Show THAT BETTER LAND Homesteading and ClaimStaking in Oklahoma Territory INCIDENTS OF BORDER LEA LE-A Settler Murdered Vigilance Commie Formed The News in Washington KANSAS CIT April 2aThe Stars Guthrio special says The first homestead filed at Guthrie was by Max Cohn o Fort SmithThe first soldier to flea declaratory statement was Benton Turner private Sixth Illinois cavalry three town sites During yesterday thrc sies Guthrie Oklahoma city and Edmunds three homestead and two soldiers declaratory de-claratory statement were filed at 1210 William Johnson headed the little procession proces-sion to the land office and laid downarougir chart of Guthrie and filed it as a town site i This is the first paper presented Four clerks for the land office arrived yesterday from Washington two for Guthrie and two for Kingfisher The Kingfisher laud office will not he open until un-til Thursday At 5 oclock yesterday evening a pistol report that came across Cottonwood creek west of the depot outside of the townsite reserve attracted attention In a moment a man on horseback went west over the hill at break neck speed Two deputies went over but were told nothing had occurred The Star reporter got a boat and crossed the stream however to investigate In the bushes were collected hal a dozen men On the ground and beside a half made grave was stretched all that was left of S T Compis A ball from a revolver had passed entirely through his breast entrely The shooting was done by a man who claimed to have first staked out the claim caimed and his t r had settled which Compis rhh on The murderer jumped on ra horse and I escaped Believing secrecy the easiest way out of the affair Compis dragged the dying man into the bushes and said no one had been lan hurt He would not give his name and the peculiarity of the situation prevents a searching inquiry The dead man was about thirty years old and had black hair and eyes Compis and his companion took possession of the murderers mur-derers outfit consisting of a wagon and two horses The body was buried in the bushes This was the only murner near Guthrie despite other reports All night there was much suffering for water The railroad company refused to allow the settlers to take water from the tank for fear of exhausting the water The Cottonwood is red with mud Hawkers were about the depot last night with buckets of water charging 5 cents a glass The engineers were besieged by thirsty people for a drink from the engine tanks and many were accommodated Up to nigh not a quarrel on the Guthrie town site h d occurred |