The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-12
WANTS HIS WATCH
ARREST OF BARNEY UC0NN0R Re-
CALLS A NOTABLE TRAGEDY.
Conductor Lee Weller of the Missouri Pa
cific Is His Accuser--weller Lent His
Watch to the Noted Desperate Ben
Wheeler and Didn't See 1t Again for
Eleven Years--Found in Barney O'Con-
nor's Professionalism Wheeler was
Killed by Enraged Citizens He Gave the
Watch to O'COnnor and He Kept 1t.

Lee Weller, one Of the old time con-
| ductors of the Missouri Pacific rail-
way, has caused the arrest Of Barney
O'Connor of Caldwell on charge that
calls to mind one the greatest tragedies
Of Southern Kansas. Mr.. Weller will
go down to Wellington this morning
10 attend the trial of OConnor before
Judge Gilmore Of that city.
In the spring of 1854 Mr. Weller was
resident OF Caldwell being in business
there. returning a short time before
from the service of the Santa Fe. While
he was conductor he was reputed to
have the finest watch in the railroad
service. He had it made specially for
himself at a cost of $3.50. About that
time Caldwell was governed by two
notorious marshals, Henry Brown and
Ben Robinson, alias Ben Wheeler. The
two men were of entirely different dis
positions apparently although it has
since been learned that both Of them
We're horSethieveS and highwaymen
before they became marshalS of Cald-
well. Ben Wheeler was a man who
loved show and he paid court to every
dining room girl in the town. When
going out on some of the more import
ant of these love expeditions he would
borrowed Lee Wellers famous watch
and, of course, dazzled the eyes of his
lady love with its jewels and diamond
settings. One night while wearing Mr..
Weller'S watch he forgot TO come back
with ii. Early in the morning he and
Henry Brown rode two horses out of
town and the word was passed around
that the two brave marshalS were go
ing into the Cherokee strip to arrest
some noted desperadoes. In the strip
they met two cowboys. John Wesley
and Billy Smith, and together the quar-
tette rode westward.
Next morning four armed men went
into the bank OF Medicine Lodge for
the purpose robbery and killed the
president, Wiley Payne. and Cashier
Gebhart. A posse was organized TO fol-
low the robbers and after a terrible
chase the four men were overtaken in
the gypsum hills, surrounded and cap
tured. They were Brown, Wheeler.
Wesley and Smith.
That night they were taken out to
be hung. Wheeler made a dash for lib
erty and was shot. The burning pow
der set his clothing on fire and by fol-
lowing the blaze of his clothing the
mob captured him. All four of the
men were then hung and shot dead.
For some reason, unknown to any
body now living but OConnor, Wheel
er, while in the hands of the mob, gave
Lee Weller's watch to Barney O'Con-
nor. Some say that he presented it to
him for some act of friendship while
others say that he gave 1t to him to
return to Lee Weller. At any rate Mr..
Weller never knew what became of his
watch. O'Connor was cowboy and
not closely in touch with those who
knew the watch.
After eleven years O'Connor showed
up in Caldwell last spring. Among
others who were acquainted with him
in the early days was William CorZine.
One day about month ago Mr.. Cor
zine saw O'Connor consulting his
watch and at once recognized IL as
that which belonged to Lee Weller and
worn by Ben Wheeler when he started
on the Medicine Lodge bank robbery
raid. The fact was communicated to
Lee Weller who had OConnor arrested
Monday for embeZZlement