The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-24
BOY SHERIFF. OF KANSAS.

Lying helpless on one of the little
white cots in the mems wards at ST.
Luke's hospital, his body nearly broken
in two and emaciated from long suffer-
ing. is Charles E. Aver, 1.-THE boy sher-
iff' of Decatur county, Kansas, once
known throughout the entire west as
among the most daring of peace Off
GERS, at a time when a man accepted
an office such as he held knowing well
that did he ever finch or show mo-
ment's hesitation when dealing with the
outlaws who were his especial charge
his life would pay the penalty.
When but twenty-one years old Aver
was appointed sheriff of Decatur
county by Governor John p. st. John,
of Kansas. The county had but re-
Gently been organized, and the man
elected to the office of sheriff, after
looking over the ground and becoming
acquainted with the characters with
whom he would have to deal, never
qualified. Young Aver had already
been slated as deputy, and when the
first place was made vacant expressed
a willingness to accept it. No one else
wanted the job.
Oberlin, the county seat, was the
center of a large range country and
also the rendezvous of the Lincoln
county outlaws, who came there after
the memorable county seat wars. Bad
men of all degrees f1ocked to the new
county and county seat. They found
their match in the young sheriff. How
many of them fell before his unerring
aim Aver will not tell, but he says, sig
nificantly, that "soon there was a sort
of understanding between him and the
desperadOeS. and there was no further
trouble" But this was not brought
about easily. On one occasion, during
the Sheriff'S absence from Oberlin, ne
was riding over the prairie after a
crowd from New Mexico rode into
town, and finding Aver absent, pro-
ceeded to shoot up the town" in
the approved fashion of the day.
They literally took possession of the
frontier village, breaking into stores
and saloons that had been closed when
they appeared Citizens who dared show
themselves were beaten with the butts
of the outlaws rifles, all the provisions
they could carry were stolen and others
destroyed and the store of liquor in the
saloons was consumed. The invaders
We're some of BILLY the KIDS gang,
the most vicious of the desperadoes.
Among them was Charles Best, alias
John Henry, who acted as leader.
When the sheriff returned the bad
men HAD left and the town was reason
ably quiet But John Henry and his
followers remained The leader was
emboldened by his seeming success,
even to the extent of Dragging that he
would remain in town until he got"
the sheriff. The day after Ayers return
he was in a barber shop, and a few
y
office, apparently waiting for the sheriff.
Failing to attract him by other means,
he shot off one of his revolvers, know
ing that when he heard the report Aver
would rush out to learn the cause of
the shooting. In this he was correct,
f6F-AyeF jumped from the BARRIERS chair
and rushed to the door of the lawyers
office. AS he stepped in Henry aimed
and fired at him, but missed. He never
got a second shot. There may have
been men who could draw a gun quicker
than the boy sheriff, but they were not
common for western Kansas When
Henry was picked up it was found that
two bullets had penetrated his body.
either one of which would have finished
him. Just after the second shot Aver
was grabbed from behind and his arms
pinioned. How he freed himself from
the strong arms of HenryS follower,
Aver can not tell, but he threw him out
of the office, firing at the same time, the
bullet-passing through the mans breast
There was a double funeral that after
noon. and no more was heard of BILLY
the Kids" gang. Aver restored peace
and order in Decatur county, but there
were a number of funerals before the
desired end was reached.
He is modest, as are most brave men,
but in relating a few incidents of his
life in the early days of Kansas his
piercing gray eyes sparl1led, and he
drew himself up as best he could on the
cot, as if the spirit of the old days came
back to him.
But I don't like to talk about these
things he said. a slight groan escaping
only my duty. and in proof of this can
cite the fact that won the respect of all
elected me sheriff after my first term
and afterward I served as United States
marshal of the district"
Eleven years ago Aver moved to Colo
RADIO. and has since lived in Routt county,
where he owns a large ranch and a big
herd of cattle. On the Colorado-Wyom-
ing border he has the Tenuta-
ton for bravery he had in Kansas. The
opinion of his neighbors is that a more
fearless man never lived. He is held in
great respect in that part of the state
as much for his exemplary conduct as
for his untiring vigilance The border
cattle rustlers and bad men fear him
more than any officer He is strictly tenn
perate in his habits and never CANDLES.
All the bad men that have ever hung
about the border towns know and fear
him. though he is the last man that would
pick a quarrel with any one. When he
goes after one of them he gets him The
story IS told that he lodged one of Dutch
Cassidy's men for two years keeping out
met by accident and the Desperate
tainted him with cowardice. Aver ad-
the man, but if they must fight, he would
accommodate him. And accommodate him
he did He never failed to reach the
mark when he pulled a gun.
Aver owns cattle. and has no use for
sheep or the men who own sheep They
are not molested by him. but if he would
he might tell much of the unwritten his
tory of the Routt county sheep and cat
tie wars He says that the drastic meas
ures adopted by cattIemen last fall. when
about 1900 sheep were killed, will end
these troubles. The sheep men will here
after keep on their own side of the Snake
river, and long as they are in Wyoming
their fiockS are safe.
Aver was thrown from a horse last DC
tober and his life was nearly crushed
out by the animal falling on him. He
was riding to Craig from his ranch when
over taken by a storm, and his horse gave
| out Stopping at a ranch he borrowed
another. but the animal was a broncho,
taken off the range. Aver saddled it and
mounted when the broncho began to buck,
| finally turning over backwards, with the
rider under him. Ayers thigh bone was
! fractured. the public arch crushed, the
! bones penetrating the intestines. Only his
| great strength and splendid health saved
| him from almost certain death.
/ After treatment by local surgeons he
was sent to st. Lukes Hospital in this
city. To reach here he was obliged to
/ travel one hundred miles in a sleigh and