The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-23

south OF Us, Patton lying on the ground
with Bill Craig bending over him. We
ran down to him and I asked: What is
the matter? And Patton said: I am
| shot
How did it hapren?' I said. He ans.
wered: L was shot from the grove And
I asked him who did it and he said he
did not know, but believed it was Tom
Mcdonald. Craig said that he saw the
smoke coming out of the grove and saw
an object running through the grove and
thought t was Tom Mcdonald. 1 asked
Patton if he was badly hurt and he said
he thought not and said: III live to kill
the - YETI He said he had
been shot all TO pieces and left on the
prairie to die, but had lived through It
and would yet live TO kill Mcdonald
He further stated that he had killed
seven men and enough Mexicars TO ill a
wagon box. 1 asked him if ne wanted 10
have a doctor and he sand he did and he
asked me to get ny family doctor. Mr..
Pharrjs.
Il said: Will you be taken to my place
or honne? and he said: viii go home.
Don't wait TO take me home. These folks
will take me home And I went TO the
house and PROFITS sent fer his team. At
the east porch met my wife, my young
est daughter, and Mrs. Mcdonald. I
said to Mrs. Mcdonald: What in hell did
Tom shoot Patton for?' She said: Mr..
Gray. Tom has not been out of his room
since he came to the house when you sent
him here I asked my wife and she said
that Mcdonald did not leave the house
with her knowledge. Mrs. Mcdonald
went to their room and I talked about
Mcdonald with my wife and then told
the boys to get my team. and then went
UP stairs to change my clothes When 1
got to the head of the stairs Mcdonald s
room faced me and the door was stand
ing open.
II stepped in and said: Tom, what in
he'll did you shoot Patton for? and he
said: 4 didn't do it. I stayed in my
room ever since the quarrel
'I told him to get up and put on his
clothes and go with me to Conway
lieved that he shot Patton. He declared
that he knew nothing of it and would
not go and surrender himself.
"I then went to the barn, and near
there two men were choppiIig wood and
I told them someone had shot Patton and
I believed it was Tom Mcdonald and for
them to watch Mcdonald and if he tried
to get horse and start to leave for them
to hold him until returned and to watch
the house close and If Mcdonald started
to go out through the grove to get him
and bring him back. They said they
would, and 7 started for the doctor; and
instead of getting one I got two.
'I cane back with the doctors and
Patton was very weak, and when they
examined the wounds DR.. Pharris and I
had a private talk and I said: Patton
will die and he answered: L think so.
He can't live till morning
Patton was then past talking at this
time and he died that night at o'clock.
The next day at the coroner's inquest
I told in substance if not exactly the
same that 1 am now telling you. They
asked me who 1 thought killed Patton
and 1 told them it lay between two per-
sons, either Dave Patton or Tom Melon
aid
at the preliminary hearing Mcdonald
swore that he had been in his room all
morning until he came down to DINNER
and didn't know that Patton had been
shot until his wife told him about it. His
wife made almost the same statement
and said that she did net know it until
I came to the house and told her.
Mcdonald was arrested on the Sth and
on the 18th my wife and Mrs. Mcdonald
and myself went to Wellington and Mrs
Mcdonald went to see her husband and
on the following day the officers came
and arrested Mrs. Mcdonald and myself
Mrs. Mcdonald was locked in a cell the
first night 1 was locked IN the court
house. Mrs. Mcdonald was put into
cell ccrnering with the one her husband
was in and the doors were diagonally
across from each other ard about ten
feet apart. 1t was a very easy matter
for them to talk and believe that it
was done for the purpose Of them impli-
eating me in the murder.
Il was locked in a room in the court
house, and it would be i very easy mat
ter for me TO have broken through that
old wooden door and got away, but YOU
see I didn't I was kept there Saturday.
Sunday and Monday, and on the third
day Mrs Mcdonald confessed under a
threat that if she didn't confess and i'm
plicate re they would send both of them
to prison for 20 or 80 years, and as 1 was
an innocent person, could not be convict !
ed.
After I was removed to the Sedgwick
county jail after my conviction and the
acquittal OF Mr. and Mrs. Mcdonald. he
went to a notary public at Kingman and
swore to an affidavit, stating that I was
not guilty. Mrs. Mcdonald brought that
affidavit TO the fail and gave it to ne
and stated that sFe would make a
stronger one and went to lawyer TO do +
so and the attorney said that he would
take her to Topeka and either procure
I pardon or a new trial. but he did not go. +
Then, after my Incarceration at Ian I
sing, my youngest daughter began work 4
ing for my pardon and interested such /
men as W n. Lingenfelter, Johnnie /
Spears. Major Hood, F. A. Russell and .
a sentiment that Governor Morrill, did .
not dare refuse me a pardon.
Mr.. Gray was asked II he knew where 4
Mcdonald was at present and said he .
thought he was out in Kingrnaa county
Mcdonald" said Gray, ~swore on the .
witness stand that I taught him how 70
shoot and that I stationed him out in
that grove and had hNn shoot az a mark.
and that while he vas near the fence f
and Patton came long that had some
influence over him that compelled him 70
shoot Patton He also sad that I kept /
him under the hynotic influence for an
hour and q half.
"Weu. 1 an a free man ard have nv
and hack. so can rest easy now. said :,
M Gray as the reporter Jeff the room.
and this, said he. Is the first state
neut given by me 70 q newspaper relative