Sedan, Kansas

[Marcia Moore]

I don't know the exact date, but the photo at the Elgin museum that sold was a real photo postcard, and since real photo postcards didn't become popular until 1904, I would say it was probably after that date.  If I remember correctly, the woman and her son were cattle thieves.

[W. Gray]

Not to mention that there were not supposed to be any bridges in Howard County until late 1873.

The Longton Weekly Ledger in November 1873 gives Longton the credit for building the first bridge in Howard County in November 1873. That would make it the first in Elk County.

The bridge was a span across Hitchen Creek and three years later a huge flood took it.

[Marcia Moore]

The bridge just south of Elgin that I was referring to was in Oklahoma, not Kansas.  The Oklahoma line runs along the south edge of Elgin.

[twirldoggy]

I am from Sedan.  Iwas a 1963 graduate of Sedan High School.  I have been to the historical society library many times .  It is a great little library with lots of resource material.  There is a lot of information on historical web sites as well.

[W. Gray]

Marcia,

If Howard County did not have any bridges in 1873, I doubt if Indian Territory did either. So that picture probably came later.

There is a book author who wrote of one or two sentences about a triple lynching of three black brothers in Elgin in 1873.

They were hanged for stealing some prize horses in Jefferson City. The owner chased them all the way to Elgin, where he enlisted help.

After the brothers were hanged they went looking for the mother and hanged her.

The person writing the book said that in 1979 he was shown a picture in the Elgin cafe that showed three black brothers hanging together and was told by the folks in the cafe their mother was hanged also.

He pointed to an 1873 edition of the Junction City Union for additional reference but that article says only two were hanged and the other got away but probably died from wounds.

He also said the newspaper article is the only known written source on the subject.

When I write on that subject I have been careful to source him directly.

He further said he took a film crew to Elgin in 1993 in relation to the Lonesome Dove TV series and said the picture was still there and was told the same story. He said the feature aired but does not give any other information.

[Marcia Moore]

Waldo, on Genforum.com, under Chautauqua Co, KS, the following query is there from Betty Scarborough, dated Jan. 14, 2004:
"I would like to find out if there is any information available on a hanging that took place on or about March 15, 1873.
From Pension papers I have just gotten John A. Stroup was supposedly "unlawfuly hung and killed by a mob near Elgin in Howard County now called Chautauqua ..the news became notorious and caused much excitement at the time "
It was certified by several members of the locality that he was innocent.
It was also stated a "Dr. Donaldson has the skeleton."  I would appreciate any leads - or where to look."
So, according to Betty Scarborough, only one person was hung.  Wonder if, through the years, the stories on the two hangings got entertwined?

[W. Gray]

I think there were other hangings and this Stroup might be separate. It seems I have come across the Stroup name before but cannot recall where.

There was notorious horse rustling going on in southern Kansas from the Missouri border west through Sumner County.

There was another southern Howard County hanging that involved a fifteen year old who screamed his innocence as he was jerked from his horse. But I dont know the kids name or the date. A Judge Dyer wrote about that one.

I think the two black brothers hanged in Elgin in August 1873 and then the black man and his mom hanging from the bridge might have gotten intertwined to be three black brothers and their Mom. I doubt if the folks in the cafe had any real knowledge of what happened. But who knows, the man and his mother in the photo might have been hanged at a much later date and were related to to the two brothers.

Before reading about this mother being hanged, I had never before came across a woman being lynched.

[W. Gray]

I knew I was aware of a Stroup. Does not sound like he is that innocent.

Just as a note, the Elk Falls Examiner moved west in January 1873 becoming the Winfield Courier.


Winfield Courier, MARCH 27, 1873.
A TERRIBLE AFFRAY.
One Man Killed and Another Wounded.
From Mr. Gilstrap of Silverdale we learn the following.
On Saturday morning last four men traveling horseback were in camp at Hilton's crossing of Grouse creek below Silverdale in this county, and about daylight four men in a spring wagon rode up to the horseback party, and enquired for stolen horses, whereupon one of the horseback party drew a revolver and discharged two shots at Van Orm, a deputy U. S. Marshal, one of the party in search of horses, and at the third shot killed Parker, another of Van Orm's party, the ball passing clear through his body. At the time Parker was shot he was scuffling with one John Stroup for the possession of a shot gun, and which Stroup obtained when Parker fell, and turning it upon Van Orm, fired without effect; whereupon Van Orm shot Stroup in the shoulder. He now lies at the house of Mr. Gilstrap in a critical condition under arrest. Parker's body was taken back to Elgin, in Howard county, by his friends.
It appears that the horse thieves passed through Elgin Thursday or Friday last, coming west, and that the evening mail brought a poster that advertised some stolen horses and thieves that answered the description of the party, whereupon Van Orm, Parker, and two other men, citizens of Elgin, started in pursuit of the thieves with the result as above related.

April 10, 1873,
John Stroup, the horse thief who was shot in the shoulder in the affray on Grouse Creek some weeks since, was taken possession of by a party from Howard county, who said they were going to take him back for trial. It is supposed that he never got to Howard.

June 12, 1873,
John Stroup, the horse thief that was wounded at the same time Parker was killed, was taken from the officers by a posse of armed men and hung in Howard County, a few days after the fight occurred.

[Teresa]

This is all very interesting..
Waldo.. haven't you ever heard of the best way to see anything is to "Travel Gravel?" 

[W. Gray]

My old van racked up many miles in rural Elk County.

Sometimes I had an inch of fine dusty dirt standing on my front and rear bumpers.

However, I was prevented from going to Elgin on that gravel road out of Chautauqua by my other half because we had a new vehicle. I agreed with her. But, it will be getting old.