Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-03-24
"BUNCA" OF HORSES
STOLEN BY RUSTLERS
Bold Raid by Stock Thieves in the
Vicinity of the Town Of
Wheeler, S. D.
ATTEMPT TO STEAL SOME CATTLE
While Their Owners Were After q
Drink OF Water.--Shots Are Ex-
changed With the Rust
Iers.

Chamberlain, S. d., March 10.-An-
other sensational raid by stock thieves
las just been reported from the range
country west of Wheeler. In this i'm
stance the thieves secured a herd Of
twenty-five head of horses, and the
details of the raid are of more than
ordinary interest. The bunch OF
horses was taken from a point about
five miles southwest of Wheeler. The
farmers in that section are in the
habit of turning their horses out to
range on the prairie and in stalk fields
during the winter months except in
stormy weather, and young horses
frequently range out during the entire
winter, keeping i'm good condition on
the wild grass which in this country
cures on the ground. IT is not an in
frequent thing to see from twenty TO
fifty head in q bunch during the win
ter months. But this bunch that has
just been driven off by rustlers were
horses that do not stray far away
from home, some of them being work
horses that were taken up OCCASION
ally when an extra team was needed.
The rest were colts and young horses.
Ten head of the twenty-five be-
longed to Gail Jones, and the 9TH
ers TO various persons. The horses in
question, after their disappearance,
were tracked TO the Missouri river
and ont onto the ice, and the trail
showed clearly that they had been
driven by someone riding a horse
with shoes on. Six of the horses were
found drowned In the river about ten
or fifteen rods from the shore. They
had evidently tried to turn back and
got off the main track and passed
through the rotten ice. There being
little current ut this place, they were
not carried under the ice. The par
ties who took them were shrewd
enough TO wait until the ice in the
river was about to break up and then
rush the horses across and by the
time their owners, not suSpccting
they were stolen, spent a couple OF
days looking about the neighborhood
where they belonged the ice would be
no longer passable, and immediate
pursuit would be impossible. The
day following the disappearance of the
horses some Gregory county parties
driving a bunch Of cattle from the vi
entity of Bonesteel north toward the
White river country, while passing a
few miles back from the river, and ut
a point nearly west from Wheeler,
stopped to rest at noon. They left
their cattle i'm a small ravine and
went for u drink of water. On return
ing a little later they were surprised
TO find two mounted men among their
bunch Of cattle, trying 10 cut out
some of them. The owners of the eat.
tie were CLOSE upon the rustlcrS before
discovered, and the rustlcrs immedi'
ately pulled their rcyolycrs and began
shooting, which was quickly respond.
ed to in n like manner by the owners
of the cattle. Several shots were
fired by both parties. The rustlers
then fed. A bunch Of seven horses and
a ycarling mule were found close ut
hand, all of which answer closely to
the description of the horses stolen.
and the young mule exactly SO. 1t be.
longs to Jared Seese. by their de-.
scription they seem TO be the best OF
the bunch stolen the night previous,
and were undoubtedly part of the
horses taken. which were being
rushed toward the Ponca creek Gun
try. 1t is presumed that the rustlers
ran into the cattle while left alone
and decided to also take part of them
along. The owners of the cattle
claim that they fully recognized the
two rustlers as two well known stock
men of the section, and upon infor-
nation being given by them to the
sheriff of Charles Mix county that Off
Ger at once swore out warrants for
the men. Owing to the impassability
of the river he has, however, been de-
layed several days in engaging in the
chase, but he now has n posse in hot
pursuit, with good prospects Of a
speedy capture.