Iditarod pioneer., 1917-06-16
POET OF THE KUSKOKWIM
 RECALLS EXCITING INCIDENT

c. Edward Cone, known to all Pioneer readers as the Bard of the Kuskokwim," many of whose poetic and prose produc- tions have found place in these columns, has been heard from at Susltna and the Valdez Miner has the following reminiscence of the we'll known old time prospector and poet:
 'The return of Mr. Cone recalls the ex- citing times in the days of 1907, with the miners meetings and murders at Susitna.
 Gone, who was the discoverer of Poor man creek left the creek with poke of s3,OOO. He stopped at kinney's roadhouse, and, as was customary, laid his poke on shelf back of the stove. In couple ot hours he was ready to resume his journey, and upon looking for his poke found 1t was missing Kinney claimed to know nothing about it. Cone left immediately for Sustna, where miners meeting was called and an investigation started. Every man in that ection was accounted for except two men
 ho had left the day previous for the Out side These men were intercepted and searched, when they voluntarily returned to Susitna to take part nj the proceedings. The Susitna meeting left in body for the Kinney roadhouse and there continued it's investigations Kinney stoutly denied any knowledge of the poke but the evidence was so strong against him. as being the only man having an opportunity to get the gold, that the meeting decided to use force Kinney was told to either give up the gold or to make his will. Being unable to sat isfy the miners of his innocence, Kinney had McManus write his will, whereby he left everything he had to Rampant Nell, who danced her way to fame In the early days of the Nome rush.
 "A scaffold was hastily erected and the rope adjusted When the moose was placed around Kinneys neck he was given a last chance to tell where the gold was hidden. In his strenuous efforts to convince the committee Kinney tipped over the box upon which he was standing and nearly strangled before he could be cut down. This brought up fine question. Having lived through one hanging, was he to be hung again? It was finally decided to bring him to Susltna and turn him over to the commissioner This was done, and Kinney was taken to Valdez, where a little later he was tried and acquitted.
 "The trial at Valdez was sensational Tn the extreme. After his acquittal Kinney brought action against the miners meeting and recovered S1 ,500 damages, which was never collected as the men he sued had no ~roperty which could be seized, and the matter finally passed into history and was forgotten
 within three months after the acqulttal of Kinney two members of the miners meeting were killed Purchase the husband of Rampart Nell, was shot at his roadhouse at Knik and Dunn was shot in his roadhouse at Sustna. Little has ever been known as to the cause of these killings. In both cases the only witnesses present were women, and both assailants were acquitted on the plea of self-defense
 Later Rampant Nell married the man who killed her husband, young man by he name of Johnny Kashnevnikoff, and left for the States with him, and their where abouts are at present unknown. The slayer of Dunn. Ralph Williams was also acqwt- ted and has since dropped out of sight"