The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-03
Stevens County Seat War to
Gene Up Again.
Arrest of Sam Robinson, To Be
Tried for Murder.
KILLING OF SAM WOOD
And Sheriff Cross and Party
An Episode of the Feud.
Jim Brennan Now Running a
Saloon in Oklahoma.

was released last Sunday from the Col
orado penitentiary, after having served
eight years for robbing the postoffice at
Florlssant, and was Immediately ar
rested by the United States marshal,
charged with the murder of Govern
ment Land Agent Robert Hubbard in
No-Man' Land, in 1888.
sam Robinsons name was at one
time very familiar to the people of
western Kansas. Stevens county is in
Iue extreme western part of that state.
IL IS one of the distinctiYely short
grass" counties The drouths of recent
years nave caused it to be almost de-
populated, but there was a time when
1t had several thousand Inhabitants and
was the scene of much activity. In it
occurred the blOOdiest of the county
seat wars of Kansas. Sam Wood who
founded WOOdsdale, in Stevens county,
was one of the ablest of the Kansas
boOmers- He served in the state Iegis-
iature several terms and was for years
peIoFe ms death one of the most pic
turesque and well known characters of
the state. At about the time that
Woodsdale was founded Hugoton also
was laid out in Stevens county, and the
tight for the county seat at once began.
The WoOdsdale party was headed by
Sam Wood and the HugOtOn faction by
Charles and George Cook, J. w Cal
vert and Sam Robinson. Hugoton was
chosen as the county seat at the regu-
lar election, but, as usual, fraud was
charged, and warra- = were placed in
the hands of Sheriff cross, who was a
WOOdsdale man, for the arrest of Rob-
inson, Calvert, the Cooks, a man named
jackson, and few other Hugoton
men. Almost all the men who were
wanted by the sheriff went with a pic
mic party into the neutral strip on the
day he started out with five deputies
among whom was Hubbard to arrest
them, and the posse followed them. The
Hugoton men was acquainted with the
sherin's intentions, and when they
deserted him and his party approach
ing those for whose arrest he had war
rants mounted horses and succeeded in
eluding him. The sheriff gave chase,
but after riding several miles lost all
track of the men. He and his posse
dtsmounted about O'Clock near some
hayStackS, and after eating lunch took
off their arms and laid down to rest.
While they were lying about in the sun
the HugotOn fugitiveS came upon them
unexpectedly. Blood was running high
both sides, and the Hugoton men
determined to take advantage of this
opportunity to rid themselves of a few
of their enemies.
Led by Robinson, they crept up on the
sheriff and his deputies, who soon
found themselves without arms, and at
the mercy of those whom they had been
only a few minutes before pursuing.
But little mercy did they find here.
Robinson had already resolved upon
what should be done He covered the
sheriff with his Winchester, and told
him to stand up. Dazed with fear, the
officer fell on his knees and begged for
mercy, but while he was still pleading
Robinson put two bullets through his
heart. Four other men were served in
the same way by him. The sixth and
youngest was turned over to the tender
merc1eS of a man named Chamberlain,
a county commissioner of Stevens coun-
ty, who followed the example set by
Robinson, and shot his man twice. Aft
er deciding that their victims were all
dead. the Hugoton party mounted their
horses and rode away.
The news of the killing created a tre-
mendous sensation in Kansas. The part
Robinson took in it soon became pub
lie through the statements of the young
men shot by Chamberlain, who did not
die, and who is still living in western
Kansas, and he fed from the state. He
was not heard from again until a year
later, when he, assisted by Bud Noble,
robbed the pOStOffice at FlOriSSant, Col.
For that crime Robinson was given
eight years in the Colorado peniten-
tiary, where he was incarcerated until
last Sunday.
The strip of country in which Sheriff
Cross and his deputies were murdered
was known at that time the "neu-
trail strip or NO Mans Land and it
was a question at that time under
whose jurisdiction it was. The Cooks,
Calvert Jackson and Chamberlain were
arrested by the United States officers,
and finally taken to Paris, Texas, for
trial in the federal court. The United
States attorney was assisted by Sam
Wood in prosecuting them, and, after a
long and sensational trial, they were all
convicted and sentenced to be hanged.
Their case was carried to the supreme
court, however, and they were granted
a new trial. In the meantime, they
were admitted to bail Through some
legal hook or crook they escaped a sec
ond trial, and all are at liberty.
The last act in the Stevens county
war occurred when, in 1891, James Bren-
nan shot and killed Sam Wood. Stevens
county had no court house at that time,
and district court was held in Hugo
tons only church. A few minutes after
noon one day, while court was in seS
sion, Wood drove up to the church in a
buggy, in company with his wife and
her sister, alfghted, and started to en-
ter. He had hardly passed the out
side door when he was fired upon by
Brennan, who was standing in the YES
tibule. Wood turned and ran outside,
pursued by Brennan. A few feet from
the door he fell. His wife had already
leaped from the buggy, and when he
fell she threw herself upon his body to
protect him from another shot from
Brennan's revolver. 1t was charged
that Brennan was only a tool in the
hands of some of the most prominent
men in western Kansas, and it looked
for time like more blood would be
shed. Brennan, who gave himself up
Immediately after the killing, was in
carcerated in the Reno county Jail until
he was arraigned for trial on the
charge of murder. Practically every
man in the county was drawn on the
special Venire, and it was found 1mpOS-
sible to select from among them u men
unprejud1ced enough to try the case,
and the suit against him was nolle
pros ed. He Immediately left Kansas
and went to Oklahoma, where he is now
engaged in the saloon business.
ABE LINCOLN OWNED 1T.