According to the May 3, 1872, Wichita City Eagle, two men “were on a spree” in one of Wellington’s saloons. The paper reported that their names were Lynch and Hopkins. The inevitable argument ensued. Pistols were fired and an innocent bystander by the name of Mayfield was “dead before he struck the floor”.

Hopkins evidently fled for the open prairie, but vigilantes caught Lynch and “lynched” him.

I began an investigation to see if I could find more. As it turns out the newspaper only got part of the story right, and as stories often go, the rest of the story proved to be very interesting.

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