1871-07: This episode details the violent events in Newton, Kansas during August 1871, highlighting the town’s lawlessness and the lack of established government. Several sources describe the initial killing of Bill Bailey by William McCluskie, who had both been appointed as special policemen to oversee the election over a railroad extension to Wichita. Bailey & McCluskie were both drinking at the saloon, when Bailey became abusive, leading to a feud between Texans and railroad men. This culminated in a mass shooting at a dance house where McCluskie and multiple others were killed and wounded, an event referred to as the “Newton Massacre” or “Newton Tragedy.” The articles also discuss the urgent need for law and order in the town, which lacked basic institutions like a police force or a Church, leading to citizen meetings and steps towards establishing a municipal government to curb the violence.
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