The sun., 1897-05-09
WITHOUT HONOR OR MERCY
,-,ocIrrrs or THE M'ELR0Y-MIL-
rr FEUD IN OKLAHOMA.
.,,.,, women Nor Chiidren Spared In the
warfare - The Record OF assassinations-
a. u.lp from tho Courts. aud Federal
..r,h,I, AFRAID TO Hunt Down the AssaEsins.

,,.r,,,r.Mi.lcr fcud in northwestern Okla
-, has becn peculiarly atrocious for tho sac.
a. II has imposed on women and children
~ cvoeting the lives of husbands and sons.
.i,,,e family has been all but cNterminatcd,
"a even Federal law has been too weak TO
I hing A single person to justice.
rrank O. Miller. " hose father, mother. brother,
ale and friend were assass mated near here,
s.,td,s ana rides over the Territory as a deputy.
..ds- Deputy United States Marshals Bill Tight.
..,n and Heck Thomas. Miller lives in constant
80, hcing shot down by hidden foes. Few men
rho know him. however. would willingly cross
~, ,,th. He is n dead shot and walking
.-,en,l Miller has been trained in hard
,,hoo, IIr lived for months in Payne coun.
:, with tho knowledge that assassins fol-
hvod his every footstep. Whom night came
\. locked the DOORS curtained the windows.
and left the lamp unlightei. Many times he
hard the tramp Of feet outside OF the house.
and often in the darkness he would cautiously
,i,e from his bed and sit until daylight with his
winchester in his hands. When dawn came he
would no, leave the house until some one had
,.connotrcd to see that enemies were not lurk-
,ar behind trees or fences. Miller. as the oldest
nm and most fearless member OF the family.
vas marked for death. His escape up to the pres
ant time has been little short OF miraculous.
The beginning OF the McElroy- Miller feud was
trivial Eighteen years ago Alexander Dayton
Miller was a wcll-todo farmer in Bourbon
county Kan. His sister, Fannie. was the wife
N John McElroy. who lived In the same county.
George McElroy. then q boy, was the son of
JoAn McE!roy's former wife. A family quarrel
arose one day while Mrs. Fannie McElroy was
visiting her brother. and she was forbidden to
enter the house. The brother and sister never
became rcCoucilcd.
Atew years later John McElroy moved to the
Indian Territory and took a farm at the Creek
agency near Muskogee. Alexander Miller fol-
lowed with his family, and settled thirty miles
sast OF Tulsa. The two families were still
estransed. and had nothing to do with each
other In the years that followed. George Nc
Eroy. the son, married q half-blood Greek
woman and took an allotment in the extreme
northwest corner Of the Creek Nation. When
the Cherokee strip was opened. on Sept.
l6 1898 Alexander Miller took up q
claim in the eastern part OF Payne
county Oklahoma Territory. about q quarter
da mile from the Creek Nation line. close to
George McElroy's claim. and near Lawson Post
oHiee about forty miles east Of here. That
county was then infested with desperadoes. who
nlowcd the windings of the timbered shores OF
the Cmarron River far into the western part OF
Oklahoma. Alexander Miller had two brothers,
Bruce and Ebert or Ell Miller. who rented
large tract of land adjoining and Immediately
s,ath OF George McElroy's farm.
George McElroy prospered as a cattleman. and
llca found his farm too small The land east Of
his farm was broken and worthless, and his only
sitlet was southwark. Bruce and Ell Miller re-
fused to sell their lease. and McElroy became in
srnsed at them.
The old family quarrel which began in Kansas
vas renewed Meddline neishbors added fuel
to the fire by carrying stories. Neighbors
warn I'd the Miller brothers one day that a gang
d meo was plotting to visit them that night,
Kill their families. and burn their homes. That
was on Sunday, April Is, 1894. The Miller
6ruthers lived half a mile apart On Sunday
afternoon Bruce Miller took his wife and three
children, and accompanied By John Baldinger. a
farmband known as Dutch John. went to his
SOther's home for the night. Ell MiHers fam
fy consisted OF his wife, one child, and HE
no.aer Mrs Bette Miller. nearly SO years old.
The house was darkened and barricaded. and
the watchers waited for the coming Of the en-
any. They sat up all night, but not q sound
was heard.
At the frst gray light OF dawn on Monday
morning Bruce Miller and Dutch John prepared
20 go back TO the farm TO work. Dutch John
was armed with shotgun. The two stepped
cautiously from the house and looked about
them. No one was in sight. Down the side OF
the little hill on which the house stood and
asuu; 100 feet away was a spring that trickled
from the rocks in a thicket. \ well-worn path
led from the house TO the spring. dog was
wing in the path resting its head on its paws.
Suddenly the dog pricked up its ears.
Il believe that dog sees somebody" said
Dutch John as he started toward the spring. fol-
HWed BY Miller. They had advanced only u
few steps when Il cloud OF smoke came from the
ihieket, followed by the rattle OF Winchesters.
There was hail of bullets. Dutch John fell
dead with four balls in his body. Bruce Miller
turned and ran for his life toward the house.
His three-year-old boy had just come from the
house. Part of the boys shoulder was torn
away BY a ball as he was caught up by his ia
ther who narrowly escaped death from a bullet
which passed across his stomach. cutting
through his undershirt, but not breaking the
skin. The two tumblcd into the house and the
family retreated to the middle room, which was
built 0f heavy logs.
The assassins poured shot into the house
breaking the dishes in the cupboard and sending
sbullet through the sleeve of the aged mother
Tae besiegers cncircled the house and kept up a
eesultory firing all day and greater part OF the
allowing night. The house was riddled with
bullets. There were about fifteen men in the
Eang and persons who came riding along the
fOad were halted and made prisoners. A rail
ience was torn down and piled up as a barricade.
The M!llcrs were crack shots. but were unable to
catch sight Of their enemies.
On Monday night the besieGers came to the
house in the darkness and talked TO the women.
Declaring themselves 10 be officers and telling
Aem that outlaws were harborcd in the house
and must be surrendered. This outlaw story
uterward proved an ingenious part OF the legal
ee'ence. The Millers knew nearly all the out.
avs in that part Of the country and had known
hem before they became fugitives from justice.
lacy had not refused afterward, old AGO uaint-
'hess. TO lodge them at night and provide them
With food. though they stoutly denied that they
anticipated in the plundcr.
The women ventured outside tho house on
tuesday at noon and found that the gang had
sparted. The body Of Dutch John was still In
epath where it had fallen ON Monday morn.
ns Al! the buildings on Bruce Millers farm
I Ad been burned. The Miliers lost no time going
"their relatives in Payne county. Ell Miller's
104'e was burned few days afterward. The
natter Vas laid before the United States Grand
'uTy al Fort smith A ArH and thn follnyinp ner-