History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 12

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011


USA > Nebraska > Hall County > History of Hall County, Nebraska > Part 12


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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"I. P. Olive had offered a reward of $700 for the arrest of Mitchell and Ketchum, and several sheriffs, among whom were Crew of Howard, Gillan of Keith, Anderson of Buffalo, and Letcher of Merrick, were anxious to cap- ture them that they might secure the reward. But after they were captured and in the hands of Crew and Letcher, these officers were un- willing to incur the responsibility of taking them to Custer County and turning them over to the blood-thirsty cowboys; therefore, they were finally taken to the Buffalo County jail in Kearney, and placed in charge of Capt. David Anderson, the sheriff of that county, for safe keeping. The prisoners were first held without any legal authority, as I. P. Olive had given the warrant for their arrest, issued in Custer County, into the hands of Harney Gillan, sheriff of Keith County, to serve. The prisoners had engaged T. Darnall, of St. Paul, Nebraska, and E. C. Calkins, of Kear- ney, as their attorneys. The attorneys en- deavored to keep the prisoners in the jail in Kearney, fearing that violence might be done them. The feeling in Kearney at that time was against Mitchell and Ketchum, who were


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represented as having killed Stevens while he was fulfilling his duty as an officer of the law. A question arose among the sheriffs as to the division of the money offered as a reward for Mitchell and Ketchum, which Olive declined to pay until they were delivered in Custer County. A proposition was finally made to Sheriff Anderson to take them to that place, and $50 was offered him for his services. This he declined to do, however, unless he was paid enough to enable him to employ a sufficient number of men to guard the prisoners. It was finally arranged that Gillan, since he held a warrant for their arrest, should take the prisoners to Custer County, and he promised to notify their attorneys, Calkins and Darnall, so that they could accompany them. As Gillan was a sheriff, and his desperate character was not then known, even these attorneys did not anticipate any serious diffi- culty. They, however, kept close watch less the prisoners be stolen away.


"On the afternoon of the 10th day of De- cember, Darnall, fearing that the prisoners were about to be taken away, was keeping close watch until after the emigrant train came in. This train was late, but Darnall remained at the depot until he thought it was about time for it to leave, when he started away. In the meantime, Gillan had taken the prison- ers from the jail, and at just the last moment hustled them on the cars. Darnall, thus fear- ing trouble, telegraphed to Gillan, at Elm Creek, first station west of Kearney, asking him if he would hold the prisoners at Plum Creek until the arrival of the next train from the east. Gillan replied that he would do so. To still further secure their safety he also telegraphed to Capt. C. W. McNamar, an attorney at Plum Creek, asking him to keep close watch, to see what was done with the prisoners on their arrival at that town. Plum Creek was the home of I. P. Olive, and here he was surrounded by many friends and em- ployees. They, with wagons, met the party as they got off the train, and putting the prisoners into a wagon, started at once for Custer County. This was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Captain McNamar being unable


to prevail on them to remain, and believing that it was the intention to murder the prison- ers, followed them for some distance, when the party separated, some going in one direc- tion and some in another. He followed after the prisoners, however, until after dark, when he lost their trail. The Olive party kept on, all coming together on the Loup River, about five miles from Olive's ranch, where they went through the process of transferring the prisoners from Gillan to Olive. Among those who took the prisoners were Bion Brown, Pedro Dominicus, and Dennis Gartrell. Gillan and Dufran walked up the road for a short distance, while the remainder of the party started on for Devil's canyon, Olive riding ahead and Gartrell driving the wagon. Olive stopped under a large elm tree. Two ropes were thrown over a branch and Gartrell tied one around Ketchum's neck and Pedro Dominicus tied the other around Mitchell's neck. The ropes were not prepared with slip nooses, however, but were simply tied that their agony might be prolonged. The prison- ers were handcuffed together. Ketchum was first drawn up. Olive caught up a rifle and shot Mitchell. Olive and Gartrell then caught hold of the rope and drew Mitchell up. Fisher and Brown pulled on Ketchum's rope. A fire was then kindled under them. Accounts differ as to whether this was done purposely or not. The party had been indulging freely in whiskey and some of them claim that this fire was started accidentally. However this may be the bodies were frightfully burned. The next day, when the bodies were found about three o'clock in the afternoon, Ketchum was still hanging, with his legs burned nearly to a crumbling condition. Mitchell's rope had either burned off or had broken, and he was lying on the ground, one arm drawn up to Ketchum by the handcuffs, while the other was burned off up to the shoulder.


