Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-04-11
ROIL1CkING BANDITS THESE.
The U%ndisniied Way in Which They h's"e
Peasant Wrongs in Scrvia.

InC UnuISuIIE" ""y
Peasant Wrongs in Scrvia.
Some twenty extraordinary bandits
have been te%rrorizing the peasants IN
the vicinity of the small village of Bela
Erkwa, West Servia, for the last two
wears. Nine days o:t OF every ten they
pass in a decent an orderly fashion III
their mountain home. On the tenth
day they descend in a body on some
little village, plumber the well-to.do
citizens with moderation, and right the
wrongs of the community according to
their own unique ideas of justice. The
Belgrade newspapers recently gave the
particulars OF the last raid OF these
Continental White Gaps. The town
clock was just striking midnight IN bela
Erkwa when the leader of the gang
entered the door of the village tavern.
He found the parson and the Town
Council and other big bugs in a very
mellow condition. The sight ~dlsgusted
the bandit very much. He had the
landladv lock ali the doors and give
him the KEY. Then he scolded the
twenty men present severely for their
intemperance and boxed the ears OF the
parson and the Mayor. At 1890
o'clock he called in fifteen followers to
consult with them as to the best way OF
Furnishing the drunken dignitaries. The
parson was voted to be the worst OF
fender and the land ady next to the
worst. The parson wa laid across q
table face downward and the landlady
was compelled to spank him hard fifty
times with a piece of two-inch plank.
| Salt and red pepper were rubbed on the
parsons skin where the landladI's stout
arm and The plank had torn it, and he
was asked how much money he had.
| About So. The bandit chief took $3.50.
The landlady was fined $500 by the
White Cap court for getting the parson
and Town Council full. She protested
she hadn't q cent in the world. She
was placed under the same treatment
from the parson and the plank that she
and the plank had given to the parson.
This brought $25 from her cash drawer.
A peasant, whose sister had saved S.
for her marriage dowry, fetched the
money from home during the ensuing
armistice, and gave it to the landlady to
help her pay her fine. The bandit chief
told the landlady that she must give
back the dowry within a week, and, &c
impress his instruction on her mind.
burned a little cross on the back of hel
hand with a red-hot IRON. He allowed
six months in which to get the 1857 still
due him on his $500 demand. Just az
the chief began to make a farewell
speech, he was Interrupted by a build
ing contractor who had recently signet
an agreement with the Town Council
to erect a 1915 church for $237. The
contractor explained that the C,unci
had held him to his contract, although
he had told them that the contract
would ruin him. The chief had the
Town Clerk produce the contract il
question, burn it up, and draw up an
other, in which the builder was allowed
$500 for his work. After this contrac
had been duly signed and sealed til
bandit drank a bottle Of wine, sang
patriotic song, led a triple cheer TO
the Servian King, and babe the para
lyzed big bugs Of Bella Erhwa good
bye, with the warning that he woul'
return in three months to see tina
every one whom he had taken under hi
protection was getting his rights.