The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

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down at WaKeeney for his money and left him for dead but the man recovered. Thomas was never seen in this country since. Posson says he was killed by the cowboy's friends who had been assaulted by him at WaKeeney, but the writer has heard that he was on the Pacific coast.

During Posson's term of office he also arrested Jim Dunbar charged with murder at Meridian, Nebraska, and turned him over to the Nebraska officials at Kearney. Posson was nominated again by the Norton people for sheriff in 1877, but was defeated by Jack Conarty by one vote at the general election

David Posson, Charlie's father, came here with his family in 1878. He was born in Schoharie county, New York, March 24, 1819; he was married May 25, 1839 to Catharine Hartrick. She was born in the same county in New Yolk, Sept. 10,1815; they settled on a-farm six miles north of Norton but his health soon failed, so Charley brought them to his house and took care of them as long as they lived.

David Posson died from the effects of a cancer in the arm February 13, 1883 and was buried in the Norton cemetery; his wife died from the effects of lagrippe January 29, 1890, and is buried by the side of her husband. Their youngest son, Chester, came here in 1878, he was born March 21, 1858; he was married to Mary Brown Sept. 20, 1882; they left here in March 1885 and now reside at Stafford, Holt county, Nebraska.

George Kingsbury tells the following story on C. W. Posson, which occurred in December 1873, at the time he arrived in the county. Posson admits that there is some truth in the story. At the time Posson drove down on the Prairie Dog from the head of Deer Creek at the Dudley Morrison farm, Mrs. Posson saw a buffalo standing on the point about one mile south of them. Charley unharnessed his gray race mare that was hitched to the wagon at the time, and got ready to start for the buffalo. This was Charley's mare Topsy that will be remembered by all old settlers. Just as he mounted to start with his squirrel rifle in his hand he heard some one calling; he looked around and saw a man coming on a pony with a needle gun in his hand. Charley waited until he came up; on asking his name he said, ' I am Posy Morris." So they started after the buffalo. They rode up the draw until opposite their game; they got off and hitched their horses to a cottonwood bush and prepared to meet their game. On looking over the brink of the draw they saw the buffalo coming down toward where they were standing. They secreted themselves in the tall grass. Mr. buffalo came down and passed within a few feet of them, but they did not shoot until he passed. After they discovered the buffalo did not see them, they both fired; Posson broke one of its legs and Morris another. Of course the buffalo could not run with two legs broken but was able to flounder around; this so scared them that they ran a short distance to a small buffalo wallow; Posson being the worst scared, got there first, and jumped in. Posy followed and laid down on top of him. Posson insisted that Posy should get out and fight for their lives as he had the needle gun, but Posy said, '.It's no use, we will have to die together." So they laid there for an hour until George Kingsbury came and killed the buffalo, which in the meantime had not moved a foot from where he first fell. Grandma Bieber had seen them shooting, a distance of one mile away. She went one half mile farther after Kingsbury on foot; meantime Posson and Posy had lain in the buffalo wallow expecting death every minute.

When the legislature met in January 1873 Col. N. H. Billings of Norton county was on hand and sworn in with the balance of the members. He at once became

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