"As soon as the bodies were found, Captain McNamar returned to Plum Creek and re- ported the fact. I. P. Olive lived there and also several of the men who participated in the murder. They were well known as dan- gerous characters, and no one cared to attempt


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to arrest them. Indeed returning at once to Plum Creek, Olive and his men had threatened to kill anyone who should attempt to molest them.


"After a few days a conference was held at the office of E. C. Calkins, at Kearney, to see what could be done. Sheriff James, of Plum Creek, Dawson County, Sheriff Ander- son, of Buffalo, Judge Gaslin, E. C. Calkins, and others were present. The judge expressed a willingness to issue a warrant, but the ques- tion was who would serve it. Sheriff James refused to do so, fearing that the murderers could not be captured and even if they could, that he would soon be hunted down by their confederates. Sheriff Anderson objected to going into another county to make an arrest attended with so much danger, but said that if the murderers came into Buffalo County he would not hesitate to attempt their arrest. Two warrants were were then made out for the citizens of Kearney and the law abiding portion of the inhabitants of Plum Creek had resolved that the capture should be made. Attorney General C. J. Dilworth, who resided on his farm in Phelps County, near Plum Creek, had for some time, with the assistance of others, been working up a plan for the capture of the gang. On Saturday, January 5, 1879, he telegraphed to Kearney Junction that arrangements had been made to .take the murderers, 'and that the citizens of Plum Creek only waited assistance. At the former place a well armed and determined party had been organized under the leadership of Law- rence Ketchum, a brother of one of the mur- dered men. This party had been anxious to attempt the capture of Olive, but had hitherto been held back by the wiser councils of Dil- worth, who sought by the use of a little strategy to surprise the criminals and thus save the loss of life that would neccessarily re- sult from an open attack.


"On receipt of the message above referred to, the Kearney party took the first train bound west and arrived at Plum Creek after dark. Here they were met by some of the citizens, who took them to a place of conceal- ment, and, upon reconnoitering, it was de-


cided to wait until the next morning, when there would be no suspicion, and they could be captured one at a time. On Sunday morn- ing Baldwin was seized at break of day at his hotel while starting a fire, A number of the party were captured one at a time, as they came for their mail. Fisher and others were arrested singly on the street. There was no bloodshed, and but little show of resistance. The prisoners were then taken into Kearney on a special train. On their arrival, Olive, Green, and some of the others, fearing they would be lynched, turned pale and showed the most craven fear. They were all confined in the Kearney jail at first, but subsequently were distributed to jails in different parts of the state. On Monday morning, after the cap- ture of Olive, the Mexican Pedro Dominicus, Barney Gillan, sheriff of Keith County, and Phil Dufran were captured and brought in to Kearney.


"The time appointed for the trial was the next spring. The place selected by the presid- ing judge, William Gaslin, was at Hastings. An indictment was found against I. P. Olive. John Baldwin, William H. Green, Fred Fisher, Barney Gillan, Pedro Dominicus, Bion Brown. Phil Dufran, Dennis Gartrell, Barney Arm- strong, Peter Bielee, and a man called Mc In- duffer, for the murder of Mitchell and Ket- chum.


"The trial of I. P. Olive and Fred Fisher began at once and lasted for some time. Brown and Dufran turned state's evidence, and the evidence showed the murder to have been committed in the manner above stated. But Olive and his relatives were wealthy, and no expense was spared in conducting the case in their behalf. During the trial, which attracted the attention of the entire state, hun- dreds of indignant citizens of various parts of the state went to Hastings, hoping to see jus- tice done. Judge Gaslin was scrupulously honorable, and the murderers had a fair trial. It was known, however, that money was spent freely in behalf of the prisoners, and at one time it became so apparent that the end of justice would be thwarted that the people talked of lynching the prisoners, but as a com-


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pany of soldiers guarded them this was not at- tempted. Although the evidence was strong against the prisoners, showing that they had deliberately planned and executed a most foul and cowardly murder, the jury went out and retured with a verdict of guilty of murder in the second degree .. Judge Gaslin then sen- tenced I. P. Olive and Fred Fisher to im- prisonment for life in the state penitentiary, to which place they were taken.


