Manhattan, Ks., August
22, - "Happy Jack," Marshal of Ellsworth, shot and killed Capt. Cad. Pierce, a large cattle dealer and
gamester, in Ellsworth, yesterday.
This murderous affray grew out of the shooting
of Deputy Sheriff Whitney, last Friday, by the Thompson brothers. Bill Thompson and another gamester were gambling,
when a quarrel arose, Thompson striking the gambler a blow in the face. As soon as struck, the gambler rushed out
to get his revolver. Thompson, expecting blood, armed himself with a Remington rifle and a shotgun loaded with
buckshot, and a pair of navies. His opponent, hearing how well Thompson was armed, kept shady. Thompson's blood
being up, and having a grudge against "Happy Jack," he sallied out to find him. Jack, hearing of it,
kept out of Thompson's way, concealing himself in Thobe's store. Finally, wishing to see if the danger was past,
Jack stuck his head out of the door. Thompson being on the alert, instantly fired upon him with his rifle. Jack
dodged back and the ball lodged in the casing of the door, and he made his escape out at the back way. Thompson,
failing in putting an end to Jack's existence, strode down the street thirsting for blood. He met Deputy Sheriff
Whitney, who was engaged in conversation with a friend, not dreaming of harm from Thompson, who immediately pulled
up and fired a full charge of buck shot into his side tearing a terrible hole and frightfully shattering his arm,
from the effects of which he died last Sunday. Thompson, after shooting the Sheriff mounted his horse, and accompanied
by his brother Ben rode up and down the street of Ellsworth defying the authorities and looking for more victims.
These two desperadoes, after cleaning the streets when to Notch town, a disreputable adjunct of Ellsworth, spent
some time and then mounted their horses and lit out for Texas. They were followed by a posse who were unable to
overtake them. "Happy Jack," learning that Capt. Pierce had offered these Thompson boys if they would
kill him, one thousand dollars, went to Pierce's establishment and demanded if it was so. Pierce denied it, but
made a motion as if to draw his revolver, when Jack fired, killing him instantly. The town is now under martial
law. All the gamblers and roughs are ordered to leave instantly, fifty going down on the express last night.
Pierce's body was brought to Junction City last
night, attended by one hundred and fifty Texans on its way to Texas.
Pierce was the owner of seven thousand head of cattle. The Texas are breathing vengeance and threatening to burn
the town. Lively times are looked for. All is now quiet in Ellsworth. (The Standard, August 30, 1873, Page 2)
Note: Whitney, well-known lawman
and scout who had participated in the Battle of Beecher Island in 1868, became sheriff of Ellsworth County in 1871.
Billy Thompson, buffalo hunter and general frontiersman, tried to start a fight over a card game. Whitney stepped
in to stop the disturbance and Thompson shot him with a double-barreled shotgun. Thompson was quoted assaying,
(when asked why he would shoot someone like Whitney), "I would have shot if it had been Jesus Christ."
FIVE ARE SLAIN IN
BEDS BY AX BLOWS
Kansas, His Wife and Three Small Children Victims
of Ghastly Murder
Room Blood Splattered
No Motive Can Be Ascribed for Killing of Family
- Crime Undiscovered for 24 Hours - Bodies are Beaten Featureless
Ellsworth, Kan. Oct. 16, - Slain as they slept
Sunday night, the bodies of William Showman, a chauffeur, his wife and three small children were discovered today
in the Showman home by a neighbor who chanced to call and entered the house when no one responded to his knocks.
The features of all the victims were battered beyond
recognition by the blows of the ax. The youngest member of the family, a baby, had been beaten until its head was
severed from the body. All three of the children were under 5 years of age.
Although the crime was committed last night it
was not discovered until 6 o'clock this evening. The authorities have failed to find anything pointing to a cause
for the murders of a clew to the guilty person.
The names of the victims are:
William Showman, aged 33
______Shoman, his wife
Lester Showman, aged 5
Fern Showman, aged 4
Senton, aged 1
The two latter are girls
The Showman home is a small two-room cottage in
the outskirts of Ellsworth 300 or 400 yards from the nearest house.
The bodies of the five victims were found in one
room. The father, mother and baby on one bed, and the two other children in a second bed.
The room looked like a slaughter pen. There was
blood on the walls, ceiling, floor, beds and every article in the room. In this room also was the bloody ax which
the murderer had used and which he had left in his flight.
Last night all the members of the Showman family
visited at the home of Mrs. C. W. Snook, a friend living a few blocks away. They left the Snook home about 9 o'clock.
This was the last time any of them were seen alive. (Oregonian, October 17, 1911, page 4)
THE INDIANS
CHEYENNES ON THE WAR PATH
Kansas Settlement Attacked
THIRTEEN WHITES MASSACRED
Two Woman and Two Children Captured
STATE TROOPS ORDERED OUT
Another Settlement Attacked
A WOMAN KILLED, BOY WOUNDED, AND THREE CHILDREN
CAPTURED
ELLSWORTH, KANSAS, June 1---Indians are making
trouble in Kansas, on the extreme frontier of the settlement.
