The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-09-22
THE AFTER MATH.
6hastly Commentary on the Open
ing Of the Strip.
DEAD MEN FOUND ON THE PRAIRIE,
Also Woman-Two of the Men Die I'm
Duel Evidently - Murders by
Drunken Soldiers-Prairie
Fires.

ARKANSAS, CITY, Sept, 1S-A num-
Der of tragedies signalized the OPEN
ing OF the Cherokee strip. The reports
are meager and are not detailed as to
either the names or residences of per-
sons who have fallen victims either to
bullets or the fierce prairie fires which
swept the entire strip. Hardly any of
the boomers who entered the strip
Saturday carried on their persons any
thing to identify them. Eight or ten
dead bodies have been found. but at
this writing there is no means of iden-
tifying them.
| A settler who succeeded in locating
and taking a claim in the Cherokee
river country came up on the Atchison,
| Topeka IL Santa Fe road and told of
seeing six dead bodies between his
| point of departure and the new town of
Cross on the Atchison. Two of them
had bullet holes in the forehead. They
were lying close together, and there is
every reason to believe that thew were
contestants for the quarter section of
land on which both were found. and
that they killed each other in a
deadly duel to determine supremacy
Both of them had revolvers in
their hands, but the fact that
both were shot in the forehead
and at almost the same spot lends color
to the suspicion that one or both of
them committed suicide in the despera-
ton of defeat in the race. One of the
dead men was tall, with forid COM
plexion and blonde mustache. He wore
brown colOred trousers and a blue
shirt, but neither vest nor coat. The |
other dead man was shorter, with dark |
complexion and dressed in a dark suit. |
If either of them had family or friends |
IN the country they were at their death |
far away from them, as there was no
one among the crowds of curious sight
seers who saw the bodies that could
identify them.
Not far from this CHASTITY scene four
bodies were discovered at considerable
distance apart burned to Il crisp and
bic in the event of any one
being able to say who they were or
where they came from. They had fallen
victims to the prairie fires, which in
that region of bottom land where the
grass was much taller than in the up-
lands, destroyed everything caught in
their path. Nothing of the horses
which the dead men must have rode
into the country was to be seen. The
is that they escaped from
their riders. This is the boomers story.
i is certain that prairie fires DESTROYED
life Saturday night. The dead body of
woman was found who had evidently
allen victim to them. How she came
% be alone on the prairie, or whether
he was deserted in the extremity of |
LANCER by those who should either have |
her or died with her, will
'erhaps never be known. The remains
we're brought to Cross.
The story telegraphed of the rumored
cath of two men at each others hands
'as verified, but neither of them are
.nown. 1t was the old story of fight
YER n claim. The arbitration was
nal, and the court meted to one the (
anne degree of border law as to the
Their. Some other home-seeker will
axe possession of the claim for which
yo men have died unless, indeed,
Their contestants arise to dispute it's
OSsession with him. .
Several stories agree in saying that X
vo instead of one man were killed by IL
'ldiers when the north line moved out.
he murder OF Hill was reported last s:1
dead body was discovered several
lies south of the border and is said to r
2 that of another man who was seen
} ride out, leaning over in his saddle. =
o one in that crucial moment stopped T.
assist him or make any inquiries re-
riding his condition. lie rode prob T
by until weakness and the loss of
God compelled him to loosen his hold r
| the ponmel. The wound was in the
DIN and when the dead body was dis Nj
vered the arms were held rigidly up
ard in the position they doubtless A
ere when death came to the sufferer
here are many witnesses who declare
at more than one shot was fired by
G soldiers, when the north line moved ni'
t and at the time Hill was killed. N
ch Ceidence, however, is not entirely
i've
At point about mile this side of ans
e line and in the state of Kansas a -''
y, who was riding Il horse toward -
e strip. was stopped by several men,
10 claimed that the horse had been
lien. \ soldier interfered. telling
E boy to drive on, and at the same
he drawing his revolver from his
lster. The crowd was awed, but the
'oper, plainly under the influence of
nix, fired three shots into the horse.
e animal, which was a valua BILE one.
ID within an hour. There is great
lignation eXsessed that the soldier
10 killed Hill has not been surren-
ed to the civil authorities Lieut. q,
dwell will await the action of his u
,erior officers in the case n,