Show J A BLOODY WAR IN KANSAS An Attempt to Murder Judge Botkin Results in the Death of the Sheriff Sherif Tho The county seat sent war Wil between Woodsdale Woodsdale Woods- Woods dale dalo and Hugoton in ia Southwestern Kansas Kansas Kensas Kan Ken sas has hs again resulted in bloodshed bloodshed A plot to kill Judge Botkin an opponent of one of the murdered leaders of the tho feud was put into execution on th the It I failed and the bullets intended for Judge Botkin ended the life le of a deputy sheriff Three weeks since Judge BotkIn received information that a mob composed of members members mem mom V bers bets of the tho Citizens Citizens' Alliance Alance of Woodsdale Woods- Woods dale ale and Springfield would endeavor to assassinate assassinate assassinate as as- V him on his way yay to court at Sprin Springfield feld Tuesday morning The Tho information was furnished by a member of ot the conspiracy who gave tho the names of all al Implicated in i the pl plot t. t It was WM also stated that the judge would bo ba fired fred V upon at the tho he head d f a canon near Culverts Culvert's V place one ono mile mio southeast of Cf Springfield Monday night Botkin Sheriff Dunnand Dunn Dunnand Dunnand V and six deputies deputes held hold a meeting at the tho house bouse of the judge which is i two VO miles due duo south of the tho head of the tho canon They Intended in intended intended in- in V tended to scout the country between bet the tho judges judge's bOse and the court courthouse bouse and started from the tho house of the judge at 3 30 o'clock Tuesday morning At da dui break they came upon the tho mob composed of about forty orty orty men with wih Winchester Winchester Win Win- chester rifles The he light fight lasted until daylight Sheriff Dunn was WS riddled bullets literally with wih All Al of the tho other officers escaped and went to where they barricaded themselves themselves them them- selves in a house Shortly after daybreak Shorty V abee court was seen the tho mob and le res re's who all al judge of the tho result of the bat e im to flee fee with wih his family to Arkalon This advice was taken by Jud Judge e Botkin as he had further information that tb the 0 ob was waiting to kill ki him if i ho he went vent I to o Springfield and in case he ho did not g go gothere othere o 0 there that they intended intended to come to ht his bis La house and murder murdel him Botkin telegraphed telegraph telegraph- 1 ed the tho governor for advice urging him 1 to 0 send militia mita to the rescue This Governor ir Humphrey promptly did and Company A of f the First regiment regiment started for fOl Arkalon n nearly early ery Wednesday morning morning Judge Botkin had bad heard of or the plot three thre ce months ago He received an anonymous letter from a aman man who said he had bee been a asked to join a party every member of If which would obligate himself himsel to t ki kill ki 11 Botkin The Tho whole affair grows out of the tho ku killIng ki- ki kill kill- I- I Ing of Sam Wood by James Brennan an and a athe the failure to convict the murderer Before Before Be Be- I- I fore the abortive trial came on the tho Woodsdale Woodsdale Woods Woods- Idale I- I dale faction swore in Ia the tho event of Bre Brennan's Bren- Bren anan's a- a nans nan's acquittal they would kill ki Botkin Botkin laid alt all the facts before the Botin al governor governor gover gover- r- r nor but declared that ho he was not afraid d dand and would not resign Since July 1833 there has been turmoil El in Stevens county The Tho county seat contest contest con cot 1 test between Woodsdale and Hu Hugoton oton fl culminated then in the massacre of Sheriff Cross and deputies deputes by Sam Robinson and his bis gan gang of about twenty-seven twenty men from Hugoton There was an abatement of the killing then until June 23 last when James rennan of Richfield Morton county shot and killed Sam Sa- SaWood Wood of ot Woodsdale the acknowledged leader of the Woodsdale faction faction This killing occurred in ia front of the little church in Hugoton Judge Jude Cd a converted k the the church into a court room where the term of f the Stevens county district court was being beinA he held d Brennan was arrested an and l lafter after two attempts to give him a trial on onI the charge of murder he was taken back to 10 I the saIl jail jai at Hutchinson to await the third and last attempt to secure a jury this month |