Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-10-04
A DESPERATE.

A company of gentlemen sat in the
Office of the Hotel Palomares in Pomona
the other evening waiting for late
train to Los Angeles. Each one of the
party knew every one else, cigars were
freely passed around, and all we've en-
joying a talk about early experiences ON
the frontier, and especially in southern
California, before railroads were built
in this region. The best story of the
evening was told by Colonel John Will
hanson, one of the most important
orange growers in southern California.
"From 1878 until 1S78," he said,
IT 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 capi-
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 Unic- Pacific railroad, was ia
NOUS throughout the country as the
toughest place in the west. Then Dodge
City, Kan, came into prominence for
its cowboy episodes and the rough,
tough and desperate character Of large
portion of its residents. Ipassed night
in Dodge City in October, 1876, and /
assure you that 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.
''On one side of the railroad track
stood big barnlike building called the
America Mexican hotel, and OH the 9TH
er q row of 20 or 80 one story frame
houses, almost every one of which was
a barroom, with gambling house at
tached. Over the doors hung such signs
as Cowboys Retreat, THE Divan' and
The Frontiersman' Delight. Behind
the town, Oh 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
man taking his final rest there who had
not come to his death by violence.
''It was toward afternoon when l
halted my horse in front of the Ameri-
co-Mexican hotel after 40 mile ride.
Heavily armed men stood about i'll
groups. The looks thrown at me were
far from reassuring, but 1 pretended not
to see them and hastened into the ho-
tel. 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 of
them informed me the reason of their
curiosity. They had some idea that I
was deputy sheriff and frankly told
me that if I had been I should have
been escorted out of town, as no gov
ernment officers were wanted about
Dodge City that night. They further
informed me that there was to be one
of the prettiest lynching bees in town
that night that had ever taken place.
"Three men had come to Dodge City
10 weeks before and had taken the town
by storm. They had made their head
quarters at a tavern almost opposite the
hotel and had levied tax on 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 in the barroom
and refused to come out or allow any
one to enter. 1t had been determined to
dislodge them that night in spite of all
resistance, and I 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.
"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 handkerchiefs over their faces.
was in the main body of attackers, or
rather behind it. We were brought to
sudden halt by rifle shot from one of
the windows Of the besieged house, and
one of our leaders fell. Various means
were tried to dislodge the three men,