The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-25
After the Currie Gang.

A few weeks agok photographic dis
paches stated that the famous Cur
RE gang had RESIN ID operations up
in the Hole-in-the wall country of
Wyoming, by running off with 80
head OF horses belonging to J. G.. H.
Preston of Gillette, Wyo. A posse
was raised and the gang pursued.
The following account of the chase
is taken from the Stock Growers
Journal of Miles City:
"The arduous task of FOLLOWING
for twenty-seven days three of the
most hardened of criminals, trailing
them through snow, sleet and rain,
and a section of country SO thinly
populated that a human being in
places, seldom sets foot, is one that
falls to the lot of but few officers of
the law and is a trip that very few
ever court.
Ever since the war of the cattle.
men in Wyoming several years 400.
the northern section of that state
has been infested with a gang of
outlaws known as the Hole in-tne-
wall gang who would spasmodically
commit some crime that would put
the officers OF the law after them.
Among other crimes committed by
them was the holding up of a Butte
bank at Belle Fourche, robbing the
postotfice at Opal, Wyoming, wing
ing a deputy marshal, breaking jail,
to say nothing of a thousand and one
minor criminal deeds which have
been laid at their door. At present.
there + only three of them and are
known as the Currie gang, but they
are a hot" trio and would not for a
moment hesitate the taking of a
human life could they gain a point
by SO doin$. Especially have they
been annoying to stockmen by kill
ing their cutie and stealing horses.
They grew to be desperadoes in
their work to such an extent that
officers were openly deied under
penalties of severe consequences for
they have openly proclaimed that
they would ''never be taken alive
This gang is always armed with the
most improved fire arms and mount
ed upon their pick of the fleet st
horses. they openly defy the law
and it's upholders.
On September the Both, Stock
Detective w. D. Smith received a
wire from Deputy Sheriff Kicks, of
Wyoming asking him to meet him
at Terry, to help capture the Currie
gang who were headed north with
stolen horses. Mr.. Smith and Chief
of Police Jackson left Immediately,
joining the Wyoming sheriff at
Terry. Sheriff Kicks was accompa-
nied by Mr.. Preston, a horse grower
of Gillette. Wyoming, Mr.. McCumsv
of Alzada and one other, an employe
of Nh. Preston. The gang had got
away with thirty head of Mr.. Pres
tons horses, but the bunch was too
large to handle, evidently, for the y
abandoned them, but subseq uently
took fifteen head of the Northern
Cattle Cos. horses from the company
pasture and started north. The
gang crossed the Yellowstone at
Terry and it was here that the posse
took the trail.
Owing to the severe weather and
heavy roads it was necessary to
secure fresh mounts which was done
at the ranch of Kramar Bros. and
the Circle c ranch who loaned the
pursurers every assistance. The
outlaws had been doing some hard
riding too, the officers finding IN.
dead horse on the trail. The horse
had been rode down and killed.
This and freshly killed N ba,
heller, from which nothing but tn.
1oins were removed, convinced the
officers that they were on the right
trail and gaining on their men II
was nearly dark on the 10Th tina,
the posse reached the Bear Paw