The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-13
THREE SLAIN
 BY OUTLAWS Cherokees Besieged in
 the Hills. OTHERS MAY JOIN OUTBREAK One Hundred Deputy Marshals At tempt Capture of Wickliffes. No Wire Communications with the Bats tie Ground and 1t Is not Known
 whether More Blood
 Has Been Spilled.
OTHERS MAY JOIN OUTBREAK

Ninita, I. T., March 12.--L l.. Gil- strap. Deputy United States Marshal, Vinita; Otis Futile, posseman of vin- ita, and Dick Terry, posseman of Tal. equah. were killed in bloody battle with the wickllffe band of Cherokee Indian outlaws In the Spavinaw hills, nine miles northwest of Kansas. !. IT.. yesterday.
 After the battle the outlaws were besieged in the house of their uncle. Jim Wickliffe. at the scene of the crime. thirty-one miles from Vinita. There Is no telephone or telegraphic communication with the battle ground and tonight no news had been received from a large party of deputies who went to the Spavinaw hills to capture or kill the outlaws. 1t was not expact- ed that they would yied without a fight.
 The wickliffes killed Deputy Marshal Vier about a year and a half ago and the officers have been on their trail ever since. A posse of six officers who were on the way to arrest the gan9 were fired upon from ambush by the Indians who shot and killed three of their pursuers and escaped unhurt
 P1ezz Mann, q posseman who sur- vived the attack of the outlaws. walked twenty-eight miles to TahIequah and told the story of the battle, which was 
 Darrough of this place at 2:35 this morning Thirty five deputy marshaie were immediately sworn in and dis- patched to the scene of the battle and authority has been granted Marshal Darrough by the Department of Jus- tice in Washington to increase tha number to 100
 Marshal Darrough announces that he will employ this number of men if ne~ cessary to round up sne despe~adQes. It is reported tonight that tiy@- full blood Cherokee Indians in the vicinity of the battle-ground of yesterday. com@ monly known as the Night Hawks. are Joining the Wickliffes and the author- lties fear that they will barri,ads desperate battle ensue peTore the out- lawa are captured
 Outlaws 3cneG Fire.
 The posse Sunday aJ f o'clock rode up to the home of Jim wickliffe. uncle of the wickliffe boys, and were in- tending to make a searcn or the place when the outlaws, concealed in the house. opened fire on them. At the first shot Gilstrap and Futile and Ter ny were killed and the next vollcy all of the horsese were killed besides two blood hounds. The survivors of GIlstrap's party fired into the house. but the firing from the outlaws was
 
 ter behind trees and stones.
 The three survivors decided to send Plezz Mann to Talequah Tor assistance while the other two men would shad- ow the house and if possible prevent the escape of the WicklIrfes.
 At 80 o'clock tonight no additional news had ben received from the be- seigers.
 Marshal Darrough and his compan- ions will have to travel thlrty-one miles and probably arrive at the house where the outlaws were besieged ear ly this afternoon. More men are conn ing to Vinita to offer their services and 1t Is believed that 100 men will be available from here before morning.
 The trouble with the Wickliffes dates back to January, 1903, when the Cher oISes land office was opened at vinita- The full blood Cherokees objected to this proceeding and they held war dances all over tho Cherokee country and the situation became alarming. On one occasion Peter Wolf, full blood Indian, was killed by another full blood for no other reason than that he came to Vinfta and secured an allot- ment, The murderer was sent to the penitentiary for life but other outrag- es were committed by the Indians. the last of which was the murder of Dep- uty Marshal Vier by the wickliffes.
 The Wickiiffc brothers, Charles. John and rom, are sons of John Wickliffe. formerly chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee nation. About fifteen years ago Charles Wickliffe killed brother and escaped punish ment through the influence Of his fath-