The Head-light from Thayer, Kansas • 1

EM) i VOL. 1. THAYER, NEOSHO KANSAS, SATURDAY, 'MAY 4, 1872. NO. 52.

THE CASS COUNTY TRAGEDY. FOETHY. him raised his head anddeliberately firod three idiots from his reAoh-er into the face of the corpse. It Avas some one on the road, concealed the mangled remains of the young attorney. As the Avagon drcAV up before the residence of Mr.

Blair, his Avife's father, a piercing, heart rending shriek was heard at the upper Avin-dow. The young wife, scarcely a year Avedded, had caught a glimpse of the ghastly outlines of what was more to her than all on earth beside. The door opened, and Cline's aged father and mother, both bent with age, their silvery hair fluttering in the breeze, both tottered to the side of the wagon. The poor old couple burst forth into sobs and moans. The old man, clasping his mangled, bleeding boy, petted, and caressed him amid his tears, as he exclaimed, "Oh, my Jemmy, my darling boy, why have they done this!" And ATet during this scene, shame that it be said, there wero those standing by who laughed at the old people's grief laughing during this scene that Avouhl have brought tears to the eyes of any except brutes.

So far none of the murderers hnve been brought to justice, and it is more than probable that none of them ever will be. Lawrence Jour. Increase of Grain Products in Kansas. The Drove, published, in Kansas City, gives a long and valuable re-Mime of graiir shipments over and from the various roads during 1871. We present in brief the highly encouraging figures, indicating the products of tlie most exacting of all crops in "droughty Kansas." Kansas is one of fiA States shoAving an increase in the average yield of 1871, OA-er 1870 A'iz: a yield of 15.9 per acre and is the ninth State in the- list of large yields.

It is indu- bitably established that its yield in 1871 was largely in excess of the preceding year. The Mo. Ft. Scott Gulf in 1870 shipped nortliAvard 795 cars of grain, and in 1871, 833 cars; and the report shows that more Avheat alone was shipped the past year than of all kinds of grain the year before. On the L.

L. il. E. Avas shipped in 1870, 32,250 bushels of and 91,000 of corn; in 1871,109,200 bushels of Avheat and 166,950 of corn. The Kansas Pacific road, received a total of grain at State line in 1867, of 6,150,894 lbs.

The exact amount for 1871 is not given, but is stated by its officers at a much higher fignre. On the Missouri, Kansas Texas road no grain Avas shipped in 1869, it not being connected with their Kansas road. The road took from July 1 to Dec. 31, 1871, from Kansas to St. Lrmis 282 cars about 100,000 bushels of wheat.

The country through which it runs' is new and only Avithin a year has (excepting tho Upper Val.) any surplus of grain. The Missouri Pacific "road reports as shipped eastward front Kansas City: In 1870 grain, 1,099 cars; flour i33 cars. In 1871, grain 1,401 cars; flour, 568 cars. From Atchison by tb.e same line, shipped: In 1870, of grain 943 cars; in 1861, 1,809 cars. By the Missouri Eoad in 1871 awto shipped 3,898,255 lbs-of wheat; the figures of 1870 not gi'en.

The Hannibal St. Josepn report, shipped from Kansas City; Year ending August 31, 1870, 18,000 lbs. of Avheat; to same time in 1871, 1,882,900 lbs. and from Aug. 31, to Dee.

31, 1,420,000 pounds From St. Joseph enuring Aug. 31, 1870, 4,847,800 to same time in 1871. 6,598,300 lbs. and from Aug, 31 to Dec.

31, more. How much of the St. J. local, and Iv. St.

Jo. 0.1$. business originated in Kansas is not THE OLD MAN'S DREAM. BY OLIVER W. HOLMES.

Oil. for one hour of youthful joy Give nie back my twentieth iriug! I'll rather laugh a bright-Haired bos Than reiyn a gray heard king Oft with the wrinkled spoils of age Away with learning's crown, Tear out life's wisdom written page, And dah its trophies down One moment, let my life-blood stream From boyhood's fount of Hume Give nie one giddy, reeling dream, Of lile all love aud fame I My listening anei heard the prayer, And, calmly iaid If 1 but touch thy silver'd hair, Thy hasty with hath sped. Uut is thero nothing in thy track To bid thee fondiy stay, "While the swift seasons hurry back To find the wish VI- for day Ah, truest soul of womankind Without thee what wore life? One bliss 1 cannot leave behind I'll take my precious wife 1 The angel took a sapphire pen. Aud wrote in raiubow dew The man would be a boy again, And be a husband, too And is there nothing yet unsaid Before the change appears? Remember all their gilts have fled With these dissolving years." "Why, yes; for memory would recall Jly loud, parental joys 'could not bear to leave them all I'll take my girl and boys The smiling angel dropped hi pen Why, this will neverdo: The man would be a boy again, And be a father, too And so I laugh 'd my laughter woke The 'household with its noise And wrote my dream when morning broke, To please the gray hair'd bovs. -r TEie Poor Customer.

