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


the Hugoton men to understand that
they would not tolerate them. Hence
1t was decided to hang us in Hugoton.
A gallows was fixed upfr on an old
windmill tower but before the time for
our execution some of the men got
cold feet and decided not to hang us
there. We were kept under an armed
guard all the time of about a hundred
men and no news of our fate had
reached Woodsdale. meeting was
held in which the conservative element
of the men prevailed and we were to
be taken to Mexico, where they claim
ed we could be hanged without any
interference of law. This conspiracy
was afterward proved in court.
This was in August 1886. A gang
or one hundred men were detailed I'M
der Capt joe CASTOR and we were to
be taken to Old Mexico. The path
which they followed was a barren one
through q range of sandhills where no
visions were carried in a large wagon
and two barrels of water were also
taken along. These barrels were empty
vinegar barrels which had not been
entirely purified of their recent con-
tents so that while we were miles
from any place to get food the water
In the barrels soured and most of the
men got sick. 1 managed to go with
out water and subsisted by carrying
coffee in the beer bottles which the
AAACAA NOuiQ Col. WOODS was
very sick and he was not expected to
live until we got to Mexico.
Through some means or other
news or our fate had reached Woods
dale and a band of one hundred COW
boys set out to find US. They were
put onto our trail by means of some
business cards which had with me
and which 1 scattered along the way.
When so many of thet men got sick it
necessitated change of plans and the
course through the sandhills had to be
abandoned. Accordingly, Captain Joe
CASTOR went to the nearest postoffice
and wrote home of the change in plans
and said that re-inforcements would
be necessary on account of the condi-
ton of their men. All day long CASTOR
did not return and the sun set on the
following day without any news being
received from him. John A. Jackson,
who was in charge of the band in the
absence of CASTOR, set out to look for
the latter. He tracked him to the
postoffice but could find no further
trace of his commander. 1t was af-
forwards learned that CASTOR had gone
to the Greek Nation with all the mon
ey that was in the band and lived
there until a few years later when he
died of smallpox.
jackson kept up his search for
CASTOR for a whole day. The cowboy
band was by this time close onto the
heels of the outlaws. During the alb
sence of jackson a man by the name
Of Kelly took charge and ordered ev-
eryth1ng to be put in preparation for
moving on. Kelly was not such a
bad man IS some of the others and at
one time he and I had been friends.
l persuaded him to let me load the
guns in the wagon and help in the pre-
parations of moving. placed the
tents and provisions over the guns.
Rescued by COWBOYS
by this time the cowboys from
Woodsdale had arrived on the scene
and by the time jackson had returned,
ten of the cowboys had gotten in the
rear of his men and seyenty-f1ve We're
coming down upon US from the top or
the hill. By the time the men had
loosed their guns from the wagon the
men from Woodsdale We're ready to
fire. stepped between the two forces
and our men had got a dead range on
men who had taken us that if they
would surrender there would be no
lighting, otherwise they would all be
killed. They surrendered and the
whole bunch of them were prisoners
They were taken to Garden City after
they had given up their arms and were
placed under a $500 bond. They were
indicted in the United
States court al Paris, Tex, and after
fair trial they were sentenced to be
nuIS on announcer charge. Inc SEN
fence, however, was never carried out
The fight where we captured the HUI
cotton men was in what was formerly
known as No Mans Land but is now
Beaver county, o. TT
For several months there were no
open hostilities between the two places
out each place was hostile to the other
md preparations were made for the
defense of the different towns. Look
OUTS were built and watches main
aimed by one town upon the other and
men were detailed on daily duty with
ield glasses. There was no bloodshed
or months although both towns were
n constant preparation, as for war.
rhe next scene which stirred up the
of the two rival frontier
owns was the cold blooded murder
# Sheriff John NJ. Cross, couple of
ears later. Cross was sheriff of Ste
yens county and was fearless officer
,ut had in some way proven himself
Unpopular to the residents of Hugoton.
capt Price had the following to say
n regard to the Cross case which was
me of the biggest cases ever tried In
he west:
Murder of Sheriff Cross.
Sheriff Cross, attended by four dep
titles, was returning from business at |
Paris, Texas, and was passing through |
Nom ans Land when he was attacked |
~ an armed band of men from Hugo |
0WtE