The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-04-07
THE HONOR OF THE TOWN.
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Nuth Nieth county was rrst organ
lied Atwater and kellogg. the two besf
towns in II were red hot rivals. lsacn
had a newspaper and every time the
cowboys "shot-up" either settlement
the jealous editor in "th, other town
would write biting editorials about
"the lawiess and chaotic condition of
society in Atwater or in Kellogg. as
the case might be. In those days the
chief essential TO communal peace an
safety was good, man-comDelling.
guick-shooting, fearless marshal. Ths i
question as to which had the best mar
'hal was continually debated in the
lociety Of both. and it was quite notice
lble that every time the officer of one /
place captured or killed an outlaw III
population increased and the rival edi- /
tor grinned with envioas sarcasm.
= II the much vaunted guardian OF the
Law got drunk. was outwltted. or met
death, there was popular clamor for
sober successor. or one who was pos
sessed of superior acumen, or one who
was not so reckless. but the search was
vain for men possessed of all these
extraordinary qualifications until Grif
Cattenach, some time of Reno, drifted
into Atwater lie came in the nick Of
time for he served on the posse which
! accompanied Marshal Buchanan to his
death in the fight at skunk Forks, and
proved by his combination of courage
and strategy that he was entitled to
the place. For the rest he vas a fine
horseman, handsome. jolly, a crack
shot with slx-shooter or Winchester.
and above all teetetaler.
In six months after Cat,enach was
installed kellogg We wild with envy.
While the marsS@ of A1water was
making a record for soDriety and dash
ing efficiency, the marshal of the rlva!
! town got on a high-lonesome anu
turned over the stove in the Peeled
onion because the proprietor wouldn't
give him another drink Then Mayor
Guttheim conceived the adriot idea OF
getting Cattenach away from Atwater
4 by dint Of sundry offers of more pay
and presents proffered in letters, If he
would abiure his town and be marshal
of Kellogg. Cattenach might have ac-
cepted these tempting lures if at that
time he had not been paying ardent
court to Sue Snyder, eldest and pret-
tlest daughter of Judge Snyder But
at all events he kept mum about me
offers from Kellogg and went about his
courtship SO ardCntly that a week be
fore Christmas the wedding was an
nounced. Everybody approved the
match and congratulated the bride-to-
be, and It was quite a jolly occasion
when Griff started off for Wichita to
buy a wedding present and a ring for
Sue.
The next day after Marshal Catten-
ach of Atwater went TO Kansas the
town of Kellogg was thrown into
fever of excitement by an audacious
attempt TO rob the bank. About 9
o'clock in the morains. while Cashier
Krotz was alone behind the railing,
having just opened tho vault for the
days business, a stranger entorcl al
the front door. which was the only en-
trance, presented his six-shooter and
told Krotz to hands up Instead OF
doing so the Brave old banker backed
away toward ne open vault. the rob
Der follow llckly till he perceived
that his gas bent upon shutting
the big COR and throwing the
combinatiou. Noocdy ever knew ex-
actly what happened except that the
safe was closed and locked when Pres
ident Gutthelm came in At the door
he met the stranger rapidly going out
Within he smelt the smoke OF powGer,
and on his back at the closed door Of
the vault was the dying cashier
The president who was also mayor
Of Kellogg. gave the alarm as fast as
HIS fat, handy legs would permit, but
the robbers horse had been standing
in the alley beside the bank. ana the
fugitive had a mile the best OF his
pursuers before they were ready 70
start with rifles and horses But the
posse returned al night defa,,ted, worn
out and ashamed Tkore was no clue
but the robbers trail as far as skunk
creek. where 1t disappeared as. II by
magic and the fact that Cashier
Krotz's watch, a present from his
mother, had been carried on Next day
the Kellogg Bugle was full Of lna
story, interpolated with hot shot" for
/ tha 4.li,o,,o,,t sb..fe ,rbilo tha A.