"How much butter? One-half pound if you please." "And sugar Haifa pound, sir." "And those oranges?" Half a dozen, sir." "You go by halves, to-day. Well, what else Bo speedy, ma'm. you keeping better customers waiting." Half a peck of Indian meal, and one French roll," said the wo man but her lip quivered, and she turned to wipe away a trickling I looked at her straw bonnet, all broken at her faded shawl, her thin, stooped form, her course garments; and I read "poverty" on all extreme poverty. And the palid, pinching features the mournful but once beautiful face told me that the luxuries were not for her. An invalid looked out from his narrow window whose pale face longed for the fresh oranges; for Avho.se comfort the tea and the butter and the fine French roll were bought with much sacrifice.

And I him sip the tea, and taste the dainty bread, and praise the flavor of the sweet butter and turn with brightening eyes to the. golden fruit. Ami I heard him ask her, kneeling nt the smoking hearth, to taste them with him. And as fr he set her brok-' en pan on the edge to bake her coarse loaf, I head her say, "By and by, when I am hungry." And "by and by' when the eyes of the sufferer are closed in sleep, I xw her bend over him, with a blessing in her heart. And she laid the remnant of the feut carefully by, and ate her bread unmoistened.

I started from my reverie. The groce-'s hard eye was upon me. You are keeping Letter customers waiting." Oh, how I longed to tell him how poverty and persecution, contempt and scorn, could not dim the heart's fine gold purified by many a trial; and that woman, with her little wants and holy sacrifice, was better in the sight of God than many a Dives, who gave that he might be known to men. Southern, or Texan, Pacific Hail Road. corporation has This chosen a new board of oiiicers.

Col. Scott, the railroad king of Pennsylvania, is at the head of this work, in the carrying out -of which he will have an opportunity of displaying all his rare energies. This road will bo connected by other roads leading to every city in the South, Fast and North, and a Jurge portion of its business will come from the Lake cities over the Southern branch of the Kansas Pacific, joining it at Albuquerque, and connected with the Chicago Gifard Press. Particulars of the Killing of Stevenson, Cline and. Ivetro.

There appears to exist in the western counties of Missouri, a set of men whose brutality and ferocity nothing can long check or even thoroughly tame. It was this disposition which brought out ever and anon, before the, Kansas troubles, in brawls, the lynching of helpless men on the merest suspicion, and in the most remorselessly cruel treatment of their-negroes. During Avar these people seemed lost to every A-estige of civilization, and the Quan-trel massacre was only the crowning wickedness of a long succession of deeds of blood and rapine. A few days since this old h.elish spirit broke out again in Cass coun ty. Missouri, under the following circumstances A few.

weeks ago it was found that a large amount of Cass county railroad bonds had been fraudulently issued by the. county court. The members of the court, particularly J. C. Stevenson, aiid the deputy county attorney, J.

II. Cline, were at once the objects of popular indignation. Cline fled to Kansas, was arrested at Parsons, taken to Fort Scott, and finally returned to Cass county, surrendered himself, Avas examined and admitted to bail, and on the day heAvas killed had gone to Harrisonville to stand a Jehiel C. the jiresident" judge of the court, had resigned his commission, and had demanded trial. One Wednesday, April 24, Jehiel C.

Stevenson, J. E. Cline, and with them Thomas Detro, who had no connection Avith the bond swindle, but who Avas a bondsman of Stevenson's, took the train on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Eailroad to go from Harrisonville to Ilolden, Mo. The remainder of the story Ave give from he Kansas City Bulletin Gdnn City is a small station on the Ilolden branch of the Missouri, Kansas Texas railroad, in Cass county." It has'1 only had existence since the railroad has been in operation, and Avas called into being by the necessities of the country surrounding it. It Avas here that the tragedy Avas enacted.

