The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-22
QUEER yO-NAy'S-LAyD.
Only One Trial for Crime There, and
That Cost the Government Nearly
$500, 600.
From the Chicago Record.

That Cost the Government Nearly
5000, 900.
From the Chicago Record
Topeka. kan. Dec. 9.-The effort that
IS being made TO force a retrial Of the
six men convicted OF the famous Hay
meadows massacre. just over the Kansas
line. in what was then No-AIan's-Land.
and which is now a county OF the Terri
tory of Oklahoma. VIII renew the fight
made al the first trial in Paris. Tex. as
70 the Jurisdiction OF the courts over
this tract Of land. which for years was
marked upon the map as a district over
which there was no law, and which no gov
eminent had the power to reach. Crimes
were committed there with impunity. and
there was no method known 10 the legal
fraternity by which they could be pun
ished. When Sheriff Cross and posse Of
Stevens county. Kansas were stood up
in line at the stacks in the HaymeadOws
and murdered in cold blood, the perpe-
traitors of the crime were arrested by the
federal authorities. and. after attempting
10 bring them 10 trial in the United States
district court of Kansas, they were finally
taken to Paris. the judge OF the Northern
district OF Texas assuming that he had
jurisdiction over the unknown territory.
Six men were convicted of murder and
sentenced to death. but they were persons
of more than ordinary influence. and
they appealed 10 the supreme court. There
the judgment OF the lower court was re-
versed. and their necks saved. Then they
We're released on their own recognizance,
with the understanding that they would
never again be brought to trial. The agi-
tation has renewed interest in the No
Man s-Land country, and many inquiries
are being made as to how the large tract
happned to be left out of the territory
of all the surrounding states and terri
tories
The history OF this anomalous condition
dates back to 1921, when the United States
entered into a treaty with Spain relative
to the latter's American possessions BY
this treaty the west line of the Louisi-
ana purchased was established. 1t com
menced on the Gulf of Mexico, at Sabine
Pass, at the mouth of the Sabine river,
and ran north on the present line dividing
Louisiana and Texas TO the Red river
on the south line of the Indian Territory
From there il followed the Red river until
1t intersected the Tooth meridian. which
constituted the boundary line north as
far as the Arkansas river to the point
near where Dodge City. Kan, now stands
FROM that point the Arkansas river formed
the boundary line northwest to its source
from where the line ran in a Northwestern
~ direction to the Pacific ocean, near the
present southern boundary Of Oregon. All
of the territory west of this line belonged
to Spain. Finally as a result of the Mex
Z lean revolution, IL became an independent
country Later by treaty between Mex
leo and the United States, a portion of It
was attached TO this country. In 1884 the
| Indian Territory was established by con-
gress. 1t was extended from the Red river
on the south to some point within the
present state of Nebraska, and from the
west line of Arkansas and Missouri to
the Tooth meridian, which was then the
westerly limit of the United States below
the 3Sth degree north latitude In 1886 the
lands belonging to the Cherokee Indians
in the Indian Territory were set apart
I for the use of the tribe, including the
/ Cherokee Strip. which was given to them
/ as an outlet to their hunting grounds
! In the west. This was bounded on the
1 north by the 9th degree north latitude
! 1t was about one degree in width, and
extended westward TO the Tooth meridian.
/ or the Mexican boundary. The western
border OF the Cherokee Strip is the east
/ ern border of No-Man STAND
Texas, when 1t seeded from Mexico in
! 1925 claimed all the territory south of the
Arkansas river. west OF the Tooth merid-
IAN ami east OF the Rio Grande. Later
| difficulties arose between the people of
Texas and New Mexico because of the
| claims made by the former to lands ex-
! tending westward to the Rio Grande. When
! Texas admitted to the union il was as
a slave state, but as a portion lay north
! of the Missouri compromise line, Sc de-
| grees, 30 minutes north latitude, more
complications were made, because in the
| territory north of this line residents of
Texas could not lawfully hold slaves. In
I 1850 this trouble was settled by the gov
eminent purchasing from Texas all land
lying north Of this line and west of the
lOSd meridian, paying for it s10oO0,OOO in
IL
the state on the north all its territory
north of the Missouri compromise line,
extending from the south of No-Man' :
Land to the Arkansas river, and on the
west that portion claimed by New Mex
leo. lying between the present eastern
boundary of the territory and the Rio
Cirande- This cut Off the territory be-
tween the north line of the Texas pan
handle and the Arkansas river, the pan
handle line being the slave line, provided
for in the Missouri compromise bill. as
the bill establishing the boundary line
of New Mexico fixed it's eastern limit al
the 103d degree the territory lying be.
tween the Tooth and the 103d degree, and
/ between the panhadle line and the Ar.
I kansas river was not included in either
Kansas, New Mexico. Texas or the In
dian territory In 1854 the Kansas Ne
braska bill established the southern
, boundary of Kansas on the north line OF
the Cherokee Strip on the 37th parallel
= extending west of the mountains. So if
was by this establishing of lines piece
meal that a tract of land three degrees in
: length from east to west and one-halt
degree from north to south was omitted
. from all territory organizations and by
common consent was given a place on
the map as No-Man' ISLAND.
, During all of the years from the forma.
ton of the territory lines until Okla
t homa territory was organized. No-Man's-
Land was Il country by Itself. It had nc
law, and all who lived in II We're laws
: unto themselves. 1t became an asylum
for criminals and murderers, for there
2 fugitives from justice were free from
t arrest. No officer when he crossed the
2 line into this country had the semblance
of authority. Cattlemen took possession
! of it, and their property was literally eN
} empt from taxation y attempt was ever
made to punish a criminal for an act
? committed there until the Haymea dows
> butchers were tried in the federal court
of Texas. That trial cost the govern.