The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-03-16
ONE MAN LEFT ALIVE.
story Of ne nay BeadoW Massacre TOT,
By Surriror.


are now living in Beaver county many
persons who were more or less directly
interested in the troubles that lead 10
what is known as the Hay Meadow
massacre at Wild Horse lake Ia 1883
The recent arrest OF Robinson end his
probable prosecution OF completely IN
the murder OF sheriff Cross and his
companions, has revived interest in
the story. In those days Beaver coun-
ty WAS known as "No Mans Land.
Herbert Tonney, the only survive Of
Sheriff Cross party, has made state
ment OF his experience for the Beaver
Herald. This is said TO be the hrst
time that Tonney ever consented 10
an interview. After reviewing The
incidents OF the fight in stevens couu-
ty, Kan, over county seat matters,
ronDey tells OF the efforts OF II Z Short
TO arrest j. x. Robinson; how he cor
rAled Robinson and was compelled TO
send 70 woodsdale TO ask the assist
ance Of Sheriff Cross, aud then says:
The Purpose oJ me Posse.
/ las soon as the sheriff received the
news he noned G. W. Eaton, Rob
ert Hubbard, Rolla Wilcox and myself
Il 70 kO Win nltA anu Ou uttuhN even
ing started to Shorts assistance. We
went to where the messenger had
started, but failed to fnd either Rob
inson or Short. When Short gave
chase tc Robinson the Cooks went to
Hugotcu and party OF nine men was
sent TO AID Robinson in eecapiDg from
| Short This party was led by City
| Attorney O'Counor, OF Hugoton
| Nothing could be beard Of the party
at Hugoton and q second party was
sent ouI TO look for Robinson and the
OConnor party. On their way back
to Kansas Short and his men encoun
tered the O'Connor party and a run
ming 6ght ensued. The HuRoton
crowd chased Short out Of mo Mans
Land" and returned in search OF Rob-
inson's party, which they met about
dark July 25
"Sheriff Cross and his Iosse failir g
to fud either Short or Robinson,
started back to Stevens comfy
Wednesday night, July 90 Some OF
our horses gave out and we walked
and led them several miles. About 9
o'clock we went to a camp Of haymAk-
ers at the head Of Wild Horse lake,
about eight miles south OF the Kansas
line, where we got some water and let
lOuN nIAttH lNHN nhh % W. NhAhRh
with the campers aw hile and lay down
on the hay TO rest. Eat 4 and Wilcox
got up into wagon near by The
moon had risen. We were suddenly
surprised by the appearance OF Sam
Robinson and his meu, who had COM
pletely surrounded us and who com
manded us to surrender and hold up
our hands. We were scar aIched for
arms, but had left our Winchesters
strapped to our saddles, about six feet
away. Robinson said: Sheriff Cross,
you are my first man. and fred at
him with a Winchester, killing him in
stantly lie then turned and said:
Hubbard, | want you and shot him
also.
Pretending to BE Dead.
"At the same time J. B. Cham ber-
lain, chairman Of the board OF county
commissioners OF Stevens county, took
my revolver from me, stepped back =
few feet, leveled his Winchester and
fired. As he did so /, having my
hands up. made sudden movement
and received a flesh wound in the
shoulder, the force of the ball knock
ing me down. When l realized the
situation l feigned death Robinson
: and his party then discovered Eaton
and Wilcox, who, on hearing the fir.
ing, had got out OF the wagon, shot al
/ theu also, Eaton running several huu'
dred yards before receiving the fatal
shot Cross, Eaton, Hubbard and
Wilcox were all shot again TO be sure
they were dead. Robinson and b {
crowd pulled me around by the loot 70
see il / was dead. Chamberlain as
sured them that | was, as he had given
me a center shot
After the killing, the haymakert
asked Robinson what they must do
for II the Woodsdsle men came there
and found the bodies OF the men they
might kill them tie told them tC
hitch up their teams and follow him
They dad so and all started north to-
gether. After they had been gone a
short time ! got up and got NV horse
and started TO Voorhees,, ABOUT hfteer
miles to the northeast.
Weak From Loss Of Blood.
"My horse was run down and / wAl
very weak from exhaustion and loss oi
blood, and II WAS nearly noon the mex
day when | got TO Voorhees,. Oh
reaching there / found that the newl
OF the bloody tragedy had preceded
! me, and men had gone after the bodies
Of the slaughtered men. An on eel
{ started to take me to Liberal, so that
could get out of the country, as 1t wa
feared that the Hugoton crowd woulc
} hunt me up and kill me, but ! was too
weak TO stand the trip, and wal
secreted In the corndeld Of physician
until friends from Woodsdale, under
the leadership of George PiersC n, ar
rived and took me away.
Robinson and his gang, after es
cortng the haymAkers home, returned
: TO the scene of the butchery aud dis
, covered that | was gone They set ou
/ TO hunt me, but went In exactly the
: opposite direction to the one taken by
their intended victim After thil
shooting OF Cross and bis men severA
of the citizens OF Hugoton threatened
TO burn the town OF Voorhees, anC
} drive it's Inhabitants out OF the coun
, try, because they had assisted nae afte
G was wounded. Excitement was
{ fever heat, aud STATE officials, together
q with eight companies Of Kansas Ma
+ tionAl guard, were ordered TO Steven
county, and martial law was pro
,lAimed, which lasted about month
The ttcgA faiatcd.