lieutenant got there first. Several other Kentuckians were similarly successful in the same vicinity. Lieut.. Arnold's quarter sec tion of one hundred and sixty acres is one of the titbits of the strip. It is close to the Shekasky river, and is splendid tract of land, worth between two thousand and five thousand dollars according to experts.
 Arnold is sunburnt, sinewy-look- ing man of about forty. He said: ''I was prepared for a tough experience, but, great heavens! not for what saw and underwent. To begin with, thou sands of men and women were kept forty-eight hours in the line endeavor- ing to register. The dust was simply awful. At the time the rush was made everyone was black and unrecogniz- able. There was hardly drop of wa ter to drink, and washing was an inn possibility. Fifteen thousand grimy human beings tore madly into the new domain, reminding me more of the maggots on a carcass than anything else. The sooners were in possession almost everywhere. Lots of them were shot, and I saw one sooner hanged in short order In my ride 1 noticed near ly twenty dead horses and quite number of dead and dying men.
 ''There was fighting and bloodshed enough to satisfy the very worst of the bad men from Bitter creek. Not far from my claim two men were quarrel ing with drawn pistols, when third interfered and endeavored to separate them. He got shot through the wrist, and then the two proceeded to kill each other. l saw one fellow lying dead with a handkerchief drawn tightly around his neck. He had been strangled, and when searched four hundred and fifty dollars was found on him. When 1 made the rush I wore mighty little and carried no arms, but I felt more comfortable when my Win chester was in my hands. The scenes after the rush were terrible. I saw two women who were burned by the prairie fire and the soldiers shot by the sooners. In fact I have seen enough of that sort of thing to last me the rest of my life. Blackwell, the so-called Indian, who gave his name to the town site and owns every other lot in it, is a 'squaw man. He put his hay up to one dollar a bale after the rush, but the boys went to him with a few double-barreled persuaders on their shoulders, and he was glad to get down to fifty cents after brief discus sion. They also made him stand by original prices for his town lots. I shouldn't be surprised if they were to hang him any morning.
 "Well, I'm glad to get away from the strip awhile, although, now that the rain has come and the dust settled, there is not so much hardship.
 ''It was fearful at first, especially for women, and am afraid even now an awful winter is in store for many of the settlers.
 My claim is disputed, like all the rest, but have clear case. My papers are all right, and I expect to return in a month or so and commence improve ments."