The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1896-02-14

- a ~.
- tf 40 son Junction used to
G,lNeSlF1 figure I'm the news
ID ~ papers as the typi- /
NV ~ cal rough towns ON |
the border but Newton could give
cards and spades on wholesale depray-
lty and reckleBsness.'
Ne yton today Is wide awake. enter
prising aud poaocable. and the citizens !
know only by tradition Of the sccnea !
Of blood In the early days. It has a
handsome opera house. costly ana Inn
posing county buildings. hundreds oi
pretty homes. wide avenues Of resi-
dcnces. long commercial streets. and
prosperous wholesale aud manufacture
Ing concerns
In the spring Of 1871 the terminus
Of the Santa Re railroad was at En-
porla Il was determined to build TO
a point seventy-fye miles further west.
The object was to catch tho Texas cat
tie trade. Two men went and campcd
on tho spot IN April. 1871. There was
not foot Of lumber then Ia what Ia
now Harvey county. Kan. These men
were the pioneers OF the town that
Captain John Sebastian afterwards
named Newton. Six weeks later there
was n population OF nearly 1000. The
history OF the town for the fret eight
months IL story OF lawlcsnness and
bloodshed that has probably never been
eQualcd on this continent. although
other places. mining camps and cattle
towns. have kept mp the music OF the
pistol a greater length Of time. A soon
as II became known that Newton was
to be the end OF the railroad for year,
and II was to be a cattle shipping point,
/ whisky sellers. gamblers and thieves
| Hooked there by hundreds. or course
many respectable men seeking lcglt-
innate business went there, too. but the
/ object OF the majority OF the nowcom-
ors was to rob the cowboys and cattle
men.
For months II was q neycr-ending
battle. From first 20 last thi!ty-siN
persons were killed with their boots
on. AZ least dozen gambling houses
were run on the main street, and tho
doors were kept open day and night
including Sunday. One OF them, the
Gold Room" was capable OF holding
800 to 600 people Every kQoNn kind
Of gambling was practlcedy A scene
occurred In this place one StRday night
that Ia not often witncased.S a Metho-
dIet preacher went to the bona OF the
SESSION ';:.iii; Z noid ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS wiT5
granted, and with every gahbllng table
| running. and the bar sending out ite
/ liquid he'll. the preacher. the Rev Mr..
Hahn, stood up and told the story Of
the Man Of Nazareth. Before he had
finished his sermon a quarrel arose at
one OF the card tables and man was
shot
II II not intended TO give detailed
account OF the murders, II gang OF
cowboys rode into town the smallest
provocatlon would set their guns golng,
and going 10 Kill. 4 bond election was
held. Several special constables were
appointed for election day. ono Of
! them was Texan named Martin. Al
the polls thoro was quarrel between
him aud big lrlshman. who called
| himself McCluskey, but whose real
name was Arthur Delaney. The result
Of that quarrel was the death Of eight
mon and one woman and the woundlng
OF an equal number After the election
was over MeCluakey and Martin met
in the Lone Star saloon and renewed
the quarrel. A proposition was made
and accepted to 80 out on the street
and settle Il with the INST Both men
laid m their belts ana started for the
street. Martin had gun hidden In his
boot. and Just as the door was reached
he went down after Il, intending TO Kill
the lrlshman. McCluskey was TOO
quick for him. and taking The gun
away from Martin. shot him dead, Me
Cluskey gave himself up and was ac-
quilted.
Martin had host OF friends. and they
vowed vengeance on his slayer. lila
death led TO what has always been
known as the big killing" In Newton
There were three dance halls across the
railroad track In what was known a.
Hyde Park" In one OF them the big
killing" occurred McCuskey was a
hanger-on at one OF them. Martins
friends swore they would kin him and
all who took his part, The engagement
took place according to program. Me-
Cluskey was killed early In the fray.
lilo had two holou through his neck ana
ensagh lead was scattered about
through his body To make anyone who
discovered his grave imagine that he
had struck a paying lead niue. 4 man
on the MoCluskey side shot nine OF the
long-horn crowd, and ala Il In a novel
way knowing that the fight would
occur, this man, Riley by name, went
prepared to mako himself felt lie had
four aiX-shootors on him. AZ the first
pop OF gun he deliberately walked up
TO Texan and shot him In the eye,
then running his arms between the
! s,vrsss I'D hpHv NJ tho dpoU man utoNp