The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-19

Chief Executive was Killed.
The jury in the famous Talbot case
at Wellington are unable to agree after
discussion anl argument for twenty
four hours; the best they could do was
nine for murder in the first degree, two
for murder in the second degree and
one positive and determined for ac-
quittal. That was the situation as an
nOunced late last night by a special
dispatch to the Eagle. The Eagle has
heretofore stated that the result would
be a hung jury. Not because the evil
derce was not sufficient to convict, but
on account of circumstances such as the
great lapse of time, sympathy on ac-
count of family and so forth. Indeed
it might be said, and the people down
in Sumner county think So considering
the circumstances, that County At
torney Wood and his colleagues made
an excellent record in SO near convict
ing Talbot. When eleven men said he
was guilty, after such a lapse of time
since the deed was committed, it shows
that the prosecution must be a very
able one.
The history of the murder has often
been told, but it will bear brief repe-
ton
Mike Meas CHER was one of the early
marshals of Wichita. He was a brave
and nervy son of Irish parents who
came here in the early days and settled
on a claim. He took charge Of Wichita
with revolver in one hand and his life
in the other, for in those days the
toughest men probably who were then
America, resorted here. They came
from Texas and the great plains of
Kansas and Oklahoma with cattle and
horses. Besides the reckless cowboy,
Wichita was the resort for bloodw Grim
inals, horsethieves, gamblers and black
legs generally. 1t was necessary then
for the primitive city government TO
employ some man as marshal who had
daring courage to look after these
people. and Mike Meagher was the man.
His body now lies out in Highland
cemetery with a monument over it.
When the railroad was extended to
Caldwell that became the border town,
and Mike Meagher moved down there.
II required a man with a. steady hand
and cool head to run the town, and
Mike Meagher was elected mayor.
In November, 1881, A Company played
ar the primitive opera house at that
city. and a man named Love raised
disturbance. After the opera was over
the trouble was transferred to the
streets and gambling houses. Good
Eye, or John Wilson. was then marshal
and, it seems he aggravated the trouble.
In those days John Wilson was regarded
as the John L. Sullivan of that country.
He was powerfully tAilt. but was not
man who was lit to be marshal. He
lacked the cool head and executive
ability which the position demanded.
He was afterwards killed in a saloon
row at Wellington by a man named
Edwards. But to return to the story.
Next morning the trouble was renewed,
and after an engagement that lasted for
an hour or more, in which many citi-
ZenS participated, Mayor Meagher who,
with his cool head and Indifference TO
danger, was personally SUperintend-
ing the fight. was shot and killed. Il
was pretty certain that Talbot killed
him.
As a description of the fight is in an
extract from Talbot fright name Sher-
mani testimony is given herewith:
His story is that he was born in
county, Missouri; that both
of his parents died in the early part of
the war Of the rebellion, leaving him
an orphan; that during most of the war
he carried newspapers over different
parts of Missouri; after the war he
went to live with an uncle and attend
ed school two years. He then went to
Fort Leavenworth and engaged to
drive oxen in Wisconsin. but on the
way there. he was gored by an OK and
was returned by stage to Fort Leaven-
worth: that he then went back to his
old neighborhood in Missouri and re-
NAMED there some time when he went
to Colorado and engaged in buffalo
as a business. Afterwards he
became engaged in the cattle business.
ON cross-eXamination Mr.. Elliott
questioned him very closely on the
men in Texas. sherman told a very
plausible story about himself and 9th
erS starting out to capture band of
DEMONSTRATING Mexican greaSerS."
He summed up the results by saving
that t1ee of his companions and two
Of the MeXicans were killed and that
they would have gotten the last Sreas-
er of they hadn't run away.
Shortly after this. in 1876. ne was
near San Antonio, Texas.
During the days of cattle driving he
frequently passed through Caldwell
and this county. He had decided that
he would go into Oklahoma with
Payne's invading colony and although
he had never formally Joined the col
ony. yet he had had several interviews
with that noted leader and had received
several letters from him.
He first lived in Caldwell with his
family in the early part of 1881. He
moved away in the spring or summer
of 1881 and returned in November, 1881.
for the purpose of remaining there over
the winter and going into Oklahoma
with Payne in the spring of 1882. He
says that he had not met any of those
who are Jointly charged with the muir
der of Meagher until after they came
Z n al n f.axl- hafnra kill
ing.
Coming down TO the day Of the tuou-
bic, he says that he did not set up I'M
til about O'Clock that morning and
knew nothing whatever about the
trouble over Loves arrest until after
that day. He says that the first time
he went up town that Gay was about
10 O'Clock when he went with his wife
and children 10 Mr.. GoodelTS on West
FIT street: that when he had been in
Caldwell first that they lived with
Goodells and Mrs. Goodells had young
babe and his wife went there 10 nurse
her. that he remained at Goodeils all
day until about o'clock y. m. eating
dinner there. About O'Clock Red Rill
Jones came up and told him there was
trouble down town and asked him 10
go down and see whether lie could not
stop IL. that he and Red Bill rode down
on Newt Niller's dray 10 Main street.
where they found quite a crowd IN the
crossing of Main and Fifth streets.
Standing on the dr2y, Sherman asked
Martin what was wrong. Martin re-
piled that he had been fined and that
the fine was too heavy Talbot replied
that he would help pay il himself rather
than have any trouble about il. At
this juncture. according IN his story.
John Wilson rushed in with his two
revolvers and the crowd commenced
TO scatter. He says that he was ut
terly unarmed at the time and started
south down Main street Some one
handed him a revolver and suggested
that he shoot ii a couple OF times and
see how the crowd would scatter. ne
took the revolver and fired il twice in