Three Killings in Two Minutes

[W. Gray]

The attached photo is of two stone slabs under a sycamore tree in a field southwest of the Union Center schoolhouse.

The slabs are over the graves of two claim jumpers killed near Elk Falls in 1868.

The claim jumping story is is a generally well-known episode originally put in print by Elk Falls lawyer R.N. Nichols in 1886. Rose Nix Leo also wrote about the story and there have been several newspaper articles on the subject.

The photo appears in the July 1981 True West magazine under the title "Three Killings in Two Minutes!" a two-page story written by L. David Harris. I am not familiar with the Harris name and do not believe I have run across it in my research.

The graves are supposed to be that of Joe Anders and his brother Alex Anders. The author says (twenty-five years ago) that the names were almost obliterated from the stone.

J.D. Fletcher staked a claim, built a cabin on prime choice land near the Elk River, and then left the county to get married. By virtue of him staking the claim, he was the rightful "owner." However, in his absence, Joe Anders jumped the claim and moved his wife into the cabin.

Someone notified J.D. Fletcher about the claim jumper. Returning to Elk County, he picked up G.D. Hall, a nineteen-year-old friend, and they went to the cabin.

A gun and knife battle ensued and the nineteen year old was the only person to come out alive.

Joe Anders wife, who was apparently a witness to the crime, charged the nineteen year old with double murder. However, a hearing was held by Greenwood County. Howard County, being unorganized, was attached to Greenwood County for legal purposes. The hearing absolved him of any wrongdoing.

Both Ander's wife and Fletcher's wife fought each other over the claim. Someone came forward and bought the claim giving each an equal interest. One might note that he paid them only for the claim rights and not the property as there was no survey and no legal owner. When the survey came about, he had to pay the full government price of $1.25 per acre.