"Immediately after the sentence of Olive and Fisher, their friends began to try to de- vise plans to secure their release, and the trial of their associates in crime was postponed. The following year these efforts were success- ful, and the convicts were released from the penitentiary upon a decision of the supreme court of the state ordering them to be set free on account of technical irregularities in the proceedings of their trial. Let it here be stated that Custer County had recently been formed from the territory that had before the county organization been in two judicial dis- tricts but now was understood to be attached to the western district. The supreme court held that the prisoners must be tried within the limits of Custer County, and at the same time held that this county was in no judicial district and hence that the murderers could be tried before no district judge in the state. This was the decision of two of the judges of the supreme court, but Judge Samuel Maxwell, all honor to him, dissented in one of the ablest legal documents ever prepared in that court.


"The decision of the court of course prac- tically released the convicts and put an end to the prosecution of their associates, nearly all of whom, however, had been allowed to escape from the county jails in which they were confined.


"The closing scene in this terrible drama of blood was enacted in Colorado whither I. P. Olive had sought refuge with his son William. For four years, so that story goes, had the re- leased murderer been shadowed by some vengeful enemy, who had gone so far as to bring his son up to share this hatred. The two, father and son, never let the Olives get a moment's respite, but pursued them with the


bitterness of death. Finally in 1884 the stroke falls. The son of the unknown avenger shoots young Olive dead in a billiard room; the next day, at a cattle round-up, the crime hardened father falls before the unerring shot of the avenger in person."


LIFE ON THE PLAINS PASSES


"Life on the plains," with the many mem- ories it awakens in the hearts of a goodly num- ber of our citizens who still dwell with us, soon began to dwindle. When the golden spike was driven in 1869, which bound together the iron links in the great national rail highway, the knell of the wild period in the history of any western community was struck and de- cline in wilderness began. Many stories of the succeeding decade would still be thrilling reading, if we had the space to place them. But, nevertheless, the whistle of the first loco- motive through central Nebraska, in July, 1866, had already pierced the deepest signifi- cance of the words "life on the plains." Ever after that, the words "I crossed the plains" lost the significance they had possessed when spoken by a bronzed pioneer who had crawled along in an emigrant caravan, or jostled along on horseback, or jolted along on the stage.


THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE WOOD , RIVER VALLEY


BY O. M. QUACKENBUSH


Time works wondrous changes. What is to- day one of the most beautiful, productive, and well settled valleys in this broad land of ours was little more than fifty years ago described and known as the "Great American Desert" Gray-haired men and women, now spending their declining years in comfort and content- ment in the beutiful Wood River Valley, as boys and girls in far off eastern states used to pore o'er their atlases wherein it described the territory lying between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains as a trackless and a treeless waste, where the shaggy buffalo in countless thousands roamed at will and the dusky redskin pursued the chase and engaged in savage warfare. Little did these boys and


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WOOD RIVER VALLEY, NEAR WOOD RIVER


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girls think their declining years would be spent in the same "Great American Desert," surrounded by the comforts and luxuries of a cultured, prosperous, and happy people. Time has actually worked this wondrous change though it runs more like a fairy tale than a happy reality. Though the people of the United States knew little or nothing of what is now Nebraska and the Wood River Valley less than a century ago, it may not be familar to many that it is gathered from pretty reliable authority that many centuries before the people of Spain had a fairly good descrip- tion of Nebraska. From old papers collected from Spanish archives it is learned that a Spanish cavalier by the name of Coronado explored the territory of Nebraska as early as 1541 and sent to Spain a fairly good descrip- tion of the same. He writes: "It is not a country of mountains there being but hillocks and plains with streams of excellent water. I judge it must be quite fertile and well suited to the cultivation of all sorts of fruits." Describing the buffalo, he says: "These oxen are of the bigness and color of our bulls, but their horns are not so great. They have a great bunch upon their fore-shoulders and more hair on their fore part than on their hinder part, and it is like wool. They have, as it were, a horse mane on their back-bone; and much hair and very long from their knees downward. They have great tufts of hair hanging down from their fore heads, and it seemeth that they have beards because of the great store of hair hanging down at their chins and throats. The males have very long tails and a knob or flock at the end, so that in some respects they resemble the lion and in some others the camel. They push with their horns, they run, they overtake and kill a horse when they are in their rage and anger. Finally, it is a foul and fierce beast of countenance and form of body."


