The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-14
GUTHRIE Is QUIET
NO EXCITEMENT THERE OVER TIE
DERR-POSS TRAGEDY.
Sentiment Not Extreme on ANY Side
and About Equally Dlvided-No
Lynching Threatened-Tbe
People Willing to Trust
III the Law.

"You can say that there is no excite.
| men5 in our town over the shooting OF
Foss yesterday" said Captain Strong OF
Guthrie to a reporter for the EAGLE last
night.
Wasn't there some talk OF lynching
Derr, then!'
there from the hands of the people OF
! Guthrie as you are in your office in
this city. The people of Guthrie have
| Lu eAue.Ae feeling liz tie MatteI. 1t ue
sure we deplored tloodshed in the public
| streets of our city. but we are perfectly
| willing to leave the law take its course as
all good citizens should do"
''What did the coroner's jury do."
''They simply found that Foss came to
his death from gun shot wounds inflicted
by George Dsrr. 1t was stereotyped
verdict and only what WAS expected
under the circumsta noes. How is the
public sentiment or rather the public SYM
pathy?" Very much divided but not ex-
treme in any case. A good many people
think that Derr was morally justified in
killing Foss while good many more re
gard it as plain unvarnished murder" In
commenting on the murder yesterday the
Guthrie Leader says:
Mr. Foss has been somewhat of prom
inent man in the territory. He conducted
a large wholesale and retail grocery store
IN kinaisher and was an intelligent.
warm hearted man who would go his
length for a friend.
He was at one time worth 81 600 900, and
was bosom friend of Senator Tabor, but
In late years he has lost large sums in real
estate and other unfortunate speculations,
and bis property now IS varlously estima-
ted at from S75 900 to 500, 900 His only
fault lay IN his weakness for women, and
his alliance with Gertrude Derr is what
led up TO his tragic death today. He has
wife and four children living in East St.
Louis. His wife Is sueing him for divorce
on the ground of adultery: at the same
time he has divorce pending at
kingfisher. which is set for trial
on the 18th of this month, in
which he charges her with abandonment
One of mis- daughters is the wife of James
l.. Admire, son of the Hon. Jake Admire
register of the land Office at kingfsher.
He located Gertrude Derr, sister of George
Derr, on the claim she now lives On, sew
enteen miles west of Guthrie He made
contract with her in which be was to fence
the claim. build house and stock the
land with several hundred head of cattle
and horses. On her part she was
to do the housekeeping, board
the farm hands, look after the stock
and to receive one-half the profits.
Things went on smoothly enough until
George came home, he having just been
discharged after five years service in the
regular army.
He claimed that he found Foss and his
sister living in open adultery, and going
into Foss' room one morning, while he
was dressing, attacked him with Win
chester, beating him until he supposed he
was dead. Foss' skull was broken aud
one eye put out but he recovered. George
was acqpitted on the sentimental plea
that he was defending his sisters
honor Then Gertrude brought suit
against Foss for seduction and attached
all property on the farm, and in one way
or another they have been before the courts
ever since, and goou deal of bad blood
has been engendered. For sometime the
Derr family have claimed that their lives
We're in danger, and have KEEP: guard
over their home at night. Two weeks
ago last night while old man Derr was
on guard over their home at night, he
was shct dead near his barn. George
swore out warrant for Foss and the
Bellevilie boys charging them with the
murder Their trial ended in their ac-
ouittal yesterday. The evidence pointed
strongly to the fact that Derr killed his
own father.
Gertrude is about IS years of age She
has an illegitimate child IL years old, and
the seduction theory is hooted by Foss'
friends.