The Red Cloud chief., 1895-07-05

that never gives up its dead. n it wa
In winter and ice covered the river, %
much the better, for o hole was cut 40 Q
convenient spot, the vigilantes' victim
pushed in and all trace of their bloody
work was hid from inQuiring eyes.
When state and municipal organize
Sons came into existence In Nebraska
the terrible v~igilantes order became less
prominent. There WA little demand
for the pioneer law guardians. Still
they never wholly disbanded their or
g~anixation.
Old Methods Employed
1t Is no secret that about the time it
appeared that Defaulter Barrett Scott
would escape the arm Of the law the
old vigilantes order began 10 be talked
OF again In Holt county. The rugged
OLD men who had fought the early battles
with outlaws and Indians began to talk
aggressively OF the manner in which
they handled common rogues. They
began to look over the relics of the
vtgilantes organization and found many
members on all sides. Several meetings
were held. II the fate of Barrett Scott
was discussed the fact will never be
known. No nan has ever lived to
boast OF having betrayed the secrets Of
the vigilantes Of the great northwest.
SCOTS friends assert that at these meet.
ings SCOTS murder was arranged. On
the contrary, the old members Of the
law and order league declare that the
rumors were circulated by the real
murderers; that they were planning the
murder OF their dupe for fear he would
bstray them and explain who helped
him spend the Holt county money. Per.
haps the vigilantes were wrongly &C.
oused; perhaps Scott was murdered by
his friends, but the truth is that the
men who killed the defaulting treasurer
employed the ancient methods Of the
Nebraska v~igilantes to an alarmingly
accurate degree.
Scott started with his wife, baby and
Miss McWhorter for a hunt q few miles
from home. Their hired man drove the
family carriage. There are many here
who think Scott went on that expedi.
ton to recover Holt county funds which
he had buried out on the prairie. This
rumor gained currency. 1t Is on record
that the Farmers Protective associa.
ton, an organization said to have been
formed q short time before for the pro.
lection Of small cattle men, which, by
the way, contained all the Holt county
ex.vigilantes, which is commonly said
to be the old %vigilantes under a new
name, believed Scott had the money
buried and went after It on this oc.
casion. He was returning from his
alleged hunt, having been gone three
days. He was passing Parker's mill in
Holt county, Dec. 81, 1894. Just before
She new year dawned the Scott carriage
was surrounded by q dozen masked
men. Not a word was spoken. Scott real.
lied his danger and instinctively dashed
his horses into q run. The avengers
were taken by surprise. Their victim
was about to escape, when they opened
a terrible fire OH the carriage. The two
horses sank in their tracks. Scott was
wounded in two places. Miss Nc.
Whorter received a Winchester ball In
the back and the hired man and Mrs.
Scott narrowly escaped. Scott was
dragged bleeding from his wife's
side and gagged. The others
were placed hurriedly in another
wagon brought from a ravine and
driven within sight Of their home by
two masked men. Not a word wa
spoken. The family were tumbled out,
and before the alarm was raised the
masked men and the team had dis
appeared in the wilds Of the Niobrara
breaks. SCOTS fate remained u mys.
terry for a month. Then the body was
accidentally found by the small army
OF searchers. The ice of the Niobrara
had been cut and the body cast into the
water. 1t had struck q firm resting
place and was easily recovered. A rope
still around the murdered mans neck
told the story of his death.
1t is frequently asserted that the
murderers of Barrett Scott got posses
sion of the stolen funds OF Holt county.
Many believe this to be the truth, while
others are satisfied the v~igilantes tried
the defaulter and found him guilty, &C.
cording to their primitive methods, and
proceeded to remove him without pity.
The other side is equally confident that
sip ''h ~ Pioiitcu W oSotV . Sttul-
ings killed him to close his mouth
forever.
Hunt For the Murderers.
Some effort was made to hunt down
the murderers. The county officials
were paralyzed. The old v~igilantes
organization permeated all branches of
the county government and the kgisla.
ture ordered the attorney general to
proceed in the case.
A dozen men We're arrested, all con-
nected with the protective association
or ex.vigilantes. The prosecution was
pushed on the theory that the murder
was committed by that order. But tho
strength of the order was usderes,i.
mated. Men made no secret Of their
connection with either organization
after the fight started. 1t was not such
q terrible thing In the estimation OF
these stern pioneers TO have assisted in
removing a felon who could not be
reached by the law which Furnishes the
poor man. The. representative in tho