Chapter 55

Kansas City, Missouri June 22, 1885

Eli arrived in Kansas City late on the second day out of Washington, D.C., after leaving the Langham Hotel and boarding his train late on the twentieth. He slept well through the first night, as the train rocked and ambled across the hundreds of miles west toward Kansas City.

He was a day early, but he felt better about this special marshal commendation now, than he had when he and Jon David first started talking about it last year.

He’d had a good meeting with the Attorney General, after some apprehension at the beginning. The man never brought up his bad history with the cavalry. He did say he wanted to come out and hunt prairie chickens in the fall, after Eli told him about the country being overrun with them.

Eli left the U.S. Attorney General’s office with a new respect for the man’s position. The Attorney General was indeed a friend now and had even explained a few things in detail about his upcoming visit with the marshal’s office in Kansas City. He had even gone so far as to ask Eli to humor the desk marshal in charge there.

Eli knew it was only a short trip to Boones Crossing from Kansas City, but decided to wait until he was through with his business here before catching a train over there. He’d have more time to spend with his friends, and with Mary’s parents.

Thinking of the Connors made him think of his son, Eli. He made up his mind right then to let Little Eli come back to see his grandparents again before it was too late. Eli was old enough to travel alone and though he was just shy of ten years old, he was very tall for his age and he’d shown many times he was man enough to handle anything that may come up.

When he first arrived in Kansas City, Eli purchased a ticket to Boones Crossing while at the train station. He asked if he needed to get a return ticket, and the ticket master told him that he could now leave Boones Crossing and go south to Parsons, Kansas, then on down to Vinita in Indian Territory.

Wyandotte Hotel Kansas City, Missouri June 22, 1885

“Marshal Crow, it sure is good to see you again.” As Eli walked into the Wyandotte Hotel, he was greeted by the same manager who had been at the desk on his previous stays.

“Thank you, Sir. I never thought you would remember me.”

“Marshal, we’ll never forget you and your big family. Where is the family? Are they not traveling with you this trip?”

“No Sir, I’m here on business this time, but I hope to bring them back again soon.”

“Please do. How are all those children of yours? They sure impressed our staff here at the Wyandotte with their politeness, behavior, and manners. Yes, they are very exceptional young children. You must be extremely proud of them; rightly so too, with the respect they show others.”

“Thank you. That was special coming from you. We do take pride in all the Crow kids. They are ten and eleven now. My boys have become young men and my daughters have become young ladies. I take pride in them and let them know I do.”

“How long will you be with us, Marshal? Will you be attending any ballgames or concerts during your stay?”

“No, I’m here strictly for business and will only be here a couple of days. Can you direct me to the U.S. Marshals office here in Kansas City? I’ll need to be there at 8:00 the next two mornings for some meetings.”

“I’ll arrange for your transportation to leave here at 7:30. I’m sure you will be in our dining hall for breakfast early tomorrow?”

“Yes Sir. You always seem to be one step ahead of your guests. That’s what makes me want to stay here each time I come this way.”

“Thank you, Marshal. I’ll have the bellboy see you to your room. If you need anything at all during your stay, just let me or someone on my staff know.”

“I sure will and thank you again.”

Eli was impressed by the attention he was shown by the manager and staff the three times he’d stayed here. This was the way he wanted his companies to operate. He wanted his customers to always come back, no matter what business he was in.

The following morning, Eli rode the taxi buggy across town in the early hours. He noticed a one horse wagon stopped by the sidewalk ahead of them and when his taxi came even with it, he saw what was painted on the side of the low canvas cover.

‘ICE, Delivered daily to your door’

Eli smiled as they rode on past the ice deliveryman. A few blocks later, he noticed another wagon. This one wasn’t as nicely kept and had two mules hitched to it. When they pulled abreast of the wagon Eli was even more impressed by the things he could learn in big cities, just by keeping his eyes open.

This wagon had short sideboards on it and was loaded with coal. He was delivering coal to the homes and businesses along the way. The weather wasn’t even cold, yet here he was, delivering coal. They must cook with it or their heat water with it.

Eli was standing in the lobby of the building where the U.S. Marshal’s office was located. The door opened behind him as he stood looking up at a mural painted above the opening to a long hallway.

He turned to see an older man and a younger man enter, each of them wearing a dark suit and white shirt underneath. He saw the flash of a silver star on the younger man’s belt as he unbuttoned and pulled his coat back in front.

“Excuse me, Gentlemen. I’m here to see U.S. Marshal Ungerlin, can you tell me where I can find his office?”

“I’m Marshal Ralph Ungerlin, what can I do for you?

“WAIT...

“I know who you are now! You’re Marshal Eli Crow, from down in Indian Territory, aren’t you?” The older man spoke and stepped forward with his hand out.

“Yes Sir. Good to meet you. I’m not sure why they wanted me to spend two days here, but I’m sure you can tell me,” Eli said, remembering the request that he humor this man.

