The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-20
ROW IN BLACK KETTLE.

l NUT anu i H.4-44L iANiR -tEH- @~t-- <A-t-@
up in politics just yet. Things are
rather unsettled in that line il Black
| Kettle and being a stranger and OF
| course a tenderfoot. you might accident
ally get into the bad ike poor Bob SturSis
did.
IN Just tell you about Bob, and it'll
| help yo.l 70 appreciate the situation bet
ter than any amount OF cautioning or
| IectUring might do. Three years ago Bob
/ came through Poncho just ike YOU He
was tired OF the big towns, wanted 10
! grOw up with the country, and asked
me 70 advise him Black Kettle vas
/ Just settling I'D then, and / told him ne
might hit it better there than anywhere
else. I don't think I exaggerated the
merits of the vicinity, but at all events
Bob got enthusiastic and picked Black
| Kettle as the place Of the whole world
where he wanted 10 settle.
Y gave him letters TO Bait Grassmuck
and Jim Trefny, the politicians, and an
other letter TO Pip Houck, the editor OF
the Black Kettle Torch. Pip had been q
printer in the Headlight office, had natu-
rally branched out as an editor and. by
all reports, was fast becoming a leading
citizen Of the new town of Black Kettle
Z Well Bob Sturgis went down there tuH OF
) high-ulinded hopes, fired with an amoi-
ton to become power in the community
and confident that my letters introduce
| ing him to the two foremost politicians
and the only editor in town would give
him a running start. Well, they did. In
q year Bob was county commissioner
and his name appeared in the Torch with
significant regularity.
During the second year. as I found
by continuous reading of the Torch,
Black Kettle Democracy got split up
into two factions. Sturgis became the
leader Of the law and order element and
crystalized his organization under the
name Of The Anti-IIorse Thief Associa-
ton. TIE opposing faction was made
up of cow-men, gamblers, oblique poltl-
clans and gamblers who. while not in
sympathy with the Anti-Horse Thief As
sociation, were yet at variance with the
Republican party Of the county. The
Torch was Democratic, and [ noticed
that il was constantly in a state of ed
itorial hesitancy between Bob Stursis
( outfit and the out and out iawless
clique which represented good half OF
the party's strength. Finally I read In
carefully worded article descriptive of
the Democratic convention the news that
there had been established a pact of peace
and cooperation between the Anti-Horse
Thief Association and the less prudish
wing of the party.
Thereafter Bob Sturgis' name dropped
suddenly OF. Of the columns Of the
Torch ard I guessed, with reason, that
the bald truth about the situation was
that the horse thieves had captured that
convention and Bob. refusing to amalga-
mate with the victors, was TO be relsgated
TO private life. The Torch began to blaze
with triumphant editorials about a re
united party 1t was about two months
after this situation had developed when
I read one morning in the Black Kettle
Torch the following brief obit.;
ROBERT STURGIS."
County Commissioner Robert Sturgis
died last Saturday evening. He was bu-
ried Tuesday at the Willow Creek Gem
etery. He was born in Boston, and has
been an honored citizen of Black Kettle
for the past two years
Now that insignificant notice OF the
passing OF a prominent citizen Of small
frontier town aroused my suspicion. Bob
had been my room-mate at college, and
didn't like Editor Pip Houck's nonchalant
manner of dismissipg the memory of q
man who was. at least, as good as the
average citizen of Black Kettle. So 1
wrote 10 Pip and got no answer. Then
] got on the train and went to Black
Kettle I met Bait Grassmuck and Jim
Trefny and the other local politicians at
the Jockey Club saloon. They all knew
me and I entertained them with the news
of Poncho few fresh gags from the
minstrel show and some stories that ap-
pealed 10 their peculiar ideas of Wit
When ! got EN- all in good humor.
looked up suddenly and said; by the
way boys, what happened TO Bob Stur-
gfs?'
well, Tom, upon my word, IL the devil
himself had popped up between US they
couldn't have looked more scared. Every
man Of them turned on his heel and
walked away without word. OF course
that made me more curious than ever. ]
walked over to Fred Boggs' bank and
put the question squarely at him. What
/ did Bob Sturgis die OFF but Boggs only
got pale, fumbled at his watch chain and
said he didn't pay much attention 10
politics.
Finally I went over TO the office Of
the Torch and asked Pip Houck. He got
nervous at once, got his pistol out Of the
drawer, slipped it in his pocket and ask
ed me II I'd mind walking downstairs
With him We went down into the dirty,
( damp. dark cellar under the Torch build
ing and there in a whisper the editor
cautiously demanded a promise that I
would not make a fuss if he told me
about Bob. I promised and he said:
Truth about IL is the boys killed Bob,
but OF course il wouldn't look good for
the town 10 say so. They gave him
good funeral and all that. but they dent
want no fuss made about the killing.
You see, Bob never would get in line.
When the reors anization of the party
took place he Just kicked over the traces
and kept or standing out for reform and
such truck. Trefny and Grassmuck and
all the cow mer argued with him. but
twan't no good. He'd just up and tell
en- that ne meant 20 prosecute and,
if necessary. hang al the horse lhieVes
and law breakers he could lay hands
on.
And then what7' I asked Pip Eouck.
Why. then. he said, they just had
70 XIII him.
Now. Tom resumed the editor OF the
Proncko Headlight. BLACK Kettle Is a
good .ovr all riEht. and afte- you get
used 70 the free-and-easy atmosphere
youIl Ike II first rate. But take ms ad-
vice-dont set mixed up in politics until
you know exactly where you're at -
John II. Raftery.
ADVICE 70 Prince Henry.