The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-05-19
HOW "pUSsYFOOT" JOHNSON! Wiped OUT
THE MONTE CARLO or NO IlAN'SLAND
Independent Kingdom Set Up by Three Scoundes the Kan
sas-Indan Territory Border Defes Authorities and Does
Thriving Business Until Johnson Takes Hold.
GIVES THE RUFFIANS THE LAWYER ANSWER

One of the most singular situations
in the history Of outlawry was thai
tackled by William Eugene johnson
In the summer of 1907. 1t was tbs
case OF the Monte Carlo of No Man s
Land, as it was called, and called fol
an exhibition of grit, courage, and
seif-reliance that was not shown by
any other persons interested in the
affair.
BY the middle of 1907 Johnson, big
bald, and six-feet-three, had pretty
well cleaned up the bootleggers in In
dian Territory. He had made him
self a terror to those who were de-
bauching the Indians with spirits and
afterward plundering them. He had
become something of legend. I'm
Rgine a male Carrie Nation, armed
not only with Ratchet and sledge-
hammer, but with a pair of mailed
fists and all the resources of the
United States Indian Department at
his back He had run up the price
OF spirits per pint from twenty-five
cents to three dollars, and even then
the trade was risky. He had herded
hurdreds to Jail and several into the
penitentiary. He had earned the I'M
dying enmity of the gamblers, and
all the vicious members of the COM
munity. He had earned the sobri-
quet "Pussyfoot" throughout the West
by reason of his cat-like pounces
where he was least expected. Now
he was to tackle the strangest situa-
ton that has ever arisen in the case
OF western outlawry.
To quote a comment which was
made at the time: Special Officer
Johnson has the distinction Of being
the only man in the United States
who ever arrested a bunch Of no.
bodies for conducting saloon and
gambling resort nowhere, In violation
OF the laws of no one. But the fact
is that the Monte Carlo Of No Mans
Land has been put out of business
by the velvet-footed man with the
soft voice and the mailed first"
Now for the explanation Of the af-
fair. which was to produce crop OF
tragical deaths at subsequent
period:
! Some years previously man
named Ernest Lewis was In charge OF
some logging work along the bound
airy between Kansas and the Indian
Territory. A log drawn by six horses
struck a stone boundary post and
drew it ten feet and nine inches north
of the surveyed line. Lewis thought
that 1t would be a joke on Kansas to
give the Territory some Of Kansas
land Accordingly he set up the post
in its new position, and the removal
remained undiscovered until after the
occurrence Of the episodes with which
this story deals.
The apparent result Of this prank
was that there remained, In the mid
die OF a road, a tract Of land some
three-Quarters of a mile long and some
twelve feet wide which did not be-
long either to the Indian Territory or
to Kansas. Lewis was bad man,
and most Of his time was devoted to
violations Of the revenue and states
Laws. Some years afterward he found
himself released from Jail, together
with two boon companions named
Mark Killion and Elijah Paradise, and
began to cast round for the means OF
a livelihood 1t was then that he hap
pened to remember his prank in NOV
ing the boundry post. He hurried to