Identifier: sdbutcherspionee00butc (find matches)
Title: S.D. Butcher's pioneer history of Custer County : and short sketches of early days in Nebraska
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Butcher, Solomon D. (Solomon Devore), 1856-1927
Subjects: Frontier and pioneer life
Publisher: Broken Bow, Neb. : (Merchants Pub. Co.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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und Beatons neck in two, drawing blood, and another shaved off one side of the rim of his hat close tothe head. Another went through Armstrongs foot. Mclndeffer, who after-wards described the encounter, declared that Ketehum came as near beingthe devil as any man he ever saw, and that he believed he would have killedevery one of them, even with one broken arm, if they had not gotten out ofthe way. As soon as the cowboys got out of reach of the flying bullets, Olivewas laid on the ground and a consultation held. The wounded man was thentaken to the dugout of one Harrington, who lived about a quarter of a mOefurther down the creek, where Olive made his will and sent for his wife. Hedied in three days afterwards. As soon as the cowboys disappeared from sight Mitchell and Ketehumpacked up their few movable belongings and started for their former homein Merrick county. As soon as the news of the shooting spread over thecountrv there was great excitement among the cattlemen and cowboys, and
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AND SHORT SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS IN NEBRASKA. 47 the same night a large force returned to the Mitchell house, undoubtedly towreak vengeance on the two men, but finding them gone they set fire to thehouse and burned up the roof, that being the only part of it that was combus-tible. When they arrived in Merrick county Mitchell and Ketchum went to thehouse of George Gagle, and a Dr. Barnes was sent for to attend to Ketchumsbroken arm. The next morning, acting upon the advice of friends, and hav-ing found a place of safety for Mitchells family, the two men started backto Custer county to give themselves up to the authorities for the killing ofStevens. On their w^ay they passed through Loup City and consulted withAttorney Aaron Wall, who advised them to proceed no farther, as the cow-boys would certainly lynch them. They remained several days in Loup Cityand then went to the house of J. R. Baker, on Oak creek, in Howard county,where they were arrested by William Letcher, sheriff of Merrick

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