The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-19
FARMERS WERE HOT
C0WLBY COUNTY MEN TAKE Law
INTO THEIR OWN HANDS

az Hinfield-Ar. Sherilfs Winchester
Did the Business-The Farmers Explain
That the Offieers Would Do Nothing TO
Punish Crime in Their NeighborhOOd
and Hence had to Execute the Law
ThemseIyes-smith Makes . Dying
Statement.
There was a tragedy down in Cowley
county yesterday that resulted in the
killing OF Ed Smith Of MCComb. III,
and more recently from California and
Oklahoma
II seems that there had been great
many robberies committed recently in
CresWell and Beaver townships, and for
some reason the people could not get
the officers 10 issue warrants for the
supposed criminals Exasperatsd BY
the action or rather lack OF action on
the part Of the officers the farmers took
the law into their own hands yesterday
morning with the above result
About a week ago Smith came into
the neigh borhoOd Of Mr.. : A. Beach
OF Beaver township. He seemed 10
be tramp and was looking for work.
He was taken in and fed by the farmers
and on nearly every Instance after his
departure some article was missing.
Saturday noon the stranger took dinner
with Mr.. Beach. whose watch was hang
ing on the wall That night the room
was broken into and the watch stolen
The tramp was al once suspected and
as he slept al the home OF Chris Rix on
Sunday night. Mr.. Beach got party OF
neighbOrs yesterday morning 10 round
him up. The party consisted OF Mr..
Beach. Sam Roseberry, ]. W. Sheriff.
and Frank Rogers. They found the
stranger at Rix's house and accOsted
him about the theft Ar. Sheriff.. who
had a Winchester rife. demanded the
return of the watch TO Beach and the
tramp pulled a revolver, shooting Mr..
Sheriff. through the right arm Mr.
Sheriff. then shot Smith twice in the
abdomen and piling him into a wagon
took him TO Winfield. Before dying,
Smith made a statement. II shows
him 10 have something Of the desperate
about him, but he was. nevertheless. too
honest to be what is known as an slev-
enth hour penitent like Holmes and his
class. II is as follows:
My name is Ed Smith. have been IN
Kansas eight months. 1 came here from
California / lived in Illinois at Nc
Comb, McDonaugh county. have
brother and sister, who lived at Nc
Comb the last l knew OF them. / do not
know whether my father and mother
or living or not. do not want TO send
word 10 any one IN the world My
brothers name IS JEFF, and is older than
myself. 1 am 80 years old. My sisters
name is Jennie, and she is younger than
] am 1 was not working in the neigh
bOrhood when l was shot, but was only
passing through. 1 had been up and
down through California working on
ranches.
They accused me of stealing a watch,
but l did not steal il. They asked me
whether I did not stay with Lando's
and l said 1 did. One Of them said he
was sheriff. II was the one who had
the Winchester. One said he mis-
trusted had q gun and he wanted it. I
thought they had no authority TO take
my gun. 1 was not built that way
Then we started 10 work. mean by
work, We began shooting. Both shot
and no one was hit at first. The frs:
time both shot about together. / don't
know which shot first.
Il think I shot three times and that
he shot three times. ! don't know
whether I hit him or not. He said / hit
shots no one was hurt. Some men are
mOnkeyed with now-a-days-(this was
in connection with the demand for his
gum The one who shot me wore Il
broad brimmed hat. / don't know the
names OF any Of the men. The one
who shot me is the man who come here
in my room with his arm done up. They
did not accuse me of stealing the watch
OF the man who shot me. II never
taken his watch" This was in answer
to the question, DO you want 10 say
whether you did or did no take the
watch?'
"All IL this statement was after being
told that the doctors said he was not
likely TO get well. and was asked:
What do YOU think about il your
seif?' and he said Il think that Is the
way out or IL I don't give a damn 10
die. but l hate like hell TO suffer So He
said TO Captain Fishbaclx: My folks are
Methodist, but never belonged Cap
tain Fishb3ck asked him whether ne
would not like to see a minister, and
talk with him about his hereafter. and
he said he did not That he did not be-
lieve that way. That a good many peo-
pie when they got sick would talk that
way. but he did not believe that any one
Sipu-A ta4h bLial way HurH SICK uuitss
they believed II before L don't be-
lieve that way. and II would do no good
but 1 thank you for your interest Ia
me"
While Smith was In the neigbborboOd
five horses, two mules. a spring wagon.
a buggy. three sets OF harness and yari-
Gus other things were stolen.
-
A serious smashup occurred on the
West Side Sunday and the remains
OF the buggy were gathered up by the
Mammoth livery stable where the rig