The San Francisco call., 1897-06-30
HELD OUT fJR f08TY B0U7S.
cUHded and Han Dead From Thirst,
Ibe Belle FcUrcbs Bank Rtb6ers
F nCHy Surrender

BELLE FOURCHE, S. D., June %
After twenty-fouT hours constant fighting
the three bandits who yesterday robbed
the Bank of Belle Fourche surrendered to
the Sheriff's posse. Tonight they occupy
cells in the local jail, while the town is
much excited. The men surrendered
under promise that they should not be
lynched. Some seem TO desire that the
promise of the posse be ignored, but it is
Improbable that such Will be the case,
since no deaths have resulted from the
sensational raid. All of the bandits are
wounded, but their injuries are slight.
Several of the posse were injured during
the conflict by spent balls, but no wounds
OF a serious character were inflicted.
Five hours after robbing the bank the
three men had been chased to the Three V
ranch, three miles to the north. They
took shelter in a small stable, leaving their
horses outside. The posse was so close on
their trail that their movements were OBJ
served and the bandits were forced 10 thus
take refuge because their horses had been
shot in the running fight and could carry
them no further.
as the posse came up they at once sur
rounded the shack and conferred as to the
was known that the men were only armed
with revolYers, so the posse knew there
was nothing 10 be feared as to the final
result.
The posse was posted around the stable
just out o. revolver range and the horses
the bandits had discarded were shot to
prevent the desperadoes mounting and
making a final dash for liberty, after
which the guards waited few hours for
re-eDtorcements.
In the meantime not a sound came from
the interior of the stable. The bandits,
after they surrendered, explained that
they put in this time digging trench to
lie in during the conflict that they knew
was coming. Finally, when about 100
men had surrounded the building, Deputy
Sheriff Dillon advanced to within speak
ing distance of the prison OF the robbers
and called upon them to surrender.
Receiving no reply he retreated TO q
safe distance and his men armed with
Winchesters to the mum ber OF about forty
commenced firing deliberately into the
pen which shielded the bandits. Each
bullet went through and through the
boards of the building.
Several hundred shots were fired thus
yesterday afternoon, and the place looked
ike sieve. 1t was thought the men
were dead, but when several of the guard.
approached a little too near they we're
fired upon by the robbers and driven
back. Then the posse poured in another
shower of bullets. The second attack,
however, was not made until this morn
ing.
The officers could not understand how
anything as big as a man could live in the
building through such storm of shot
They had not realized what precaution:
the men had taken. After the firing thi,
morning had been directed against the
fort for two hours and the building wal
literally shot TO pieces. a white rag wa,
observed floating out OF one of the win.
dows When guard approached a voice
said that the robbers desired TO surrender
if they we're assured that they would no
be lynched. This was communicated tC
the posse, and it was agreed that they
should have trial.
When the men walked out into the oper
air they were terrible sights. All werr
covered with blood, and their terribl,
thirst had not been assuaged for forty
hours. They refused to give their names
All are strangers in this section. One O
them. who seemed to be the leader, said
I'VE would never have surrendered if W
had had rifles. As it was we could max
no fight. The hours we spent in tina
trench were awful. The bullets threy
dirt and splihters all over US and fre
quently cut into our clothes.
I'VE put in most of our time digging tn
trench deeper until we were quite vel
shielded from bullets, but the situation
was awful. We suffered horribly 70
water. Our bleeding wounds we stoppe
With dirt, and tlied to quench our thirs
by putting damp dirt in our mouths, bu
that did little good. The rifle balls san
in the shanty like so many bees"
One OF the men was shot four time:
merely flesh wounds, ana the others wer
each shot three times. Their clothes ar
ragged, partly from bullets and partl
from their terrible struggle The Who'll
country is up in arms and the excitemen
IS intense throughout.