The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-24
Especial to The Herald.)

Cheyenne, WyO., July pa terrible
battle was fought Thursday evening
at SHUTDOWN on the prairie three miles
from the famous Hole-in- the Wall. 60
miles north of Casper, in Natrona
county, between an armed roundup
outfit and band of the notorious Hole
in-the-Wall cattle rustlers, in which
Bob Smith, one of the rustlers. was
killed; Bob Taylor, another rustler,
captured, and Robert DeVine foreman
OF the &C. y cattle outfit, and his
son, Lee Devine, were slightly wounded
Two weeks ago the &C. Y" or Carey
Bros. Cattle company, the Ogallalla
outfit and the Pugsley Bros Cattle
company employed force of cowboys,
numbering 30, armed them to the teeth
and placed them in charge of Bob De-
vine, who is feared and hated by cat
tie rustlers, and instructed them to
make a roundup of the Hole-in- the
Wall country, in which it was known
the rustlers were herding hundreds of
cattle stolen from the ranges of the
three cattle concerns.
It had been reported that a large
number of the HOle-in-the-Wal gang
had been captured Immediately after
the Belle Fourche bank robbery, but
Devine and his men knew different,
and also that the entire gang, except
Tom ODay, who was captured at the
time of the bank robbery, was back at
their redezvous and stealing cattle
again.
REPORT OF THE BATTLE.
The band of armed cowboys left Cas-
per two weeks ago and nothing was
heard from them until today, when
Bob Devine and other members of the
agsrrv RI rr-f+f
port Of the battle. Devine reports that
himself. son and seven other cowboys,
were engaged in driving cattle from
the Hole-in-the- Wall, when they sud
denly came upon three rustlers, Bob
Smith, Al Smith and Bob Taylor. The
Tustlers passed the cowboys d fe,,
yards when they wheeled their horses
suddenly ana began shooting at De
vine and his men.
At the first volley Devine's horse was
shot from under him by Bob Smith.
and his nip grazed by the second shot
from Bob Smiths gun. Lee Devine was
shot in the wrist by Bob TAYLOR. and
Al Smith singled out Joe Laforce, a
deputy United States marshal.
RUSTLER SHOT.
Devine and his men quickly returned
the fire and Bob Smith fell from his
pierced by a bullet from De-
vines revolver. Al Smith put spurs 10
his horse and made his escape. Bob
Taylor was not so fortunate Id be- /
fore he could dash away he ; COW
cred by half a dozen Winchesters and (
ordered to throw UP his hands.
REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE.
Five comrades Of the three rustlers /
dashed up a short time after the shoot
ing had ceased, but they We're promptly [
and ordered TO leave. At this /
time the rustlers' heads began to pop
up from behind neighboring peaks and /
the cowboys, taking the hint, hurried {
out of the country, taking their cattle /
and prisoner and captured arms with
them. The three rustlers who attacked /
Devine and his eight men had sold their
stolen cattle and with the proceeds, r
together with their share of the Belle
tourche bank plumber, were prepared
to leave the country. They had sworn a
terrible vow, however, to kill Bob De-
vine before they left, and hearing of B
his presence in that country had lain
IN wait for him many days.
After the capture of Taylor the cow
Boys went to Bob Smith and asked him
why he tried TO shoot Devine in the
back. He replied: Il tried to kill you.
commenced the fight and you have
Won it. Don't shoot men any more. 1
an done for now"
All told over 30 shots were fired dur
ng last evenings battle. The cattlemen
lad not worked the Hole-in-the- Wall
for over a year, hoping the
'ustlers would leave the country and
lvOid trouble. 1t is believed that the
Killing of Bob Smith and the capture of
Taylor viii nave the desired effect and
freak up the Hole-in-the-W Wall gang.
NE of the boldest bands of cattle
hieves and bandits that ever infested
he plains.