The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-07
THRILLING DAYS.
Col. C. C. HadIey's Reminis-
cences Of Kansas.
Writes Of Times When Pistols
Made Law.
LIVED AT ELLSWORTH.
Clears Up Identity of Skeleton
Found on Buffalo Creek.
How Charley and Frank John
son Died.
LIVED AT ELLSWORTH.

Dig LraDDeT OF the western plains. AZ
venturer. soldier. scout. Indian fighter,
bearing on his body scars of bullet
wounds and arrow thrusts, companion
of the most noted frontiersmen and
early characters of the great west, now
a resident Of the city of Indianapolis, is
preparing an account of the various ad-
ventures through which he has passed
and, at the same time. a book dealing
with the character of the lives of those
men who, nearly half a century ago,
formed the great round table of the
knights of Americas west Possibly
there is no man now living who was
more intimate with these characters,
some famous, others notorious, some
who were authors of deeds of absolute
benefit to their fellowmen. others who
were desDeradoes built upon a basis
which formed a pedestal for them and
them alone.
One of the chapters in Col. Hadley's
account deals with the adventures and
adventures which centered for time
in Ellsworth county Kansas. To this
portion of that state his attention was
recently drawn by an account appearing
in various newspapers describing the
uncovering of a human skeleton in Els
worth county me Hn01nz OF these
bones brought FecOllectionS to the mind
of Col Hadley which led eventually to
the unfolding of the circumstances OF
a murder and to information which
gave, for the first time, to friends of the
man long missing the details OF mis- fate.
For 80 years a barn has stood within 80
feet of the grave of this silent sleeper.
Large orchard trees grew near at hand.
In fact, the skeleton was found on one
of the oldest farms in Buffalo Greek val
drain, uncovered the bones and with
them found a pocketknife and harness
buckle, both rust-eaten. which were
doubtless in the pocket at the time OF
the burial BY these trinkets, relics of
a past generation and BY the location
of the grave Col. Hadley was able to
identify the remains as those of a young
Missourian named Kelley. William
Schuman, at last accounts a resident OF
LoganspOrt, Ind, if still alive, also
would be able to recognize and identify
the remains. Col Hadley says, for he as
we'll as Col. Hadley was a witness to
the burial of Kelley in December, 1867
So years ago.
Col Hadley was present at the time
that Kelley met his death He was
murdered by James DUNGEON. also a
Miss0urian. a man chiefly noted for his
stature, being six feet nine inches tall.
Proceeding with his narrative Col.
Hadley says:
In these days of sudden duel and
shOOting-at-sight feuds 1t is not g pleas
ant thing to remember that there was
no romance in Kelley's taking off His
skull was beaten in with nothing more
than vulgar ak handle
The 1st of December 1867. when the
cavalry settled down for the winter. a
party Of four left TT Harker on a
hunting expedition. Kelley and Dunno
QOn were employed as camp servants.
Thirty miles h17fF1f0
everywhere, and as turkeys were found
along the fringe of timber a temporary
camp was made on the upper waters of
Buffalo creek. Besides buffalo and tur-
keys there were antelope. wolves, coy
otes, jaekrabbits. cotton tails and even
the Whitehall deer were seen. It was a
hunters paradise. But all rejoicing was
cut short the second day out.
Kelley and DUNGEON, busy with camp
duties, quarreled. They were at the
wagon, screened by a thicl<et- Their
high pitched angry voices were sudden
ly interrupted by a sound as of one
beating soft earth with heavy club.
Then follow a complete silence. One of
the hunters investigated and his excited
shout brought all running DUNGEON.
his face white and frightened was
standing holding in his hand a new ak
handle crimson with blood and covered
with hair and particles of scalp kneel-
ing by the PROSTATE Kelley, the captain
was examining his head. now bathed in
the blood. The scene told its own story.
Kelley never spoke nor moved. He
died in two hours without regatning
consciousness. None of the party knew
either his home or his friends. nor was
any cleW to them ever found. While
he yet fingered a solemn conference de-
eided the murderer's fate. There was
no court nor court officers in a hundred
miles-Ellsworth county not being or
ganized till the next spring. Two of the
party urged that DUNGEON be hung to
the tree under which the court then sat.
The other two heartily agreed that II
ought to be done, but shrank from the
l.mOraI responsibility. The plan was
/ abandoned for that reason The only
thing left was to strip the murderer OF
all but the clothes he wore and drive
him from camp. He reached Fort Ear-
ker in a starving and freezing condition.
Being an accomplished liar, he soon
found a wagon master willing to take
/ him to the end of the railroad and
( reached his home at Platte City, No, in
+ time to get into a saloon fight before
+ spring, where he was dangerously
wounded. Such men, however, always
4 recover from wounds
The body of Kelley. Wra pped in a
+ blanket. was left over night A grave
/ in the frozen ground was made with
difficulty by the hands unused to dig
ging. which accounts doubtless for its
Il shanowness. The hunters had neither
Bible nor prayer book. Fortunately
T however, one member of the party re-
+ membered the entire twenty-third
+ psalm. This and the Lords prayer
made a simple burial service. and after
a few volleys had been fred over the
f grave. the friendless boy was left to his
+ long sleep. The farmer soon took pos
session of the land. and now, thirty-five
i years later first learns the proximity
/ and history of his silent tenant.
But the weapons then in fashion
were knife and revolver Wild Bill, jim
! Curry. Charley johnson and a few
others got all the fame, but the grave
yards were chiefly filled by a less con
+ spicuous class of citizens, men who kill
ed by retail-sparingly. one here and
there as their own safety or inclination
! dictated. The earliest sheriffs and towr
1 marshals refused to take their of7icia
duties seriously and IN most cases
stood in with the boys" A few. years
later such an Office had rather seriou:
responsibilities. Capt kingsbury, tbs
first sheriff Of Ellsworth county in tbs