St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-11-26
Thrilling Story Told by Col
Pickett. Of Steele County,
North Dakota.
MADE A DESPERATE FIGHT,
But Two We're Against Him
and They We're Very
Powerful Hen.
BOTH ROBBERS ARE KNO YIN.
Wlfe OF One Lives in Still.
Water--The Victim Hot on
Their Trail.

Their Trail.
Assaulted with an ak, beaten with A
POKER aud revolver, robbed and left for
dead wallowing in his own blood upon
MS own ranch floor, is the story told by
Col. X. f. Pickett, of Steele county.
North Dakota, who is now at the RYAN
and hot on the trail of his robbers and
assailants. Col. Pickett is s.bonanzan
farmer In North Dakota. who puts in
nine months Of the year in New York
ana the other three months on his ranch
OF $4,000 acres of land in Steele county.
lie says that the country is oYerrun by
tthroats and robbers, and the author
ltles do nothing TO break up the law
lessness or 10 run down and punish the
outlaws.
Col. Pickett bears evidence of his en-
counter with the robbers in his ranch
headquarters on the night of Noy. 16.
de has an ugly scar under his right eye,
one OH his nose, long one on his head
ana several OF them on his arms and
back. and is yet weak from the loss of
blood. The substance of his story is as
follows: Il own half township of
land and am engaged In raising wheat.
together with my housekeeper. / was
engaged in packing up the blankets
and things in the ranch for the winter.
preparatory to storing them away. A
knock came at the door. Pretty soon
the door slid open and two men ap-
peared. One of the men thrust a re.
Volver in my face and said: 1--WE want
'mon.' l knocked the revolver out OF
the hand OF the man and it flew across
the floor out of his reach. Then l told
them had no money.
"They said, We know you have. You
went to the bank and got $500 TO pay of
the hands,"
Col. Pickett says that is what he told
the president of tie Steele County bank
| when he went to draw the money, and
one of the men must have overheard
| him.
The men then told him that they had
been waiting for days fer him to get The
money from the bank. and they wanted
| the roll, and also what he had in
drawer, accompanying the demand by
-
| drawer.
Fight for Life.
Continuing the story in his own
| words, Col. Pickett said: "Then the
fight began in-earnest 1 am considera.
BILE of an athlete. The two men were
clumsy. and l could have whipped both
of them if the room had been ten feet
larger. l looked after the big fellow
most of the time. One of the men struck
at the housekeeper, who was behind
the door packing blankets. She lodged
and ran out of the house. He
struck at her with slung shot. The
big fellow struck at me with the slung-
shot. | caught it on the wrist, breaking
the handle off, and it fell on the floor. ]
picked it up, but as it was broken /
could not use it.. then hit the big fel.
low and knocked him down. He got up
and came at me again, and again I
knocked him down. The little fellow
hit me with poker and staggered me.
Then the big fellow hit me and knocked
me clear across the room. | got mold
of the big fellow by the throat and had
him in my power when the little fellow
Hit We With an AK.
"They beat me into Inconsistencies
l was cut on the head and back and
arms, and was left for dead. The last
thing heard was Give him another
Dead men tell no tales When | came
too there was blood all over the place.
There was puddle of blood as large al
beef liver on the floor, and my clothef
were saturated. The men had gOu(
through everything in the ranch. They
secured sl2S in cash, three gold watches
two revOlvers. fur cap and three plat
ed watchchains. One of the watche,
was engraved on the case with the
words Grandma to Susan and wal
the property of Mr.. White, a former
superintendent of the ranch"
The names of the men who did the
deed, Col. Pickett says. are George
Haefer and Harry Schould. They bots
worked on his ranch. One of then
left last summer, after breaking into
the ranch store, and the other was paid
off about three weeks ago. Haefer hai
wife at Saltwater, in this state, and
is said to have served a term in the
peniteutiary for outraging a small girl.
He is twenty -four years old. and weighs
about 200 pounds. He has sister al
Kansas City named Pauley, who wrote
him letter, which is in the possession
of Col. Pickett. He also has photos
graph Of him.
SchouId Is n Young Man.
He is five feet eight and a half inchet
tall and weighs 155 pounds. His halt
and eyes are dark, and he wore dark
moustache.
Col. Pickett has offered 800 reward
for the arrest of either of the men. Ht
will make search for them himself
and will visit the police departments In
the Twin Cities and give descriptions Of
the men.
The robbery and assault happened Rt
Pickett. in Steele county. 1t is alleged
that the men were driven to within half
mile of the ranch from Sherbrook, six
miles distant. by a teamster in the em<
ploy Of the sheriff of the county. ThiE
was the evening of the robbery. The
sheriff has livery stable at the county
seat.
Col. Picket declares that the country
Is overrun by cutthroats and robbers
and no effort is made to bring them Ii
justice. He says that there is no ems
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