The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-10-21
exTERMInATep.
Eight idaho RustIers Surprised by Re
IeBtiess Pcsse.

lGutifes 1-Csse.
BOISE CRY. Ida. Oct 1T.-Wilson
Marvin arrived here Sunday from Deer
Flat, in the northern part Of Idaho. and
brought details of battle that resulted
in the complete obIitsration of a gang
Of horse-thieves, who had stolen several
hundred head of horses. which they
had driven into British Columbia, and
thence into the eastern provinces of
Canada or into the Atlantic states
Early in August a large posse went
ont in search of the thieves, who had
returned TO SaInas, Prairie county. and
were operating with the utmost bold
ness The posse was absent about
fortnight Before the man-hunters re-
turned there were rumors of a sangui-,
nary battle between the thieves and
their pnrsners. and several country
newspapers, which had reliable infor-
nation, said that decisive engagement
had been fought and that the rustlers
had been defeated with considerable
loss The posse reached home, bearing
the marks Of hard campaign.
Some of the men bore wounds of
peculiar character, but they did not
have much to say concerning their trip.
and no one questioned them. How
ever, they seemed perfectly satisfied
with the result of the expedition. Mar
win, who is n substantial citizen and
trustworthy man. says that he witnessed
a battle near Deer Flat between rustlers
and the posse on the afternoon of Au-
gust II. The thieves had unsaddled
their horses at a spring at the
head of shallow basin about quar-
ter of a mile in diameter. They num-
bered eight, were well mounted and
heavily armed, and had with them
about dozen fine horses, which they
had stolen from various farmers The
rnstlers were cooking their dinners
when posse came up and surprised
them Finding themselves surrounded,
the thieves shot five or six of the stolen
horses and intrenched between the
breastworks of quivering flesh they
made 4 stubborn resistance. The bullets
of the posse soon ended the existence of
the saddle animals of the rustlers and
wounded some of the thieves, but the
fact that they had been deprived of all
hope Of escape only made them fight
more desperately.
The shooting was all at long range,
and after an hours battle no fatalities,
save to the horses, had resulted. The
posse then drew of and held consulta-
ton. after which majority of the pur-
suers ranged themselves in long line
about half mile to the lecward of the
thieves. Then the few men left on the
windward side set the prairie grass
afre The hunted men started for
a distant gulch in an attempt to
escape the double danger that threat
cned them Three of their num-
ber were wounded. and those of the
other rustlers were heartlessly left to
nliserably perish One OF the disabl
men tried to crawl to place of safety,
but the flames overlook him and he died
in great agony, with screams and curses
issuing from his lips The uninjured
rustlers who had dropped everything
except their rifles ran toward ra-
vine, firing as they went but they
were shot down before they had
gone a thousand yards The prairie
fire did not destroy the wounded rust
lers at the spring. though it singed of
their hair, boards and eyebrows and
burned their faces and hands very bad
" They begged piteously to be al
lowed to die in peace, but they, together
with the bodies of their six dead COM
panions, were strung to the limbs of
big tree and allowed to remain there tc
become the prey of buzzards.