The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-16

Mr.. Price had settled in Kansas soon
| after the war in Wyandotte county
| but soon after moved to Stevens coun-
ty with the first tide of immigration 10
| that section of the state. In the early
part of the eighties, Mr.. Price as
| lawyer had accumulated a large num-
| than he could really handle and while
| in Topeka taking charge of these cases,
through Mayor Metsker of Topeka, met
Col. Wood. who was at that time law
| yer of considerable practice and was
editor of the State Journal, then the
Kansas State Journal. The two men
formed a law partnership. Mr.. Wood
looking after the practice in Topeka OF
the government land cases and Mr..
Price retaining bis Office in the south
west part of the state.
1t was not long after this that the
county seat fight became prominent and
the two men became interested in
townsite which was started by Mr..
Price buying a section Of land and
laying 1t out in townsites. They named
the town Woodsale and it soon became
a formidable rival of Hugoton which
was the temporary seat of the county
The two towns were situated eight
miles apart with large sandhill be-
tween the two which was not SO large
however but that the two towns were
in view of each other. Woodsdale soon
became a large town. for that time
having over 500 inhabitants. The town
lots in Woodsdale were much cheaper
than in Hugoton and consequently
town. Thus a great rivalry sprang up
between the two.
Organization of Stevens County.
In 1886 the first steps for the organi-
zation of the county were taken by the
legislature An assessor was appoint
ed to find out the various data which
is necessary before the county is organ
lied such as the population, farm
products and statistics OF various ma
lures. These were sent to Topeka by
the assessor who was a man from HUI
cotton. The citizens of Woodsdale who
felt that the returns were largely exag-
gerated raised fund and sent Capt.
Price to Topeka to investigate the re-
turns. Accordingly Mr.. Price came to
Topeka and Governor John A. Martin
turned the returns over to him. In
Mr. Price said: II found that there
were 80 pair of twins living in Hugo
ton whose fathers were mere lads of 20
years of age and less who never had
been married. There were more twins
in that county than had ever been heard
of in a like number of inhabitants Der
fore. Hugoton was the stopping place
for many transients to Colorado and
these people from Colorado, together
with their stock and personal property
We're included in the lists of the inhab-
itants of Hugoton."
AS the result of the investigation
became known the citizens of Stevens
county were up in arms Mr.. Price.
with Col. Wood, returned to Woods
QalS ana secured. dllQdNllS ITOIn many
of the people especially the boys who
were reputed to have been fathers of
large families that the returns con-
corning themselves were false. There
were some forty or fifty of these af1-
davits taken. On the way to Garden
City where they were to take a train
for Topeka to further expose the re-
turns to Governor Martin, they were
overtaken by an armed band of
Hugoton citizens. In telling of their
capture Mr.. Price said: 1--WE were
still several miles from Garden City
when we saw the men approaching
all armed with rifles, while We had
not been prepared for anything of this
kind, were only armed with one small
pistol which I gave to Wood, thinking
that he would need it worse than L |
We drove our horses pretty fast until
we came to a stream. We crossed this |
on the run with the Hugoton men
right at our heels. On the other side |
we found a hole in the bank into |
which we went. We found this hole
occupied by a man by the name of |
him expected him to help protect US |
which, however, he did not do but in |
stead fought with the other side The |
Hugoton men represented themselves !
to Pierson as having a warrant for us |
and knowing that if we offered resist
ance we would be shot dead, we |
gave up.
Planned to Hang Him.
They discussed different plans for
our disposition but none seemed better |
to them than to take US to- Colorado /
and lynch US. However the Colorado