The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-10
TO SURRENDER.
Continued from First Page.)

/ had little trouble with a fellow there
last night and maybe it isn't best for
me to go that way"
what kind of trouble did you have?'
ased Taylor.
"I cut Link swinney up pretty bad. I
guess" Mattox replied. He jumped on
me and beat and kicked me, and 1 had
to do something. From the way it feels,
1 believe he broke one of my ribs
Taylor turned the mare at the first
crossroads and started in the direction
of Cross, a small town east of Ponca.
Mattox did not ask him to hurry, and
he allowed the black mare to choose
Cross and Taylor stopped to talk to a
man on the street. Mattox gave no evil
dence of impatience at the delay.
In the meantime the officers had
started on a hunt for MattOX. Jailer
Ward and Marshal Seng of Newkirk,
with two deputies, took a double team
and two-seated rig and started for
Ponca. As Mattox drove through Cross
with Taylor one of the men who recog-
niZed him telephoned TO Ponca that he
had passed through that place. Sheriff
Pierce was still at Ponca and he at once
organized a posse and started in pur-
suit.
Taylor and Mattox left Cross and
started along the road leading to New
kirk, the mare jogging along at an easy
gait. AS they neared Kildare, a small
town half way between Newkirk and
Ponca City, they saw a two-seated rig
and double team coming toward them.
When they got near enough Taylor
recognized Ward and Seng. "Clyde
must have recognized them, too" he
said in telling the story, for before I
knew what he was about he had pulled
a siX-shooter from each coat pocket and
was holding them in his hands under
the laprObe.
when they got to us they pulled
up and I did the same" Taylor con-
tinued. Just then heard the triggers
of the six-shooters snap as Clyde cooked
them. / could feel my hair straighten-
ing, for l felt sure there was going to
be a shooting bee. Hello there, Tay-
lor,' said Ward to me. Hello said 1
in return. 'How's that fellow who was
cut down in Ponca last night?' he asked.
oh, guess he's getting along all right
I said, for then. as sure as I'm living,
1 didn't know the fellow was dead. L
guess he wasn't cut very bad How
about Mattox?' said he, and as 1 an
Swered him I gave the reins a jerk,
for thought sure they knew Clyde and
think he's given himself up to the Sher-
Tiff at Ponca,' said as drove on.
well, SIR went on Taylor, 81 ex-
pected those fellows to blaze away. be-
cause I had seen Ward talking to Clyde
one Sunday not long before, and I'd "a
sworn they knew him. But they just
drove right on the road we had come
over. AS soon as we got along a little
way I let the mare out, and she. hit
the road at about a three-minute pace.
I couldn't have done anything else I'M
der the circumstances, for if 1 had done
anything different three or four men
would have been killed sure"
The three minute pace of the Morgan
mare is what saved Clyde Mattox. The
posse in the buggy had not gone far
toward Ponca City when they met the
sheriff'S posse riding hard from the 9TH
er direction. There was a sharp ex-
change of courtesies between Sheriff
Pierce and his men from Newkirk, and
then the horsemen and the drivers
started after the two men in the buggy.
But Taylor'S mare had done the work,
and when the officers reached the ford
of the Arkansas river Taylor was driv-
ing down to it from the Clark ranch
with his two horse collars in the seat
that Clyde Mattox had occupied few
minutes before.
Taylor says that after he passed the
officers he asked Mattox to get out, but
Mattox told him emphatically that he
must take him across the river. Once
across the river, he says, Mattox jump
ed out and took to the brush. The Off
GERS made Taylor return with them to
Clark's place, and they remained there
for dinner making a search OF the
premises after they had eaten the meal.
Early in the afternoon the posse re-
turned to Newkirk, taking Taylor with
them on the charge of assisting Mattox
to escape. His bond was placed at ST.,
600, but he promptly furnished IL that
night and returned to his home.
1t was when the officers returned to
Newkirk that the report was circulated
were chagrined at their failure to cap
ture Mattox and surrounded the search
with considerable mystery. Sheriff
Pierce is credited with having made the
remark that -'Mattox has killed his last
man." but this he denies. Marshal
Seng of Newkirk is known as a great
practical joker, and when some one
asked how many buckshOt he had put
into Mattox, he replied in spirit of
humor, Just 23.'' This added authen-
city to the report of the killing of Mat
tox, and when later Marshal Seng re-
piled to the question, Did you throw
him in the river?'' in this way, Il saw
tracks where he went in and 1 didn't
see anywhere ne came out" the people
of Newkirk commenced to believe that
Clyde MattOX was no more.
Mrs. Hatch did not hear of the muir
der of Swinney by her son until some
time after he left the Taylor farm. She
was on the road into Ponca, and met
one of the residents of the town who
knew her. The man started to sympa-
thize with her and in this way she
learned of it. She left the Taylor farm
in fine spirits, as she has apparently
been contented and happy since the
pardon of Clyde by President McKfn-
ley, but returned there without going
into the town broken hearted. She now
wears a haggard look and her eyes are
inflamed from weeping. In the killing
of Swinney, Mattox undid completely
all his mother did in the years she toiled
to secure his pardon, and the blow was
to her a particularly cruel one. Many
of the best people of this section have
called on her during the past week, and
she has received no less than five offers
from prominent attorneys to defend her
son.
II don't blame Clyde for defending
himself when he was attacked" said
Mrs. Hatch today, but I do blame him
for touching liquor. 1t is only human
nature for a man with any bravery at
all in his make up to defend himself
when insulted and abused, and any
other mothers son would have done
the same thing. Clyde is not naturally
a bad boy. He never was bad boy,
and with me he has always been one