The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-25
MURDER WILL OUT.
After a Perfof of Three And One-Half Years
the Alleged Murderers OF c. F.. smith
at Wharton. o. T., Brought
justice.

It is an old saying. and true one. that
murder viii out. That such is the case
was truly established last Sunday evening
when City Marshal Lanter of Vernon,
Texas, arrived in Wichita with the two
Omisted brothers, the men whom it is
alleged are responsible for the murder
of Mr.. T. Smith. the operator at Wharton,
a coaiing station on the Santa Re near the
southern border of the Cherokee strip on
the morning of the sth Of November, 1889.
As the readers Of the EAGLE remember,
this was most brutal and unprovoked
murder. Wharton at that time was the
principal railroad point for the southern
portion of the strip and northeast Okla
homa and did an extensive freight bust
ness. and the agent of course handled con
siderable money for the company. This
fact no doubt, prompted desire
for robbery, and Oh the date
above mentioned, two masked men
entered the depot at Wharton aud COM
manded the operator, Mr.. c. L Smith, aud
a companion to hold mp their hands. prob
ably with view of robbery Mr. Smith,
who was somewhat Of a nervy man, re-
sisted the robbers and in the melee was
shot by one of them, in the stomach, aud
his comrade escaped. The ball passed
through Mr.. Smiths body and broke
pane Of glass in the window behind him.
IN his dying condition Mr.. Smith turned
10 his telegraph Instrument and told the
dis patcher at Arkansas City these tragic
words:
81 am shot in the stomach. Robbers
send relief -
He tried TO send more OF the particulars,
but his efforts were unavaiIing and the
sound OF the instrument was unintelligi-
bic. He died in a few minutes, with his
fingers on the key.
4 posse was organized and secured the
country, bur could fad no trace Of the
miscreants. Two men were arrested at
Ponca the next day, but they proved not
to be the right parties. \ few days later
4 napkin and an Old -four sack were found
in a cabin near the scene OF the crime and
two suspicious characters were surrounded
in pieca Of timber near Muihall, but
they eluded the officers and escaped.
All efforts Of the nited States marshals
seemed unaTailiug and Superintendent
Turner Of the Santa Fe offered reward of
s. Zoo each for the arrest and conviction
of the murderers. The men were described
as being about feet, 10 inches high, NE
dunn sized. They left their hats outside
the depot and had white cloths
over their heads and faces when
they entered. They were evidently green
hands at the business, as Mr.. Smiths
companion said they seemed TO be badly
frightened. Several clews were followed
up and nothing came of them aud the
Santa Fe Withdrew the reward, thinking
that the guilty parties would never be
found. The matter was almost forgotten,
A few months ago an ex-deputy mar
shall who had resigned and gone TO his old
occupation, that OF a cowboy, was looking
for situation and was employed by a
Cattleman named Ikerd near Vernon,
Texas. He was made foreman of the
ranch and was receiving cattle from
southern Texas and putting them on the
range when two men applied for work.
In the two parties the foreman recognized
the men upon whom suspicion had fallen
when be was marshal and ne iInmedi-
ately began to plan way to capture them.
He took into his confidence the city mar
shall Of Vernon and together they landed
them in the Wichita Jail.
The railroad company, through its at
torney, Mr.. Henry L. Asp of Guthrie is
procuring the evidence against the men
and thinks that beyond doubt he has
clear case against them.
The men arrested are not at all the des-
perate looking men whom many think
they are, and person seeing them would
not suppose that they would be capable of
such hienous offeuse as the one charged
against them. They appear to be we'll be-
haved men and do not have any Of tie
bIsgadocio peculiar to the border ruffian.
They claim that when they come to
trial that they Will be able 10 prove an
alibi. They are extremely guarded in
their conversation aud have nothing to
say to anyone unless accosted, and then
they reply only in menosylables.
Quite number OF persons have visited
them just TO crafty their curiosity. 1t
might also be said that the occupants Of
the Jail were very quiet when they were
brought in and did not greet them with
the familiar cry of fresh fish, and that
talk of holding a kangaroo court on
them for breaking into Jail has not been
INDUCED in,