Dynamite And The Torch The Pond Creek War Getting More Serious A Reign of Lawlessness Prevails A Secret Organization Carries on the Warfare Against the Rock Island and Threatens Destruction to Private Property as Well as Life —Bridges Burned and Railroad Tracks Destroyed Submitted by: Mollie Stehno

--Guthrie, Ok., July 19—The war between the people of Enid and Round Pong and the Rock Island railway grows worse hourly. At an early hour yesterday morning another bridge was blown up putting a stop to all travel on the road. Later a long section of track was torn up south of Round Pond and at noon a bridge was fired, but was partly saved by the soldiers and guards. All section men living in that vicinity have been warned to stop helping the railway under penalty of death to themselves and the destruction of their homes by fire. Several of the Rock Islands guards were assault by the mob and badly injured. At Round Pond, County Attorney Asher was driven out of town by an armed mob and the intervention of a few conservative citizens along save his life.

The work of destruction is being carried on by a secret organization composed of men who will stop at nothing and it is stated upon good authority hat they have been paid $6,000 to carry on the guerrilla warfare and if necessary burn every bridge in the Cherokee Strip, tear up the tracks and wreck trains until the railway company recognizes the two towns. A veritable reign of terror exists in the two counties and no man knows what will happen next. The troops and deputies are wholly unable to cope with the mob, which cares nothing for them. One man yesterday openly threw a dynamite bomb under a train carrying soldiers. The railway company and the better citizens are telegraphing for more troops, but is seems to be impossible to make the authorities at Washington understand the gravity of the situation.

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