The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-10-15

with whlcn | rired several shots at the
roDDef ~ a distance of about two
rods. He returned my fire twice and
then made n break for the rear of the
mouse. ! ran around on the west side
or the house.. arriving there just in
une to see the man mounting his BIZ
cycle. He shot at me again Just be-
fore learing into the saddle and I
fired two more bullets at him as he
made a detOur TO get into the road.
lie was riding very fast and l ceased
firing and jumped into the wagon
with Fuller and Coffey. We licked the
horses into a gallop and started in pur-
suit. He gained on us, however, and
never seemed 10 mind half a dozen
more shots that | pumped out of the
rifle after him.
"Hc was leading Us and we felt that
we were about to lose our quarry,
when he began to slacken his speed
and jumped from the wheel. He ran
for Il fence ut the side Of the road.
climbed it and started on a run across
n potato patch. We were about TWEEN
ty-tive " d behind him. | stopped the
team. jumped out. and, running to the
fence. laid my rifle over the top rail,
and taking careful aim, feeling that it
was Il chance. pulled the trigger.
The mar stopped and nearly fell.
Then he Strengthened up and, pulling
a revolver from his pocket he pointed
it To his head and fired it and
Fell Like "a Log,
and when we got to him he was dead.
We carried the body to the road and
put it in the wagon along with the BIZ
cycle.
I'VE went back to the house and
found Marshal Gallon dead, shot
through the heart. l questioned the
woman. who could not speak English
very well, but was able to make us
understand. She says that the mar
rdc up to her place about . o'clock
and asked for a nights lodging. She
had not heard Of the murder at Sher-
burne and gave the man supper and
lodging without for a moment i'm
agining that she was sheltering Il
criminal with the brand of Cain upon
his brow. He had just had breakfast
when we arrived and vas preparing to
depart. lie saw us drive up to the
door, and surmising u errand stuck
a revolver to the WOman'S
head and told her to tell us
that no II had stopped at her
house and that she had not seen n
man Of his description. He then hid
behind the door of an adjoining room,
still threatening the woman even as
l was knocking at the door. She was
terribly frightened, and instead Of
obeying the robbers command seemed
to be rendered speeches. and said
NOTHING asked hnr nnmn h1f do
not remember it now. That is about
all the part | had in the affair"
In Gilmore the scenes almost batiled
description. The news spread rapidly
and the streets were crowded by a
motley crowd gathered from miles
around. The people stood on the
street corners and discussed the fresh
tragedy in low tones. except when the
thought Of the murdered marshal Of
Bancroft caused their anger to break
piece of clay that occupied a rough
bench in another portion of the town.
There seems little doubt hat the
men who committed the crime at Sher-
burne are strangers to this part of the
state. No n knows or processes to
know the name Of the dead murderer.
There are many conjectures as to their
identity. A stranger in the city said
that he thought he had seen the dead
man as a bicycle racer last summer at
Strawberry Point, Iowa. The general
opinion here is that they were the
men who boarded with the farmer
ear Heron Lake several days previ-
Gus to the Sherburne affair and who
gave their names as Sair and Pratt.
The dead man is supposed to be Pratt,
answering closely his description.