But to the early settlement of Wood River. In the early fifties when the California gold fever was at its height the news had been carried back to the eastern states by the gold hunters that there were good streams and fertile spots in the "Great American Desert,"


and soon adventurous spirits began to cross the Missouri and settle in Nebraska. The first person to settle in the vicinity of Wood River was "Pap" Lamb, who located about six miles east of the present site of Wood River in the winter of 1858. In the spring of 1859 William Eldridge and Patrick and Richard Moore followed, the former taking . claims about four miles east of Wood River and the latter three miles west of Wood River. The year following, in 1860, came James Jackson and Anthony Moore, who settled near Patrick and Richard Moore. Captain Smith, the Anderson family, a man by the name of Story, Ed O'Brien, James Cooke, John Maher, Joseph Ross, and Roger Hayes came shortly after. The settlers com- menced operations by building log houses, hauling logs with ox teams from the Platte River, and breaking prairie. The fresh broken sod was planted to corn, and garden patches were started. The sod corn and gardens did fairly well and the settlers were able to raise not only enough for their own use but had some to sell to the Pike's Peak gold hunters, who were streaming through the valley, and to the soldiers stationed at Fort Kearney. The first year the Moores sold several hundred dollars worth of corn and melons to the soldiers. Buffalo, elk, deer, and wild turkey were plentiful and everybody was handy with the gun, thus, the settlers were well supplied with meat. From the outset these hardy pio -. neers did well. Any surplus they raised found a ready sale at Fort Kearney and to the travel- ers passing up and down the valley. Buffalo were very plentiful at this time and the settlers made considerable money hunting them for their meat and hides. They also bought robes of the Indians and sold them again to good advantage. At first the Indians were friendly, but along in 1862 when most of the soldiers had been called to the Civil War they became ugly and on February 5, 1862, committed a horrible massacre .. Cap- tain Smith, his son-in-law Anderson, with his three sons, Alexander, Charles, and William, were hauling logs on the Platte River east of the present town of Wood River. Anderson


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had hauled one load home and on his return for another he found that the captain and his three sons had been killed by the Indians. Mr. Smith had several arrows through his body. Charles had his neck broken and his skull smashed in. William's skull was smashed and his mouth was cut from ear to ear and Alexander was found some distance away with his skull broken and his body other -. wise mutilated. Mr. Eldridge headed a party which captured a number of Indians and turned them over to the soldiers at Fort Kearny. Through fear of an uprising the Indians were shortly turned loose. It was afterward discovered that the Indians cap- tured did not do the killing. For two years afterward the Indians caused no trouble, but in August, 1864, wild reports came down the valley that the Sioux were massacreing the settlers, which reports so frightened the Wood River settlers that they took their fami- lies and stock and rushed down the Platte Valley, never stopping until they reached Fre- mont, got over their scare, and the next day started back for their homes and on getting back found everything as they had left it, and no Indians in sight. The next spring while Mr. Story was hunting buffalo in the bluffs he was killed by the Indians and his team stolen. He was shot in the back with arrows, one of them passing entirely through his body. Nearly all the settlers who had fled to Fremont did not return to their homes until the following spring. Aside from the Smith- Anderson massacre and the killing of Story, the Indians committed no serious depreda- tions, but for a number of years the settlers were fearful of them and on several occasions collected at one or the other of their houses and prepared to defend themselves against the threatened attacks, but the Indians never came and the settlers never fled from their homes but the once.


The early history of the Wood River Valley would not be complete without mention of the grasshoppers. The grasshoppers visited the valley no less than eight times, commencing in 1862 and ending in 1876. In only two of their visits was any great amount of damage


done. In 1869 millions of them came and ate up all the corn, but fortunately the small grain was out of harm's way. May 22, 1873, the country fairly swarmed with the hoppers but they did little damage. The worst damage was done in July, 1874, when they came in such multitudes that the sky was darkened and the valley was fairly alive with creeping. crawling hoppers. Everything that was green and eatable was devoured by them. For- tunately quite a little of the small grain was ripe and this was untouched by the hoppers. The last visits of the grasshoppers were made in 1875-6 and considerable damage was done but they left some of the crop for the use of the settlers. As the land became broken up moisture increased, which proved fatal to the grasshoppers, and they along with the buffalo are matters of history to Nebraskans.


