The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-19

lured his victims to his barn. Because
Patterson was cautious-maybe just a
bit afraid-he can tell the story The
state is looking for evidence regard
ing the alleged murder of a list men
who were less wise, intuitive or eau
tious.
Patterson was foreman of the big
Mulvane ranch one summer day six
years ago when he went to the Maple
Hill bank to cash a 5000 check. He
wanted some ready money and told
the cashier to kindly give him cur
rency. RUFF King is said to have been
standing near the teller's window. He
saw Patterson count the money and
deposit it carefully in his trouser
pocket. Patterson left the bank and
King followed him.
How King Worked 1t.
Looks like a storm, Abe" King re-
marked as he stepped beside Pat
terson.
yep, quite a Bit" Patterson agreed
as he looked at the clouds.
"Itn be rainin' like pitch forks in
hell in twenty minutes. Better come
over to the barn and stay all night. I
got an extra cot"
Patterson took a second survey of
the approaching storm. Then he
fondlcd those greenbacks. Maybe
some of those ruInors of gambling and
wild nights and possible violence at
Kings barn fitted thru the ranch
foreman's brain. Patterson looked
again just to be sure.
Nope" he replied rather medita-
lively. Guess I can beat it."
And he did. That night, tho. Pat
terson had premonitions. When dark
came. he took that $500 out to a hay
stack and tucked 1t tenderly away.
Then he climbed on top of the stack
and waited for some one to come. But
in all the stories of Rufe King and his
Ia fra & l.
dence that he pursued his alleged vic
time to their lair. And when the
storm had passed and morning came.
Patterson was still waiting at the hay
stack and his $500 was just where he
put it,
Much of Kings notoriety came thru
frequent fights and stories of gam
bling and drinking in his barn-the
site of the new found murder farm.
King reigned in his own peculiar way.
No idle curious came to ask questions.
It was this enforcement of his iron
rule, perhaps. that made easy his al
legged burial of victims on the very
edge of the towns main street.
Once, so one of the many stories
from the gossip centers run. King was
forced to fight a whole detachment of
men when the Maple Hill bah team
visited Willard-Or maybe It was sill
yer Lake or Rossville. The number
of Kings opponents varies according
say there were ten men pitted against
King that day. Others say eight. And
at times the number increases to
twelve or fifteen. King fought single
handed, alone and apparently as fear
less as a bear cat defending its break
fast In the end-so it is Said-a vol
unteer town constahulary of less in
jured and more or less innocent by
ISLANDERS took King to jail. King is re-
ported to have kicked down the Jail
door and returned home to be crowned
victor supreme.
Almost Met Willard.
Just the merest possible incident,
tho, prevented a clash at a ball game
some ten years ago when the laurels
of the Maple Hill terrorist might have
been torn from him-or maybe a
worlds heavyweight champion might
have known the thrill of a Knockout
long before he clashed with Jack
Dempsey That was the year when
the little town of Emmett boosted its
champion baseball team. Maple Hill
possessed a strong team-maybe not
so fast, but much, very much, rougher.
And in those same days while King
offset any defects in the town pitch
ing staff with mule kick rights and
lefts, Jess Willard, late worlds cham
pion, was chief chambermaid in the
Emmett livery barn. incidentally