The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-11
About Harper County.

No county set war in the west RACED
so long and with such feeling as the
county seat fight between Anthony and
Harper. II came TO wichita in $50 %
said o. r. Bentley. and one OF my first
cases was the Fairchild murder case in
Harper county. This was THE first case
tried in the new court house in Anthony
and the first murder case tried in Harper
county The county seat fight between
the contending towns Of Anthony and
Harper. at that time in the summer Of
1881 cut some figure. A year or so before
that time Martin Heliar. c. r. Miller
DIT Owens and others Of Wichita men
had founded that town Of Anthony. nam
ing the future great city after Governor
Geo T. Anthony; and as soon as organ
lied came on the fight between Harper
and Anthony for the county seat. Up
az Harper vas J. p Campbell. sam IS
son and many other hustleTs whose
names have now escaped ne. Among
others was fr. Glenn. now OF this city.
who kept the hotel in Harper. II got 50
hot az one time that the rival factions
met midway between the towns and slept
under their arms
At last Anthony pulled itself together
and built the present court house and this
probably had as much % do. in the set
Element of The county seat fight as any
thing. At the time Of the Harper county
case referred 10. there being 10 direct
lines Of railway. I took my vile and
drove across the country 70 Anthosy.
Il was nice trip. but il was in not
weather. and We made Matt Hamiiton-s
place a half way house on the way down
ret1rncinc. w STAYED over night az Old
man. Wallaco's s. JUST norrh az Milan
passenger on the Missouri Pacific train
from Wichita u Anthony can hardly
realize that It S the same old country
over vk.ch we drove the old sorrel mare
on that occasion Arriving ~ Harper
We put up az The Glenn House ard next
6av drove ten miles south % An-horv.
Harper at that time claimed a population
az rl. they only He'd about - people.
Anthony claimed 70 have go and they
cnlr lied about = people i was hot.
rreeless plain. the town vas rev and
on TIE second day = ny arrival sheriff
Chas Bedford arrived vfth the prisoner
Talrchid who Rad beer confined ~ Sber-
~ Rank Watt ia the WIchita Jail FA--
child Pad killed an old man with az axe.
then ran away ard un1e- ire stimuius
~ the reward offered hy Governor -
John ~ Kansas had been captured IN
Toledo. ard brought into Kansas chained
~ car seat The reward .as so. and
q detective named E9ertzIer assisted ~
FaircaHd-s vie Elected his capture on
Fairchld's arrival = Aathgas - was
placed IN the ccoisr-the hottest piace
h town Later on m sheriff was Tzlt-
80 urcn - some Il the others ara vas
irduceE "a turn hin out = fae cooler.
and having 70 o-her place q put hsza
r. irchEd was all9xef n rcar aboef
me tow Tat nIshz be went u the
hotsl and slept Ike arr - r. -esrs
and appeared bright ard early lH court
having had the HhersF - re f1r-u-
Judge Fetsrz vas Dpoa TIRE her-h am
] vas assisted II the ease - san slssc-.
q Ha-rer - The naxl-s = sary snii
70 every t1-r = IRE case. I ccutz SO
BE fssliaE ~hicE shen exlSree hetzesn
,he rival tozus q Harper ard A--houy.
The defendaz; Fairchld aas Vigorously
prosecuted ~ shelby 2 Mitchell Ire
,oEnry attorney assisted - several lz=-