THE FIRST POST OFFICE


The first post-office was established near Shelton along the river in 1864, presided over by James Cook, the office being a little log- house, and was called White Cloud. Along in 1865 James Jackson became postmaster. The office was moved to his store which was located at what is now known as "Old Wood River," and on his suggestion the name was changed to Wood River. In the fall of 1864 Mr. Jackson started the first store in old Wood River, hauling his stock by wagon from Omaha.


OLD "WOOD RIVER STATION"


In 1866 the Union Pacific came through the valley and established a station at Wood River with Mr. Chittenden as agent, followed by Mr. Adams, and he in turn by W. B. Hollister. Fred Hollister was born at the old station. Mr. Jackson had the only store at the old station, with the exception of Mr. Baker who ran a store for about a year and Pat Neville who ran a saloon there for a year or so.


PRESENT WOOD RIVER STARTS


In 1874 the present town of Wood River was platted by the U. P. railroad and the station moved to the new town. Mr. Jackson


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immediately moved his store and residence the first landmarks west of the Missouri to the new Wood River, his store and resi- dence being the first in the town.


WOOD RIVER VALLEY SETTLED


With the coming of the railroad, settlers began to pour into the valley. Among the first to arrive were Freem Dodge, Thomas Neville, James Williams, Riley Abbott, "Bill" Johnson, James and Richard Keefe, P. Brett, P. Duggan, John Maher, Tom Smout, Pat Neville, followed by David Barrick, Chas. Towne, N. T. Brittin, Joe Murphy, Frank Howe, J. Bulger, John O'Connor and quite a number of others. About this same time Prairie Creek was settled up, among the first settlers being Wm. Dudds, E. O. Palmer, Let Houghton, Seth Lee, Jim Cannon, the Ewing. brothers, N. P. Dickensen, Noel Henderson, and several other families. The valley from this time on settled up rapidly and farm houses sprang up in every direction until at the present time the Wood River Valley is one of the best settled sections of Nebraska. The log houses and sod shanties have given place to substantial modern dwellings and the ox team and bull cart have been replaced by sleek trotters and fine carriages, which must forsooth gradually give way to speeding auto- mobiles. The old settler of today, surrounded by all the evidence of modern civilization, looks back to his pioneer days in the Wood River Valley and is led to the conviction that, truly, time works wondrous changes.


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THE JIM BOYD RANCH


The place known as the Boyd Ranch was in section 14, township 9, range 14 west. This, it will be noted, is the second range west of Hall County's west line, placing it about eight miles west. But in early days eight miles was a short distance, and as this place was one of


River, on the California-Mormon-Overland trail, it played such an important part in the history of the west end of Hall County, that some space may well be given to a short ac- count of it. It was located on Wood River at a point where that river approached nearest to the Platte, less than three miles distant. It was about twelve miles north and east of Fort Kearny. An account is given by Riley Wes- coatt of finding the ranch there in 1853 when he was taking a herd of cattle to California. James E. Boyd, after whom the ranch was named, was governor of Nebraska in 1891-2. He came to Buffalo County in 1858. He had been married in August, 1858, to Ann H. Henry, daughter of Dr. Henry, who figured prominently in the politics of this region in after years. They broke prairie on the ranch very soon and he could be seen plowing in 1860. From the first liquor was sold on the ranch. Governor Abbott details securing the first brewery equipment used in Hall County, formerly used at the Boyd ranch. This small brewery when stationed on the banks of Wood River brewed about ten kegs of beer at a time, which he sold at the fort and at Dobytown for from six to eight dollars a keg. They had also an icehouse there. The hole in the ground where their cellar was located is still noticeable from the highway. Until about 1864, the buildings at the ranch were of logs and dirt roof. Mr. Boyd secured deed to the land comprising the ranch from the United States in 1867, and the land was paid for in script issued to a private in Cap- tain Henry's Georgia Militia in the war. The ranch was sold to a man by name of Eddy in 1874. The Boyd ranch became a station on the stage line established in 1860 by the Western Stage Company, as mentioned in another chapter by Norman Reese.




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