The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-07-18
His own Cemetery.

The following sketch of the career of
Hec Bruner in the Indian Territory APP.
peared in the Coryden Democrat of last
Friday, says the Lineville Tribune, but
the article does not state that Hec Bru-
ner was born and reared at Cleopatra
and that his father, Eli Bruner, was a
brother of ID. M. Bruner. of Clio, Adam
Bruner, of Cleopatra, and Mrs. Lucinda
Butcher, of this place. His father with
his family and Hec moved to Salome
Springs, Arkansas, from Cleopatra,
when Hec was about IL years of age
He was drowned in Grand River. Indian
Territory, about two years ago in at
tempting to swim it in order to serve
official papers on parties living on the
other side. We are indebted to B. +.
West, of this place, cousin of the sub
ject of this sketch, who visited him at
Vinita, Indian Territory, while he was
United States Marshal of that district:
"Hec Bruner, United States Marshal
of Indian Territory in the early days
enjoys the rare distinction of having
cemetery named after him. And the
strange part of it is that no one is bur
led there except his own victims. There
are % mounds in the cemetery. Under
each lies the bones of some bad man
who brushed up against Bruner and got
the worst of it. When Bruner was
marshal the Indian Territory was about
as wild as a country eyer gets. 1t was
filled with horse thieves, train robbers
and desperadoes of all kinds. A law
abiding, peaceable citizen did not stand
much show. Murders were so common
that they were not considered news.
Thefts attracted no at tention whatever
except from the ones who suffered loss.
The country was run as near along an
archist lines as the most ardent anarch-
list of New York or Madrid could hope.
Little attention was given to the econ
sent of the governed" The desperate
with the quickest movement of his
shooting hand and most nerve ruled the
roost. That was the condition until
Hec Bruner was appointed United
States marshal. When he took charge
of the office he decided to revolutionize
things and make Indian Territory ga
good place to live in" His friends
laughed at him, although they knew
he had nerve. To go up against the
notorious gangs of the country, they
said, was foolishness. 1t might result
in cleaning out gang or two, but in
the end would result in the marshal be-
ing wiped off the map. What was the
use to endanger ones own life in order
to make trouble for the desperadoes,
they would ask. To this Bruner replied
that he would drive the opening wedge
toward civllizlng the territory if it cost
him his life the first day. He stuck to
his resolution, and he did not lose his
life either. But he had several narrow
escapes. He was punctured by bullets
until his frame could be used for q
sieve," and he had his blood spilled in
many fight, but not enough Of it at
any one time to make him bite the dust
While the desperadoes were making il
interesting for Bruner he was keeping
them busy. He was dead shot, and
whenever he pulled the trigger on his
man it meantsa separation of soul and
body. There was no discount on the
fact that Bruner began to hunt dowI
the desperadoes. The first one he killed
was buried in grave south Of Tahley
nah. The second was also buried there
And so it went until the carcasses of q
bad men who had met death at tn
hands of Bruner while he was acting il
the line of duty, were buried in thai
grove. rail fence was run around tn
graves and the cemetery was name,
.'Bru ner's graveyard" Only on
grave in the yard is marked with
marble stone. This is the grave of
noted horse thief. His pals Clipped il
and bought the tombstone because b
was "a good fellow" All the rest 9
the graves are marked with woodel
slabs. Many Of them are enclosed will
slab fences, while others are enclose,
with rails laid in hog-pen fashion
After Bruner got his graveyard prett
we'll filled up the desperadoes began tt
, realize that he meant business, ant
whenever one would hear that Bruno
wanted him, he would come into tow
and give himself up rather than run the
risk of being the next one to occup!
: space in Burners graveyard. From
that time on Bruner had an easy time
He accomplished his object. He hae
driven the entering wedge in the civil
cation of the toughest country the sur
ever saone on"
1t DaZZIes The World,
E No discovery in medicine has eve
crootod ono ouartor IF tho ovcitomon