Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-03-06
MERRY JUSTICE.
Banquet to the Capture Of
Horse Tht<yen

Banauet TO the Capture OF
Horse Thieves.
One of the moss remarkable hanauets
ever spread In Kansas was given at
Wellington in 1874 by John Williamson
Of Independence. Mo. The guests of
honor were ten men. who lived four days
on the single tiny carcass OF a jack rahr
bit The banquet. although exceedingly
merry, had a grewsome association. with
three corpses swinging from q cotton
wood tree on the lonely banks Of State
creek. There is a long story connected
with il. which Is told by a Wichita cor
respondent Of the Kansas City Times
Fer four or tive years the Southern
Kansas State company had a monopoly
Of the governments business etween
Wichita aud Fort Sill. In the spring OF
1874 John Williamson. on behalf OF the
Southwest Missouri State made
a bid Of Sll.001 for the contract. while
the Kansas company's bid WAS Slt,ueo
Ii has always been alleged that the
friends of the Southwest Kansas COM
pany entered into a conspiracy TO eomI.ei
the Southwest Missouri company to
throw up the contract AT any rate. the
moment the Southwest Missouri ompan
commenced business So head Of Their
horses were stolen from their station al
Turkey creek in what is now Oklahoma.
Mr.. Williamson offered a reward of $4oO
for the capture of the thieves
Ex-AIasor Albert NJ. Colson. who was
the first superintendent OF public instrue
lion of Sumner count was then a young
man. One day Or. Burkett of Caldwell
hailed Mr.. Colsop and said: You are a
young fellow that | like. and I'll put you
on to a scheme TO get that 500 reward
At 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning the
thieves will pass pevore's ranch. and il
you have a posse there You can take them
in"
Coison organized a posse of ten men.
With Joe Thralls, now superintendent of
the Wellington waterworks, as his lead
ing man. When the men reached De
yore's ranch. they found that the thieves
had passed there the previous day at 10
o'clock and had taken the Ellsworth
trail. The men had no provisions. but
they expected To be able to kill a buffalo.
and away they went after the thieves.
After two days fasting Colson killed a
rabbit. and the ten men divided il and
ate IL from their fists as they pursued the
thieves. Two days more they travelled
without being able to get even a rabbit
and were about starved when they sight
I'd a party in the Sane creek valley. in
what is now Kingman county. There
were only two men in the opposite party.
and n remarkable fight ensued that last
ed half a day. Over 200 shots were fired
and not a man seriously hurt. Finally
the superior force raised a flag of truce.
and in the parley that followed the re-
markable discovery was made that the
attacked We're innocent buffalo hunters.
who thought the attacking party was a
band of horse thieves. The Ainters then
entertained the posse at supper. and
those who tried so hard to kill each other
during the afternoon parted good friends,
The next day the posse found track of
the real thieves. and the latter. finding
that they were closely pursued. spread
alarm among the farmers and settlers
in Sedgwick county by saying they were
fleeing from a desperate gang of horse
thieves. The settlers believed them and
organized to meet and take in the alleged
gang. When the pursuers reached the
settlements of Sedgwick county. they
found themselves surrounded by the
farmers. and had ii not been for the fact
that Colson was known among them he
and his friends would have received
rough treatment. When mutual expla
nations were made. the farmers Joined
the posse and came upon the three rob
bers. whose leade was Hurricane Bill"
Two of the robbers escaped: the third
was wounded and captured. He made a
confession. duplicating Lawyer Has
hrpoks Landlord Calkins Of the City no
smith. all of Caldwell.
Sheriff Davis of Wellington organized
n posse of 200 men. went To Caldwell and
e.assa the town; The above named
Wellington. Terri and Calkinr were re
leased on habeas corpus. md Brooke.
Smith and asbro were placed in Jail
to await trial. That night the jail was
broken open. and the men We're taken out
by a vigilance committee and hanged