|
FIRED ON BY FRIENDS
Blaine County, Nebraska, Loses A Treasurer And A
Cattle-Thief
Both Killed Through a Mistake - Two Posses Encounter Each Other
in the Dark With Fatal Results - A Sketch of Treasurer Aikens
DUNNING, Neb., May 23 - While a posse of citizens, who had just captured a
cattle-thief named McAlvey near here, were bringing the prisoner to town last
night they met another posse. The night was very dark and each party mistook the
other for theives. Fire was opened and before the mistake was discovered Judge
Aiken, Treasurer of the county, and McAlvey, the cattle-thief, who was in his
care were killed. No arrests have been made.
Details of the affair show that yesterday morning McAlvey stole two
2-year-old steers from a man named Craig, living in the south-eastern part of
Blaine County. he drove them to within three miles of Brewster, to Dr. Palmer's
place, which is vacant, and put them in the stable. Craig followed him, and, with
some of his neighbors, tracked the steers to where they were corralled. Craig
wished to turn the steers out and take them home, but the neighbors decided that
they had better watch and catch the thief.
Meantime, quite a crowd, among them Judge C. W. Akins, Treasurer of Blaine
County, had assembled to assist int he watch.
About 11 o'clock last night McAlvey came to get his stolen steers. The crowd
collared him and made him acknowledge that he stole the cattle, and said that a
negro named Eli Creighton had assisted him. The watchers then separated without
any signal whereby they could recognize one another.
A party, of which Judge
Aikens was one, took charge of McAlvey, Just then a party, with a young man name
Rittonhouse in the lead, came riding up the road. Judge Aikens' party, thinking
them the thieves, with possiby Creighton among them, ordered them to halt and
surrender. A young friend of Rittenhouse, in the party, thinking Judge Aikens
was a thief and supposing him about to kill his friend, opened fire, killing
both Judge Aikens and McAlvey. McAlvey was shot through the heart, and Judge
Aikens through the body. Both died instantly.
The whole country is in mourning over Judge Aikens' death, as he was a man
universally liked and respected.
He was a prominent Democrat, a delegate to the
last national convention and a candidate for the Supreme Court in the coming
election.
Boston Journal, May 24, 1891, page 13, section 2
Transcribed
and Contributed by: Peggy Thompson
|