The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-08-14
THE CHARLES MIX FIGHT.
Stirring Times at County Seat Count
Wheeler Looks to Lake Andes.

l
Wheeler Looks to Lake Andes.
Special to The News:
Sioux Falls, S. D., Aug. 10.--As time
passes the feeling aroused by the ag-
itation for county seat removal in
Charles Mix county becomes more bit
ter, and indicates that the early
county seat fights in Kansas will be
cast far in the shade before the ques.
ton of county seat location in Charles
Mix county is determined at the polls
next November.
For the past two or three weeks
the board of commissioners of Charles
Mix county was engaged In the work
of going over the petitions which were
filed by the towns of Lake Andes and
Geddes, rival towns which aspire to
be selected to make the race against
| Wheeler the present county seat.
Geddes day or two ago was declared
by the commissioners to have the sig
natures of the largest number of bona
fide voters of the county upon its pc
| titions and therefore won out in its
candidacy for a place upon the ballots
| as the competitor of Wheeler for
| county seat honors.
Naturally the partisans of both Ged-
DIES and Lake Andes were at Wheeler,
where the commissioners held the
special session, for the purpose of
watching the count of names and pro-
tecting their interests to the greatest
| degree possible.
According to the stories told by the
partisans Of one of the rival towns
the partisans of the other town re-
| sorted to typical frontier methods
with the object of advancing the in
terests of their particular town and
| influencing the county commissioners
to declare in favor of their town hav-
ing place upon the ballots as the
competitor of Wheeler.
1t was charged that during the
count by the commissioners Wheeler
resembled Kentucky mountain town
durink the fued trial, and that the par
/ tisans of the town in question had
armed men at Wheeler, and that they
freely made threats concerning what
| would happen the county commission
ers If their town was not declared to
have the most numerously signed pc
tition, thus making it the competi-
tor of Wheeler for county seat hon.
ors.
1t was further charged that these
Dartisans even went so far as to en-
deavor to intimidate the commission
ers by making threats of lynching
James Campbell, one of the prominent
members of the board. It was alleged
the partisans were armed with revol-
vers, slungshots and knives, and that
they made frequent display Of these
weapons. Sheriff Skillings swore in
number of deputies in order to keep
the peace, and while these special Of
ficers had no occasion to make arrests.
their presence is said to have pre-
vented scenes and occurrences which
would have been of the true frontier
character and which would have cast
lasting blot upon the fair name of
Charles N!v county.
The people of Wheeler figure that
make the race against their town in
the endeavor to dispOssess it of the
county seat the partisars of Lake
Andes, the defeated town in the can
didacy for a place upon the ballot, will
turn in and work from this time un.
til the closing of the polls IN Noyem-
Der against Geddes, and in this way
endeavor to have the county seat re-
tanned by Wheeler.
Both Lake Andes and Ceddes aro
situated on railroad while Wheeler
is situated some distance from the
nearest railroad. The people of
Wheeler are depending TO a consid-
cradle extent upon the jealousy be-
tween the various railroad towns to
aid them in retaining the county seat.
An amusing incident in connection
with the bloodthirsty stories which
floated from Wheeler concerning the
tension between the partisans of the
two rival towns of Geddes and Lake
Andes during the meeting of the COM
missioners, occurred at one of the
other Charles Mix county towns.
A particularly intoxicated man was
arrested on the charge of disturbing
the peace and when searched was
found to be heavily armed. AS an
excuse for carrying a small arsenal
he stated that he had just came from
Wheeler this explanation being
deemed by him as being sufficient
justification for his carrying arms,
and as sufficient grounds for his in
slant release from custody.