The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-09-27
A TEXAS VENDETTA.

excitement was created In HanSf0rd
county, Texas, Immediately south of
Guymon, by finding tan shoe on
the A. E. Powers ranch, containing
human foot. A very interesting
and peculiar story has been revealed
as result of the discovery.
Eight or ten years ago a man by
the name Of Pfeifer settled on sec
ton of land in the Coldwater valley.
He soon discovered that part of an
adjoining section suited his purposes
better so he moved his possessions
over onto his neghbor's land, who
at the time was a nonresident, and
as result Pfeifer remained in un-
disputed possession of the other fell
lows land for an indefinite period.
Finally the matter came to the
knowledge of the nonresident land
owner and attempts were made to
each time would return and take pos
session of the other mans land. Dur
ing the various ramifications Of the
eject Pfeifer. He was elected, but
case Pfeifer was jailed time or two
for disobeying the mandates of the
promise to vacate, but invariably
courts and on each occasion would
broke the promise. Sheriff Martin
of Hansford county had much to do
with enforcing the courts orders and
by reason of his activities in that
connection incurred the i'll will of
Pfeifer. Finally about six or seven
years ago a deputy United States
marshal was sent out from Amarillo
to finally and formally put Pfeifer
off the land together with all Of his
accumulated possessions on the prop
erty. The marshal went by Hansford
and asked Sheriff Martin to accom-
pany him to Pfeifer's place. They ar
rived there about dusk, and observ-
ing Pfeifer going from the house to-
ward the barn ordered him to halt,
but he ran on to the barn, and Sheriff
| Martin fired shot in the ground,
hoping to stop him. The marshal and
the sheriff went to the barn and cal
led to Pfeifer to come out and get
ting no response attempted to enter,
when Pfeifer suddenly thrust a shot
gun out the door and fired. The shot
entered the sheriff's abdomen, cut
ting him almost in two, The marshal
lost no time in getting away from the
place and hurried to the nearest
ranch, about mile distant, where he
gave the alarm, and perhaps was the
worst scared man in Hansford coun-
! ty. Officers went from Guymon,
Stratford and Hansford and at day
light surrounded the Pfeifer home
and closed in, but the meantime he
had skipped. He had, before leaving,
gone into his house and placed his
six shooter and shotgun, and shells
for both weapons, in the center of
the bed The officers found the
sheriff dead, lying in front of the
barn door, but before dying he had
to all appearances suffered untold
agony. In his death struggles he had
kicked himself round and round, his
heel prints making a complete circle
around in the barnyard dirt. A
heavy watch chain had been shot
away and forced through the body,
several links of the chain being pick
ed up by the officers at the time.
Later on Pfeifer was discovered at a
ranch home several miles north of
the location of the crime. He was
taken to Ochiltree first and jailed,
but later on parties in Guymon who
were at the scene of the crime ad-
vised that Pfeifer be taken to Cana
dian in order to prevent a lynching,
and he was removed to that point. In
due course of time Pfeifer was ar
raigned, plead guilty and was given
80 years in the Texas penitentiary.
After reasonable lapse of time he
was sent to one of the state farms
and put to work. One day he walk
ed away and but little or no effort
was made to apprehend him. Not
long after his escape it was noised
about that he had returned to Hans
ford county and was skulking around
in the vicinity of his former home.
Suddenly comment ceased, Pfeifer
was not seen any more and public
interest subsidized. When the foot
was found thoughtful ones figured
that it might be one of the. ends OF
Pfeifer, and last Saturday one of the
Martin boys, Millard, SON of the
/ former sheriff, it is said, walked into
the court house at Hansford and
quietly informed the present sheriff
that he had killed Pfeifer about eight
months ago, or to be exact, he met
and killed Pfeifer on Frisco creek
about Is miles southwest of Guymon
( in the edge of Texas, on December
%, 1916. The details of the confes-
sion are not in possession of the writ
er, but our information is that soon
after the killing Of Pfefer the body
was given a rough burial by Millard
Martin and silence maintained. Later
on the elements uncovered the car.
cass and it was moved to another
place and concealed. Recent rains
again uncovered the body and Mar
tin was again alarmed. He loaded
the remnant of Pfeifer in spring
wagon, covered it with wagon sheet
and drove down the Palo Duro looking
for good place to conceal the bones,
when he lost the foot Anyway, that
is how it was told to the writer. The
foot was soon found and the final
chapter added and the tragedy Of
the foot explained by the confession
of Millard Martin last Saturday.
Z Public opinion in Hansford coun-
ty is not inclined to look upon the
killing of Pfeifer by young Martin as
ia very serious offense, because
Pfeifer had caused a world Of trou-
BILE and murdered a splendid sheriff
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