Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-12-27

sharp lookout for the other handcar
which we expected to find ditched.
At road crossings we were enabled to
make out that they hal preceded us
by the scraping of mud from the rail.
About 2'miles this side of Ridgeway
just at day break we found the confs-
Gated handcar on its end in large
ravine by side of the track. The
footprints of the burglars could be
distinguished in the mud between
the rails and we followed them for
nearly mile, when they branched
off and led across field to a barn on
the Thos. Brunker farm. Daylight
coming on the burglars had aband
oned their trip at this point and re-
tired to the barn loft for safe hiding.
| climbed up to the window and dis
covered them inside. BY this time
our party was reinforced by the farm
er and his son. We ordered the men
to come down and they agreed to do
so, but were slow about it. and when
went up to hasten matters they
opened hostilities, ordering our boys
down and opening fire on us. We
sought shelter and returned fire and
should Judge fifteen shots or more
were exchanged, Finally matters be-
came too warm for them and they
gave up-all but Dewitt, who got an
entreaty from McDonald's shotgun as
an inducement before he surrendered
We then loaded them in a wagon and
hauled them to Ridgeway where we
all boarded the train"
Sheriff Fawcett was notified of the
occurrence at once and Under Sheriff
McGonigal and Deputy Sheriff Frank
Fawcett proceeded to Mont
fort, leaving here at a. M. They
learned of the capture upon their ar
rival there and awaited the train cor
veying pursued and pursuers, taking
charge of the four burglars and re-
turned with them to this city where
they were incarcerated in the county
jail. DR.. j. A. Gault was summoned
Immediately to attend to the injuries
of the wounded burglar. The charge
of shot he received produced no SER
ious wound, being probed without
great difficulty from the tleshy por-
tion of the limb, and he was able to
appear in court today with his pals.
The men are fairly well dressed
and are on the professional order in
appearance more than in resem blance
to the common hobo, although Sheriff
Fawc ett is of the opinion that their
work is rather course-more that OF
amateurs. They give their names as
Harry Dewitt, aged "a; j. p. Monta-
que, aged p; j. P. Berry, aged 50;
James Hopkins, 81. Montague and
Devet appear to be the spokesman of
the gang. The former is of fine ply
sique, weighing 200 pounds or more,
broad shoulders, six it. in height,
black hair and mustache, tattoo
marks on hands, wrists and arms.
Dewitt evidently possesses more than
the ordinary intelligence. He is TT.
10, smooth face, ready talker, black
air, dark eyes and skin. Clothing
bears marks of St. Louis furnishing
house. Berry is fit. 8 in. slender
form, dark complexion, smooth face,
wears glasses, intelligent in appear
ance and manner. Hopkins, the eld-
erly mem Der of the quartette, is it.
%, gray hair and mustache, red face.
Mr. Stevens estimates the damages
to his safe and building at about $500
The defendants were bound over to
the next term of court, their bail
being fixed at $1,000 each, which
they were unable to furnish and so
were returned to Jail.