Notorious Newton: Newton's General  Massacre,

August 20 marks the date of the most violent days in the history of Newton, Kansas. "Newton's General Massacre" captured the attention of the nation and gave the new town the reputation as "Bloody Newton." The events of the early Sunday morning hours of Aug 20, 1871 at this site are still the subject of questions, books, and even, a screen play.

In the 1870s there was a saying . . .

“There is no Sunday west of Newton . . . and no god west of Pueblo.”

In Hide Park, the largest and best known saloons were owned by Perry Tuttle and Ed Krum.

Law enforcement in Newton was uncertain. The new town had to rely on township authorities from Sedgwick or special policemen hired by the saloon owners.

The Topeka Commonwealth observed one "of the constables and the deputy sheriff have been appointed policemen. They receive their pay from a fund raised by the gamblers." Fights were not uncommon.

Into this environment of lawlessness comes the Texas cowboys, many of whom sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War, and northern veteran businessmen looking for a new start. The two groups mixed together on the streets and in the saloons with sometimes tragic results.

Early August 1871, Mike McCluskie, an Irishman from Ohio, also known as Arthur Delaney or Art Donovan, was in town. He had a rough reputation and was described as “among the hardest individuals to ever walk Newton.” Previously he had worked for the Santa Fe Railroad as a night policeman. In August 1871, he was hired by the Newton authorities as a Special Policeman to help keep order during the railroad bond election on August 11.

Also hired as a Special Policeman for the elections was “Billy” Bailey, a Texan, described as a "thoroughly offensive and officious” gambler. It was rumored that he killed at least two other men in gun fights. The two men, McCluskie and Bailey, had a long standing feud, possibly over a woman, which came to a tragic conclusion August 11, 1871.

August 11, Friday – Election Day

During the day, McCluskie and a drunk Bailey argued. Later, at the Red Front Saloon, the argument escalated into a fistfight. Bailey left the saloon with McCluskie following, guns drawn. Two shots were fired at Bailey, who died the next day. McCluskie, realizing he is in danger from Bailey’s Texas friends, left for Florence by a train.

August 19, Saturday

A week later, feeling the danger had passed, McCluskie returned to Newton and went to Perry Tuttle’s Hide Park Dance Hall to gamble.

August 20, Sunday Morning

1:00 a.m. Apparently, sensing trouble, Perry Tuttle attempted to close the dance hall. Customers refused to leave, even after the band left.

2:00 a.m. McCluskie remained at the faro table. Three Texans, Billy Garrett, Henry Kearnes, and Jim Wilkerson, entered the dance hall, one joined McCluskie at the faro table. A short time later a Texas cowboy, Hugh Anderson entered, gun in hand.

Anderson was the son of a wealthy Texas cattleman, and was in Kansas working as a cowboy in August 1871. He had recently ridden with John Wesley Hardin and had been part of a brutal killing of a Mexican cowboy earlier in the summer. Now his mind was on revenge for the death of his friend Bailey. McCluskie’s return to Newton on Saturday was Anderson’s opportunity.

The Emporia News described the next few minutes inside Tuttle’s Dance Hall.

Anderson walked directly to McCluskie, “with murder in his eye, and foul mouth filled with oaths and epithets, he steps up to McCluskie and shot him,” striking him in the neck. Mortally wounded, McCluskie fell to the floor while attempting to fire his own pistol, which misfired. This account goes on to note that “shooting then became general” ending with five men killed and three wounded. (Emporia News, 25 August 1871)

Several newspaper correspondents were in Newton covering the cattle drives that summer. Murder and revenge filled the headlines in the days following the “General Massacre” adding to Newton’s image of lawlessness. The Topeka Daily Commonwealth reported on the violence on 22 August 1871.

"We received . . . the following full and graphic account of the Newton tragedy, from a correspondent of the N.Y. World. We publish it to the exclusion of our usual variety of local matter, knowing that it will be read with interest by our readers.

On Sunday last . . . Blood and murder was rampart to an unusual degree. . . .Ever since the shooting affair between McCluskie and the Texas man, Bailey, which resulted in the death of the latter . . . “war” was declared to the bitter end against McCluskie . . ."

Accounts of the shoot out varied. All agree that Anderson shot McCluskie, and that McCluskie attempted to return fire, but his gun misfired. What happened next, took the fight beyond the two men. After Anderson shot McCluskie, another unknown person began firing.

Most accounts agree that Jim Martin, the first person shot by the second gunman, ran out of the door, bleeding from the neck, and fell dead in front of Krum's saloon, the Alamo. Martin was a well liked and most agreed that he was an innocent bystander who tried to calm the situation down. Instead, he was fatally shot. After Martin, six more men were shot. The original shooter, Hugh Anderson, was severely wounded. Patrick Lee, a brakeman for the railroad, and Texans, Billy Garrett and Kearnes were fatally shot, each dying after several days. Two other men, James Wilkerson and a man known as Hickey, were wounded and later recovered.

Anderson's father arrived to insure the care of his son and a plan was devised to sneak him out of town.

Once Dr. Boyd determined that Anderson could be moved, a group of men including A. Baker, George Yocum, Judge Muse and Dr. Boyd began their work. A litter was constructed, and at 2:00 a.m. Anderson was removed from the back door of Hoff’s store where he had been recuperating.

"To avoid detection, we carried him north, past the residence of Dr. Lewis, and there striking the cattle trail, followed it down to the car. The night was dark and rainy; the grass rank, high and wet, and the ground muddy, and our task a hard one, as we dare not use a light."

Anderson was placed in a rail car with a closet that was then locked. All of this had been arranged with the conductor. He was to remain in the rail car until he reached Kansas City.

The Emporia News reporter concluded that “this was the bloodiest affrays that ever occurred in our State.”

History is full of unanswered questions, strange events and mysteries. One in Harvey County is the identity of the second shooter on August 20, 1871.

Judge Muse described the mystery shooter;

“a friend of McCloskey, a boy named Riley, some 18 years of age, quiet and inoffensive in deportment, and evidently dying from consumption . . .”

According to Muse, the young man was known around Newton as “McCluskie’s Shadow.” He was a “thin, tubercular man who followed the railroad gunman around like a little dog that barked and snapped from behind his master.”

Muse theorizes that after witnessing his friend’s death, Riley "coolly locked the door, thus preventing egress, and drawing his revolver, discharged every chamber." He shot a total of seven men, then, his gun empty, he walked out of the dance hall and was never heard from again.

The facts of the shooting. Five men died and three were wounded in Perry Tuttle's Saloon in the early morning hours of 20 August 1871. McCluskie was shot dead by Hugh Anderson and the seven others by a shooter known as Riley, five of which died. Following the shoot out, Anderson is transported to Kansas City to recover from his wounds and the second shooter, Riley, disappears.

by Kristine Schmucker, Curator, Harvey County Historical Museum & Archives, published 08/14/2014, 08/22/2014, 08/29/2014, Voices of Harvey County.