Within a shor.t distance of the depot stands an old blacksmith shop, and in this the gang engaged in tho deed concealed themselves, having learned that Cline and Stevenson- would be on board the train that passed there about six o'clock, and having determined to kill them. It is not custo mary for this train to stop at Gunn City, merely slacking speed as it passes the depot. On its approach last night the engineer discovered a pile of rails across the track, and a moment after a gang of about fiftr men outpoured from the blacksmith shop, and ranging themselves on either side of the track, yelled to the engineer to stop, at the same time drawing their pistols and preparing to fire in case their demand Avas not complied with. The engineer, supposing they were intent on robbery, declined to obey, and determined to risk the chances of going through the rail pile, when the mob opened fire on him. There was no resisting an argument like this, and the engineer whistled down breaks and stopped the train.

As it came to a stand, the mob surrounded the baggage car in Avhich Cline and Stevenson had taken refuge, and peremptorily or dered them to come out, and' as they did not show themselves, an indiscriminate fire Avas -opened on the yells and hoots that would, have done credit to a Comanche. Alter a number of shots wero fired, an opportunity Avas again gi'-en to Cline and Stevenson to surrender, the croAvtl promising them safety if they would do so. On hearing this and knowing tho utter futility of resistance, Cline came out holding in his hand a small pocket pistol, which ho he gavo up to one of the crowd. They then cowardly leveled their pistols at him and fired. A number of balls riddled him, and Cline tell forward on his face.

As he fell ho 'groaned, "Oh, God!" and tho soul of James Cline avus Avith its Creator. Alter he atus dead, a miscreant from tho gang who had murdered a horrible sight, and one never to be forgotten. StCA enson, in the confusion that had followed the surrender of Cline, secreted himself in a freight car near by, in which he. was locked. The infuriated mob, only rendered more desperate by the blood they had already shed, Averc not long in finding his place of concealment, and immediately fire was opened on the car, which riddled it through and through, Avhile fence rails and whatever the crowd could lay their hands on Avere used as battering rams, and the next thing our informant saw, Stevenson was lying dead beside the other.

-As the train Avas preparing to move on, some of thebloody gang called for the other bodr, and the corpse of Thomas Detro, an innocent citizen, Avas dragged forth from the baggage car in which the firing was first begun, Avhcre he had fallen a victim simply because he Avas Avith the others, and laid beside the tAvo other victims of mob law. The train then moved on, and the murderers Avere left Avith their victims, the mob first threatened to kill 'any one Avho hereafter identified any of them in court or elsewhere. On board the train Avith Ste-en-son, Cline and Detro, Avas General Joe Shelby formerly of the rebel army, and popularly supposed to be' connected Avith the bond SAvindle, or at least a defender of the judges. He escaped The mob felt enough respect for an ex-Con-fed crate general, under Avhom many of them had probably served, to spare him. The Kansas City Times maintains, howeer, that tho mob killed Detro, thinking he Avas Shcl-by.

The Kansas City Times, the day after the murder, dispatched a reporter, Avho thus describes what he saw The morning after the massacre, as the train came to a stop, a crowd of forty or fifty men, some of them farmers and many of them of rather suspicious appearances, came rushing out from Zook's store. Mingling in among the crowd, our reporter endeavored to itemize a little, but under extremely discouraging circumstances. No one knew anything, or if they did they intended to keep all of their knowledge to thenisehes. All Avere aAve-stricken and fearful. What feAV monosyllables were uttered in Avhispers or low growls.

The inquiries of our reporter where brought to sudden stop by a quiet but fierce 'admonition to keep quiet and mind kis own business if he desired to keep his health. The hint was as suggestive as it Avas kind. Our reporter "kept still." Stretched out upon the floor of Zook's store, lay the three murdered, mangled bodies. The sight avus appalling to look upon, as they lay there side by side in the dirt, their pallid and mutilated faces turned up toward an all-powerful and avenging God. James E.

Cline lay upon the left, a young, slightly built man of twenty'-six years. Blood was oozing out from beneath his lips, his brown hair was matted Avith gore, his Avhite shirt bosom and standing collar were spotted Avith his life's blood, his black coat and light pants Avere soiled and torn. Next to him lay Judge Stevenson, a fine, stalwart-looking man of about forty years of age. His features were fearful to look upon, his left cheek and ear Avere shot aAvay, y-large hole, large enough to hold man's fist, had been shot away from the top of his head, aud his body was otherwise fearfully mangled. Thomas Detro had received a bullet from behind, which had entered behind the ear and lodged in his left eye.

He, like the other two', Avas also covered with dirt and spattered Avith bloul. An inquest Avas held, at which nothing was cnciteu. ino tnrce 1 i I rn i corpses Avere put in. Avagons ami taken to Harrisonville. The Times reporter thus describes scene when Cline's body was taken to his family i Tho heavy wugon went jolting over the rough pavement.

