a speech,
demanding that Hugoton march on Woodsdale and kill Wood and Ed Short.

"By this time, of course, all Woodsdale was also under arms. My friends
gathered from all over the countryside, a large body of them, heavily
armed. Mr. Cann, the constable, had tried to take me to Liberal, but I
could not stand the ride. I was then taken to the house of a doctor in
the settlement at LaFayette. On the second night after the massacre I
was taken to Woodsdale by about twenty of the Woodsdale boys, who came
after me. We arrived at Woodsdale about daybreak next morning. In our
night trip we could see the skyrocket signals used by the Robinson-Cook
gang.

"After my arrival at Woodsdale, it might have been supposed that all the
country was in a state of war, instead of living in a time of modern
civilization. Entrenchments were thrown up, rifle pits were dug, and
stands established for sharp-shooters. Guards were thrown out all around
the town, and mounted scouts continued to scour the country. Hugoton,
expecting that Woodsdale would make an organized attack in retaliation,
was quite as fully fortified in every way. Had there been a determined
leader, the bloodshed would have been much greater. Of course, the
result of this state of hostilities was that the governor sent out the
militia, and there were investigations, and, later on, arrests and
trials. The two towns literally fought each other to the death.

"The murder of Sheriff Cross occurred in 1888. The militia were
withdrawn within about thirty days thereafter. Both towns continued to
break the law--in short, agreed jointly to break the law. They drew up
a stipulation, it is said, under which Colonel Wood was to have all the
charges against the Hugoton men dismissed. In return, Wood was to have
all the charges against him in Hugoton dismissed, and was to have safe
conduct when he came up to court. Not even this compounding of felony
was kept as a pact between these treacherous communities.

"The trial lagged. Wood was once more under bond to appear at Hugoton,
before the court of his enemy, Judge Botkin, and among many other of his
Hugoton enemies. On the day that Colonel Wood was to go for his trial,
June 23, 1891, he drove up in a buggy. In the vehicle with him were his
wife and a Mrs. Perry Carpenter. Court was held in the Methodist church.
At the time of Wood's arrival, the docket had been called and a number
of cases set for trial, including one against Wood for ars