The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-31

had remained all night expecting
Charles Wyckliff TO come in during
the night Tie was shot by Charles as
he. Nier, was coming out of the house
The Wycltlffs claimed Justification
Cor this murder on the grounds that
Nier had gone to the home of Mrs
Wyckliff and proposed to her that II
she would permit The deputy to come
There and remain at niRht when hr
wanted to. that he would quit hunt
ing her husband.
The murder OF Vier was followed
by the greatest activity ever shown by
the federal government in attem ung
to ran down a criminal in OH Indian
territory. w. II. Darrough was mar
shall in the Northern district lie i'm
mediately placed every man at his
command in the Cherokee hills. se-
cured blood hounds and the man hunt
for weeks II was claimed that the
" y Rliffs etsJc itA L aai hoiuds Ly
wrapping their feet in cloths that
were saturated with cayenneepepper
IA certain method Of stopplg blood
hounds Anyway 1t IS true that the
blood hounds would take a trail aud
when it appeared that they were get
ting close to their quarry they would
suddenly quit the trail and return
One day in March, 1906. a posse in
the rugged mountainous country near
KansgJ Cherokee nation. headed hy
Ike Gilstrap. was led into ambush q
fight ensued IN which Gilstrap was
Killed and two OF his possemen
wounded Marshal Darrough then
called upon the government at WASH
ington for assistance. He was given
authority to swear in 100 picked men.
pay them S5 each per day for their
services and all expenses. Camping
outfits which resembled arsenals
We're sent out from Vinita across the
Grs. ID river and headquarters with
supplies OF rations, ammunition and
rifles were established In the heart of
the ont g country For a month the
Cherokee nction was swept as with "A
nne-tooth comb, but not a single Of
ficer ever saw one of the outlaws.
This was due to the perfect organiza-
tiCn among the Night Hawks. and
the thorough sympathy that the Cher
okces felt for the WyCkiiffs and their
hatred for the officers The govern
ment spent over $4,000 in this fruit,
less chase 1t was afterwards definite
ly ascertained that during all this
time the Wyckliff boys had never
been more than fifty miles from the
scene OF their crimes.
The hun on Of the officers was
made conn a Immediately after the
hase was ended by the fact that en-
terprising newspaper men entered the
region where the Wyekliffs were
gained their confidence through mu-
tual friends, interviewed the Wyck
lifts, secured pictures of their homes
and wrote the story of the interview
and a statement from the Wyckliffs
There was only one condition i'm
posed when this interview was ar
ranged It was that the newspaper
men were not to carry either guns oi
cameras when the interview tool
place.
Since that time the Wyckliffs have
moved about with comparative un
concern. especially since statehood
when the old federal regime which
caused the bitter feud was at an end
They have repeatedly stated that the,
intended to surrender themselves {,
the state authorities If they were
guaranteed fair deal and only Z
few days ago such negotiations were
in progress.
John Wychiff, sr. father OF thes'
boys was once a member of the
! Cherokee supreme court, and a maI
of wide influence among his people.