“Marshal Crow, this is my assistant, Deputy Marshal Mason Grant. Come with us and we’ll explain why I asked that you be sent here for two days after receiving your commendation. By the way, congratulations on that commendation. They don’t come easy and you must have some mighty big pull behind you to get one. You’ll be the first Marshal serving in this district to ever have one”

“Deputy Grant, good to meet you,” Eli said and shook hands with the deputy when Marshal Ungerlin had finally stopped talking.

“Well Sir, I can say with honesty that I have a really good man at my back who’s also been a friend of mine for over ten years. I’m sure you’ve heard of Judge Isaac Parker, out of Fort Smith, Arkansas?”

“Marshal Crow, there’s not a man, woman, nor child in this whole country who doesn’t know who Judge Parker, ‘The Hanging Judge’ is. I knew you worked under him over in Indian Territory, but I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting the man. Been there eleven years, have you?”

“Yes Sir, I was there as a deputy marshal before Judge Parker came to Fort Smith and made me a full U.S. Marshal. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long really. We’ve come a long way in bringing the lawless to stand before The Judge, and we still have a ways to go yet.”

“Have a seat over there, Marshal Crow. Can we get you some coffee?” Deputy Grant said as they entered an office with walls of fine wood and an oak desk half as long as one wall.

“I’ve had enough coffee for the day, but thank you anyway.”

“Marshal Crow, I requested that you be sent to Kansas City so we could meet and get to know one another. I want you to know up front, I’m not your superior. We are both on the same level of authority in the service. I just thought it proper that we meet, since I’m the one who runs the marshal’s service here in Kansas City. We will both be serving in the Western District of the U.S. Marshal Service from here on out until we retire, from what I understand.”

“You mean I’ll not be answering to Judge Parker?” This came as a surprise to Eli. No one had mentioned this to him.

“No, you’re now assigned to this district, though you’ll still be based in Indian Territory. The way I understand it, there will be lots of changes happening to your part of the country in the coming years. I’m sure you are aware of what all is proposed for Indian Territory?”

“If you’re talking about the government doing away with Indian Territory to make it a U.S. Territory, yes I’m aware. I also know that not too long after that happens; we will be accepted into the Union as a state. Oklahoma, to be exact.”

“You know even more than I do about the situation then. Where do you get your information on all of this?”

“My adopted son, Jon David is personal friends of Judge Parker, just as I am and he keeps abreast of all that.”

“Is your son, Jon David Crow?” Marshal Ungerlin asked, looking somewhat surprised.

“Yes, do you know of him?”

“I’ve heard the name. Back a few years ago, agents from my office were sent to Fort Supply and Fort Reno to investigate some accusations the army had sent to the main office in D.C.

“Seems that Attorney Jon David Crow was named by Judge Parker as your representative, if there were ever any questions we needed answered.” The man said as he looked Eli’s face over for any reaction.

“I’m sure you know which incidents I’m talking about. They were filed against you personally, as a Marshal.” The man looked at Eli, again without a smile.

“I may have recollection of an incident, maybe two, where the cavalry overstepped their authority and took the occasion to call me and my fellow officers a few names that I didn’t personally care to be called.

“If you requested that I come here to Kansas City to poke around into my past, you can just send the main man back in Washington a message that he can wipe his ass on this paper he gave me and I’ll head on home. What’s done is done. I have been exonerated from all those false charges, as have my daughter and son-in-law!” Eli said as he stood looking down on the marshal and his deputy.

“Marshal Crow, I was previously informed by a friend in the Marshal’s Service that you may have a hot temper. You need to get over the fact that you’re part Indian. That doesn’t make you one damn bit special in my eyes. I was just testing that temper of yours!

“Like I said, I have no authority over you, nor do you have authority over me, we just serve the same district on an equal basis now. Please sit down and let’s be friends.” Marshal Ungerlin stated in a flat, even voice, with no emotion.

“Marshal Ungerlin, I don’t think I want to spend any more time here with you. I got better things to do with my life and with my time as a United States Marshal than sit here and listen to you play Mister Big Man with a badge.

“If you don’t like the fact that I have Indian blood in me, or you don’t like who I am as a marshal, just stand up like a man right now and state your case in plain words.

“Just be fairly warned, Marshal Ungerlin. This Colt is loaded to the last hole!”

Eli was mad, madder than he’d been in a long time.

Seemed that everywhere he turned in this new position, there was someone who wanted to question him about his past. To prod him and see if his temper would flare so he could be tested.

“Marshal Crow, this outburst of temper will be noted in your file here in Kansas City. I have the authority to evaluate any and all members of the Western District of the Marshals Service, including you and even myself. You may want to try harder to keep that temper under control, since you’ll be in much more serious situations than you’ve been down there in that lawless land full of drunken Indians. No one wants to even call that God forsaken place a part of the United States of America anyway!” Marshal Ungerlin spoke in a level, flat tone of voice once more, still seated at his desk with both hands above the desktop.

Eli knew the man was prodding him, wanting him to make a mistake and do something in anger that would get his commendation revoked or worse yet, his badge.