Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-10-05
A DESPERATE.

hanson, one of the most important
orange growers in southern California.
''From 1878 until 1S7S,' he said,
Il was engaged by Chicago lumber
company to travel through the country
from Denver to St. Louis to look up
openings for lumber yards. 1t was my
business to visit new towns and settle
ments, and when ! found men of capt.
tai in them to induce them to go into
the lumber business and buy of the Chi
cago concern. At that time Ogalalla,
on the Union Pacific railroad, was ia
nous throughout the country as the
toughest place in the west. Then Dodge
City, Kan, came into prominence for
it's cowboy episodes and the rough,
tough and desperate character Of a large
portion of its residents. passed q night
i'll Dodge City in October, 1876, and
assure you that I came quickly to the
conclusion that life in any other town
would be tame and without excitement
in comparison with the pleasures that
place could afford.
ION one side Of the railroad track
stood a big barnlike building called the
America Mexican hotel, and on the 9TH
er row of 20 or 80 one story frame
houses, almost every one of which was
a barroom, with gambling house att
tached Over the doors hung such signs
IS Cowboys Retreat, The Divan' and
The Frontiersman S Delight Behind
the town, on top of the hill, was the city
graveyard An immense cross stood at
the top of the hill and served as land
mark for travellers for miles and miles
across the barren prairies. That grave
yard was the pride of every man who
lived in Dodge City. The inhabitants
watched it grow and pointed with pleas
ure to the fact that there was hardly a
man taking his final rest there who had
not come to his death by violence.
'sIt was toward afternoon when
halted my horse in front of the Ameri-
| CO. Mexican hotel after 40 mile ride.
Heavily armed men stood about in
groups The looks thrown at me We're
lar from reassuring, but pretended not
to see them and fastened into the no.
sel. Hardly had I taken my seat in the
dining room when four men, evidently
forming delegation, approached me.
They demanded to know what brought
me to Dodge City in a way which left
me no alternative but to answer. My
answers seemed satisfactory, and one OIL
them informed me the reason Of their
curiosity They had some idea that |
was a deputy sheriff and frankly told
me that if [ had been I should have
| been escorted out Of town, as no gov
eminent officers were wanted about
Dodge City that night. They further
informed me that there was to be one
IF the prettiest lynching bees i'll town
| that night that had ever taken place.
| 'tThree men had come to Dodge City
lOweeks before and had taken the town
oy storm. They had made their head
quarters at a tavern almost opposite the
| hotel and had levied a tax Oh every one
who entered Anybody who objected to
paying or standing treat was beaten,
and when resistance was shown pistols
were used. Ten men had received death
| wounds from these three men, and the
town had determined to set an example
to all such characters by hanging the
three without ceremony. 1t was not
| easy, however, to accomplish this, as
the men were intrenched i'll the barroom
and refused to come out or allow any
one to enter. it had been determined to
dislodge them that night in spite of all
resistance, and | was invited to take
| part in the affair. The men were named
Hank Martin, Jack Willis and Wat
Simmons and were desperate outlaws,
with large sums upon their heads,
s'Just at dark the citizens of Dodge
City prepared for battle. The attacking
| parties were divided into two forces
One approached the point OF attack
from the rear, while the larger number
marched up to the front All the citi-
zens wore handkercniefs over their faces
| | was in the main body of attackers, or
rather behind it. We were brought to a
sudden halt by rifle shot from one Of
the windows of the besieged house, and
one Of cur leaders fell. Various means
were tried to dislodge the three men,
but to no purpose. Every time the
slightest advance was made their rifles
| rang out and some one Oh our side drop
ped. At last a small man slipped up i'll
the shadow Of the adjacent building
and threw lighted can Of kerosene
under the building. Soon it began to
burn. AT last it was enveloped i'll
flames, and the three men were obliged
to rush for their lives. They were half
blinded by the heat and smoke Of the
burning building, SO they were quickly
captured.
'Then all the citizens of Dodge City,
not excepting the women and children,
formed in line and marched down to
the cattle pens, where an old tree stood
that had served several times as a gal
lows. A rope had been brought along,
and it was quickly thrown over a
branch, and everything was ready for
the hanging. 1t was at first intended to
dispose of all three at the same time,
brit there was not enough rope, SO it
VIZ Decided to hang one at time. Jack
Willis was the first to be strung up.
His end was FASTENED by dozen bull
lets, which were fired into the body
while it was still writing. Wat Sim
mons was then disposed of.
Next came the turn Of Hank Martin,
and all held their breath when the
boldest Desperate known on the plains
in those days was brought out. Just as
the big, powerful fellow was led under
the tree he made a sign that he wanted
TO say something. The gag was removed
from Martin IS mouth, and he said:
'''If you will take this rope from
round my neck and slightly loosen these
bonds, l will tell you men something
that will interest you all
''There seemed no danger, with SO
many OH guard, SO his request was COM
piled with. When his letters were
loosened, he rose, stretched himself and
began his speech:
You are a set Of villains, he yell
| ed, and you can all go to help
I HE knocked down the two men
nearest to him and made dash for the
sagebrush OF the open prairie All the
horses were left outside the barroom
when the desperadoes were captured. A
few men dashed into the sage after
NJ L H. q