A party of about twenty-five Cheyennes attacked
a small, unprotected settlement on the Saline River, about forty miles from Salina and 160 west of Topeka, on Sunday
evening. They came, toward evening, under the pretense of friendship, and massacred thirteen men, women and children.
The women were ravished. The killed, so far as known, are the wife and four children of Thomas Alderice; one son,
eleven years old, of William Hendricks; Andros Aleson and family, six in number, and the wife and son of Joe K.
Strange. The bodies were brutally multialted.
Some excitement prevails. Governor Harvey has called
a battalion of troops into the field for six months, and is now at Salina.
A company of citizens have gone up to Salina River,
from Salina, to rescue some wounded men.
Indians have been seen near Ellsworth, Harke, Wilson
Station, and Fort Hays.
Custer went out with a couple of companies yesterday.
The Kansas Pacific Railroad runs as usual.
Further depredations are not feared. The citizens
are protecting themselves, and prompt measures are being adopted for defense. It is said that this is merely a
roving band, as there is no evidence of any general attack.
ST. LOUIS, June 1---A dispatch from Topeka, Kansas,
says that the Sheriff of Saline County reports that thirteen persons--men, women and children--have been killed
in that county by Indians, and as many more supposed to have been. The women were carried off to suffer worse than
death. Seattlers in Saline County are coming eastward for protection. A correspondent says that, if the Quaker
agents do not hurry up, the poor, innocent savages will destroy all the frontier settlements of Kansas and Colorado.
The settlements on the Saline, west of Solomon,
were attacked, one woman killed, one boy wounded, and three children carried off into captivity.
The Indians that attacked the Swedish settlement,
in addition to those they killed, captured two women and two children.
A dispatch from Omaha says the Indians along the
Union Pacific Railroad remain quiet. At Ports Laramie and Potterman, strict non-intercourse with the traders is
enforced by the officers, as it is the intention of the Government to compel all Indians desirous of trading to
move on their reservation.
The murders have been committed by roving bands
of Indians, no large bodies having been heard of, and the massacres have been the result of guerrilla fighting
rather than of a general Indian war. The scene of operations has extended from the Republic and Solomon Rivers
to the end of the Kansas Pacific Railway. The settlements in that part of the States are scattered and very much
exposed. General Schofield has only a small number of troops at his disposal, but is making the best use he can
of them. Governor Harvey has organized two companies of scouts, for which General Schofield will furnish arms.
There are now in the field four United States surveying parties, all without military protection. Two of these
parties are north of Fort Hays, one between Hays and Larned, and one sixthy miles from Hays. This is the most exposed
part of the State, and fears are felt for the safety of the surveyors.
Orders have been sent to the commander at Fort
Riley to send troops to protect the water stations at Fossil Creek, Ella and Ogallallah, on the Kansas Pacific
Railroad.
A band of thirty Indians were seen seven miles
from Hays City, Sunday, supposed to be the party that ran the train off the track at Fossil Creek and killed two
men. Companies A and D of the Seventh Cavalry, under command of Colonel Weir, were sent after them. Some of them
are believed to be white men.
Lieutenant Marsh and a scouting party, a day or
two ago, came up with a small war party of Indians, supposed to be those committing depredations on Saline River,
near the mouth of Buffalo Creek. He pursued them fifteen miles, until darkness came on, and was then compelled
to desist.
One thousand, three hundred Arapahoes had reached
Camp Supply. Little Robe and part of the Cheyennes arrived on the evening of the 18th of May. LIttle Robe promised
that the tribe would follow him and go on their reservation. While en route from Medicine Bluff to Camp Supply,
a quarrel ensued between a drunken teamster and some Cheyennes, which resulted in the death of the teamster. This
alarmed the Cheyennes and caused them to scatter, but it is thought they will regain confidence and return.
(Cincinnati Commercial Tribune ~ June 2, 1869)
JAIL DELIVERY AT
ELLSWORTH
Isham Douglas and Charles Brody arrested for burglary
broke jail here yesterday by sawing through the bars and made their escape. It is now thought that they were more
of the gang, and that they were assisted to escape by their confederates. A reward of $50 is offered for their
re-capture. (Kansas Semi Weekly Capital, April 23, 1897, transcribed by P. T.)
HATTIE HODGEN FIRST
WHITE GIRL BORN IN ELLSWORTH COUNTY
Miss Hattie Hodgen, of Ellsworth, and the first
white girl born in Ellsworth county, is now sixteen. (Western Kansas world. (WaKeeney, Kan.) , June 20, 1885 submitted
by K. T.)
JANSSEN'S TAKE A SMALL
COTTAGE ON FIRST AVENUE
Mr. and Mrs. Janssen, of Ellsworth, Kans., have
taken a small cottage on First avenue (Daytona, Fl) and will keep house this winter. [The Daytona Gazette-News.
(Daytona, Fla.), December 12, 1903 - submitted by K. Torp)
