The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-03

Extraordinary conditions often force
the women of the West into extraordin-
airy positions, says the Peoria Herald.
Miss Ada Curnutt OF Oklahoma holds
the position of deputy United States
marshal in a country where the public
peace is in the hands Of the federal gov
eminent.
The territory Of Oklahoma, hardly four
years old, is the home of numbers of
desperate men who have become out
lawed from the peaceful states of the
North and East, and who here find at
least tolerance. When the country was
opened to settlement it was overrun
with ''sooners." The claims thus soon
ered' were at once contested, and hun
dreds of cases were thrown into the
courts. when they had not been more
speedily settled with the Winchester or
revolver.
These contests developed hundreds of
cases Of perjury, and over one hundred
men, and in a few instances women, are
now serving sentences in the territorial
prison at Lansing, in Kansas. There
developed many professional Derjurers,
who We're known to be desperate men,
or, in the vernacular of the country,
killers" who could be hired TO testify
to anything. The United States prose-
cutting attorney, Horace Speed, an ut
terly fearless man, took these men in
hand and determined to crush. out
fragrant perjury and the perjurers. 40
cordingly the grand jury indicted about
thirty of these men, and warrants for
their arrest were placed in the hands
Of the deputy marShals.
The men who were wanted were scat
tered through the country in hiding,
some of them in the Indian reservations
among the Indians. The Indians, while
they fear. at the same time cordially
hate the deputy merShals, and were glad
to hide the miscreants.
Miss Curnutt, who is also the clerk Of
the district court at Norman, received
telegram one day not long ago from
the United States marshal that two we'll
known desperate characters and per-
jurerS who were badly wanted We're at
Oklahoma City. and to send an ex-
perienced deputy there at once TO arrest
them. As it happened all Of the depu-
ties were at that time out on the scout"
with warrants, but the men must be
arrested, and the plucky little woman
took the train herself to Oklahoma City
When she arrived there she learned
that the men were in gambling house
and saloon, and going there she sent a
man to tell them that lady wanted 10
see them outside.
When they came out she was for
moment appalled,. They We're 'toughs"
of the toughest character, heavily armed
and under the influence of Hqour, but.
nothing daunted, she read them the war
rants and placed them under arrest.
The toughs considered it quite a joke
and refused to accompany her. The
plucky little deputy marshal was not
calculated to inspire terror. She is a
slender woman, about twenty years of
age, well dressed, modest, but with de-
termined-loOking gray eyes and Unfiinch-
ing courage. Although she was entirely
unarmed in a locality where the only
thing that commands thorough respect
is the Winchester and the revolver, she
told them that they must go with her
and that she could instantly summon
every man ON the street as her poSSeman
10 assist her. The perjurers allowed her
to fasten them together with handouts
She marched them to the railway station
and telegraphed the marshal at Guthrie:
Meet me at the train. 1 have
ADA CURNUTT."
Miss Curnutt, as clerk Of the district
court, has survived several administra-
lions. Her work is conducted with and
in the presence Of men OF the toughest
character who, however. yield her the
greatest respect. The force of her char
acter and self-reliance necessary TO con-
duct the Office in a new country and un-
der the circumstance arising in such a
community are very great, but this
young woman has won the admiration
and respect of all the judges and officers,
as well as of the characters who find
themselves before the courts.
Miss Curnutt came to this country just
after its opening TO settlement. with her
sister and brother-in-law, and her ability
soon won her a place in the court clerks
oGina knows nOr. "a Tres hing for