Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-07-30
AVENGED Ills Pa
TRAGEDY IN THE HISTORY or =
KANSAS TOWN.
Newton, In the Early 7Os, the scene
Of Remarkable ARRAY That
Ended In the Death Of
Nine Persons.

"The town Of Newton. Kan, was tne
arena Of the storm and stress OF tnel
times that tried mems souls ana
placed every life In the balance, said
4 retired cattleman. Back In the
'1Os II was what might have been
called the trocha OF civilization. Inc
Santa Fe railway was Just building
into the town. 1t was on the line OF
the cattle trail. Cattlemen from Tex
a. and the southwest drove up great
herds, some as large as 5000, and sola
them to the northern market. y
was an open range for miles around,
with good grazing all the way 70 tne
Seminole The town was filled all tne
while with cattlemen and Newton
soon became known all over the coun-
try as the Paris of the West Within
its rude confines all the foibles ana
follies of the rough sons of the plains
were exploited and INDUCED,
"As was the case In Denver In ner
beginning. the dance hall was the
| rendezvous for those who sought re-
/ lief from the business of cattle buying
and selling as well as those who were
| called upon to perform the more un'
romantic duty Of punching. Among
the many who blew into Newton along
about 1875 were two young men, VINO
as eager hearted boys had left their
homes on the farms and gone out into
the world to make their fortune, one
was called Sid Bloodsaw, who came
from Illinois, and at first was wei,
supplied with money. Another, TED
Bland. hailed from Iowa. He was
young fellow with plenty OF SAND, anu
he was not afraid Of work.
"Bloodsaw and Bland became tas'
friends. Both had lost all their money
at three card monte, and there was :
touch of sympathy between them tnal
made them akin. After they mac
fallen short of funds, they tried sew
eral things, but, like the tiger, every
thing went against them. Starvation
stared them In the face. They could ge
no work and were hungry While BLOOD
saw was absent one night his partnel
ventured into one Of the dance nam
as a locker on. He got to drinking
and became involved In q difiiculu
with a Texan. Bland had pawned HI
gun to bay food, which showed Y
what de, III he had descended I'm
!. Texan killed him. His body was lai
out for burial next day when Bloodsa'
returned. He went to the unde
takers shop and looked upon the rae
!, Of his friend.
l. "He had made few dollars and
!, apent It all giving Bland as decent
burial as possible. That night BLOC
e Jaw crept through the darkness an
looked in at the dance hall Wnel
Bland had met his death. He four
the same crowd Of Texans, eight IN q
!. one OF whose members had shot n
\ friend. He heard the music minsle
. with the loud outlaws Of the men WI
: counted lightly the life Of . pennies
. stranger. He went around to the DA'
= door Of the, dance hall and nailed
. up. There was so much noise IN u
= hall and the men and women nj
given themselves over 50 complete
n the merry orgie that his work
tracted no attention. This complex
to his satisfaction. he went to =
front door and locked 1t and put =
3 kew In his pocket. He had armed oil
N self with two guns. which he knt
3 how to use in an emergency.
IN 1.-THE front Of the hall was occupi
B. by the bar. He vaulted the count
70 and told the mixer Of drinks to
r. out and that worthy obeyed prompt
" giving the alarm as he departed. In
the Texans made rush for the
truder. firing as they came. Using I
counter as q barTicade, Bloodsi
Sc greeted the onslaught Of the Texans vi
be two bullets from HIS reyolvers. BE
If took effect and two men fell de'
IN, Two others stumbled and fell OF
to their mates, and Bloodsaw put 9 ,
Nc let each in their bodies. BY this I'll
IL. the other four had become teri
of stricken and made for the rear
trance. Here was the chance that
man's strategy had planned. WI
the fleeing men rushed to the door
n found It barred, they turned to
~ met another fuslllade from BlOodSa'
:" battery. When his revOlverS W
: smptiod eight desperate Texas cat
20 men lay dead on the door. SSVe
NJ shots had been fred at Bloodsaw.
Az only one took effect, that making
~ ~ slight aesh wound."-chicago In
Ocean.