Ah it passed along, jeering and coarse remarks Avere bandied from mouth to mouth. "The Avngon, covered Avitlut white sheet furnished, by The Growth of Kansas. There Avere last year constructed in the United States 6,983 miles of railroad, and at the beginning of this year there Avere 60,382 miles in operation in this country. Kansas then had 1,771 miles of railroad. The folloAving named States had less miles of railroad than Kansas: Maine 892, New Hampshire 800, Vermont 699, Massachusetts 1,597, Ehode Island 136, Connecticut 932, Ncav Jcrscv.

1,285, Delaware 224, Maryland 786, Virginia 1,504, North Carolina 1,193, South Carolina 1,219, Florida 458, Alabama 1,602, Mississippi 900, Lousiana 536, Texas 916, Arkansas 293, Tennessee 1,462, Kentucky 1,159" Minnesota 1,523, Nebraska 798, California 1,024, NeA-ada 600, and all of the Territories. Kansas leads twenty-five of her sister States in this the chief means of development andgroAvth. This fact must be borne in mind by all Avho make calculations and predictions in regard to our growth. Our growth Avitl continue to" be greater than that of any other State, because no other other new State ever had such railway facilities, such means of access and communication. Ft.

Scott Monitor. Proposition! to Settlers on Osage Ceded Stands. 1st. A reduction of 20 per cent, from the regular appraisal, Avith usual terms of payment. 2d.

No payment for five years, excepting interest each year in advance; next five years one-fifth payment of principal Avith annual inte-est. 3d. To every purchaser of 160 acres of land who shall plantand systematically and successfully cultivate fiA'e acres of timber Avithin five years shall be given the said land on the final completion of the several payments. 4th. On full payment of purchase money warranty deeds shall be giv-en.

5th. To receive the advantage of the above propositions, each settler shall accept the situation in good faith and contract Avithin sixty (60) days from April 13th, 1871, and shall make affidavit that he is not interfering Avith the rights of any other person, under penalty of forfeiting all money paid, and e-ery other claimed advantage. These arc the propositions that were submitted to the Settlers' Meeting at Oswego, last Saturday, and accepted by a number of them. Prof. Goodnow informs us that he will be in Parsons on Wedneday next, the 24th fully prepared to issue Contract to Settlers in this vicinity.

Parsons Sun. John A. Martin, informs us that the officer of the M. N. W.

It. 11. have laid out a new toAvn on their line, situated on Deer Creek in the northwestern part of this called "New Memphis." The town site aa'us selected on the adjoining farms, owned by Mr. J. A.

Martin, A. V. Hnri-nhl i nd in Iwniiitif'nl rol- ling prairie, and no doubt, will make a nice little station town on the M. N. W.

It. E. at no distant dayVe will inform our readers urther in "regard to this town in the future. Columbus Independent, Apr. 13, 1872.

Atchison, Xonelia Santa Fc It. It. The first passengers train for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Eoad arrived here yesterday. It consisted of a first class locomotive of beautiful finish and great power, a fine baggage, mail and express car, and an elegant new passenger coach. Col.

Peter, General Manager of the road, arrived with the train. eg ula trains on this line avIII. commence running between this city and Grasshopper Falls to day, leaving here 2:50 P. and arriving at 11:00 A. M.

This arrangement alloAvs the people of Grasshopper Falls andotherpointsoutheline of the road to visit the city, spend three hours and a half here, and return home the same day. Tra ck-lay ing bey nd. Gra sshopper Falls is progressing rapidly, and early in May the road will be completed through to Topeka. Mount Vesuvius is again in a state of violent eruption. A column of flame shoots several hundred feet above the crater, and the stones, ashes and cinders iiill hi dense showers around the summit.

Tourists are hastening to Naples to view the spcctacle. Captain Thomas has just recorded-another large mortgage given by the "Chicago Omaha St. Joseph Eailroad Company," to the Farmer's Loan and Trust Company," ol Now York, by Avhieh eight millions of dollars have been secured to construct "a railroad to extend from Clinton, Iowa, by Avay of Tipton, lloAva CitA, Oskaloosa, Knoxville and Indianola, to the western boundary of Iowa, Avith branch line from a point in Marion or Warreir counties, to Des Moines, in Polk County, also a branch from or near Winter-set, in Madison County Creston in Union County," and, on to St. Joseph, Missouri, Ves Jf'Mcs, las I Review 'J i.