Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-14
ONLY SURVIVOR TELLS THE STORY
OF THE AWFUL. TRAGEDY.
WAS SHOT AND LEFT FOR DEAD
HE Is NOW A REAL ESTATE DEALER
AT FLORA, ILL.
Mr.. TOnney Reviews the History OF
the stevens County Seat War and
Tells How Sheriff Cross
and His Posse
Died.

Flora, ILL.,, Feb. ia few days ago a
dispatch from Canon City announced the
release from the Colorado penitentiary of
Sam Robinson. the man who, with his
followers, in 1855, surrounded and captured
Sheriff Cross, of Stevens county, kas.,
and his posse in No Mans Land, and shot
them down in cold blood. They believed
they had killed every man of the posse.
but one Of them. Herbert Tonney, then a
young man of 70. revived and made his
escape. Believing that his life was in
DANGER Tonney finally left the state and
is now engaged in the real estate business
in this city. where he is highly respected.
From the lips of the only survivor now
comes the true story of that, the most ter
rible tragedy that ever stained the pages
Of Western history.
ITO get at the origin of the trouble that
culminated in the Cross massacre" said
Mr.. Tonney, 'it will be necessary for me
to go back for a couple of years before
that event. Stevens county. kas., was
temporarily organized in June, 1856, and
Hugoton was designated by the governor
as the temporary county seat. The gov
ernor appointed ]. w. Calvert county clerk
and ]. B. Chamberlin, ]. B. Robertson and
w. A. Clark county commissioners.
County Seat War Begun.
IAN election was held in August of the
same year for permanent organization Of
the county, which carried with it the per-
manent location of the county seat. Hugo
ton was settled in 1855, and was the cam
didate of the southern portion of the
county. The partiSans of Woodsdale op-
posed permanent organization, because
they did not believe there was sufficient
population in the county. as the law re-
quired that county should have $500
before it could permanently organize and
locate its county seat. But the Hugoton
faction was enterprising, and proceeded to
take census in order to overcome the
difficulty that confronted their ambitious
schemes. People were enumerated who
had no residence there. Young men yet
in their teens We're enrolled as household
ers and having numerous progeny. By
these methods they showed that the coun-
ty had population of 1852, when as a
matter of fact the county contained less
than LOCO persons. The order for election
was obtained and published by posting
notices in the unfrequented sandhills.
where they could hardly be found with a
search warrant. AS it was evident that
the whole business was fraud. the par
tisans of Woodsdale did not vote, but
Hugoton polled nearly as many votes as
there were men, women and children in
the county. The election was afterward
court. but the legislature legalized the
fraud by an act confirming the organiza.
ton.
Kidnapping cs Sam Wood.
"a few days after the vote on permanent
organization. Sam Woods. a prominent at
torney of Topeka, kas., and founder of
Woodsdale, was kidnapped on the Cimarron
river: in Hamilton county. which lies north
of Woodsdale, by a party of leading citi-
zens from Hugoton and carried to that
place on a forged warrant. Colonel Woods
had been Gplleeting evidence to Show the
census fraudulent one, in order to have
the election set aside, and was hurying
across the country to Garden City to take
stt train h.f for Topeka to file notice Of con-
pired: When captured, Captain J. C. Price
and Ola Croft were with him. Croft was
approached him, and handed the papers in
the contest to the driver, who laid them
under his feet in the hay.
They were taken by a circuitouS route
to Hugoton. where they arrived after dark.
After reaching Hugoton Croft escaped with
the papers, which he conveyed to friends
the election declared null and void.
kidnapers, Ed Bowden. John jackson. j. b.
Bill Izor. started with Woods and Price fol: for
No Mans Land in a covered hack, with
a supply wagon and six horses. A cowboy
ton party when they captured Woods,
Price and Croft. went to Aubrey's ranch,
what he saw. A rumor had reached
Woodsdale that Woods had sold out and
had gone East. A messenger was immedi-
ately dispatched to Fargo Springs, twenty
miles east, to ascertain II it was true. In
the meantime it was learned that he had
not gone east. but was taken SOUTH Six
learned from some bone hunters that they
had seen covered hack, wagon and horses
with the foregoing named citizens of Hugo
ton near the state line, going in the direc-
ton of No Mans Land At night eigh-
teen others from the north part Of Stevens
county started in pursuit. The pursuers
Mans Land down into the Panhandle Of
Texas, overtaking them on Palo Duro
creek, and rescued Woods and Price The
Hugoton party was taken completely by
surprise. They were waiting at spring
for Joe CASTOR, who had separated from