The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-01
WIPED OUT THE GANG
THE BATTLE THAT EXTERMINATED
THE EXeLBY OUTLAWS.

A Close Quarters Fight With Guns
That Won For Captain bartlett,
Who Was In the Thici> of the Fray,
the Sioux Name OF "Wounded
Knee"
How we wiped the famous Exclhy
gang of outlaws out Of existence has new
er been told except in official govern
ment reports" said Captain Charles l..
Bartlett who used to be government
scout and deputy United States marshal
at Doadwood. to Il group of friends
The gang had struck terror to every
Indian on the reservation who had any
property and To every ranchman in Dako-
IA. was at that time, in 1881. in charge
of the Pine Ridge and Rosebud agencies.
| had been placed there because of my
familiarity with the Sioux country Only
short time after | arrived was order
ed to eNterminate the EXclbys mt any
cost.
affairs reached crisis when the
gang got away with - of the ponies be
longing to a friendly chief who had been
hunting just east of the Black Hills in
company with a party of his friends. \
severe winter was just coming ON, and
the Indians felt that they had little pro-
lection from lawlcSsncSS if the troops Of
Uncle sam could not stop such bold
thefts as driving away all their horses.
The THEFT was speedily traced to the
EXelhy gang. Their stronghold was soon
after located on the Little Missouri. We
notified the Shcrifls at Miles City. Mon,
and they caught one of the gang. -Four
of the ponies were found grazing around
his campfire y special deputy was sent
to bring the prisoner To Dcadwood but
before he left Miles City he received
word that the rest of the Exclbys were
lying in wait for him and meant to res
cue the prisoner if they killed all the
deputies in the country.
Ryan photographed for n posse to
meet him near Stones ranch at the
crossing of the Little Missouri | took
the Williams brothers, Jack O'IIara. Al
Raymond, Doc Bahcocl and, in blind
ing snowstorm, headed the next morning
for stones ranch. Not often in the his
tory of fights on the frontier has so well
known a set of scouts been gathered as
rode on that campaign.
The snow was Il foot deep. and we
were so cold that before we had finished
the 60 mile ride the blood ON our spurs
was frozen. In fact. we were obliged
to use our spurs cruelty to reach there
at all.
We arrived at the ranch about 10
O'Clock at night and told old man Stone
to care FOR our horses. He told us all
we dared hope to find out about the EX.
elbys At ShuSter's. as the old man call
ed it. there were three habitations. form
ing triangle. each about POO yards
from the other First came Stones
ranch, then the saloon and third the
cabin where Sinister lived. Stone had
told us that EXchy and five of his men
had arrived ut the saloon in the middle
of the day and had been drinking and
carousing ever since. This accounted for
their heing off their guard.
I'VE decided to wait till the next morn
ing. About Q o'clock we saw six of them
start with their packs and animals for
the road They put their pack mules
ahead as they approached the crossing
which hridged the river quarter of
mile distant We trapped them in
ravine back of stones ranch, calling
halt as soon as we thought that we had
them dead to rights EXclby yelled out
something about a warmer climate, but
/ we naU no Intention OF TAKING MS al
} vice and leaving where we were. We
were seven to SIX, anyway. and when he
/ snapped back his retort to our call to
halt we opened fire.
"Wc had hardly pulled trigger when
] the bullets began to whistle around us
/ from the other ~of the gully. and we
woke to the fact mat Billy the Kid. who
had stad behind in the saloon TO fix his
1 saddle. had arrived lust in time to Join
4 in the exchange of shots. His first bullet
/ killed Jack OIIara, one of the most IA
nous scouts who ever crossed the plains.
/ The second tore through Jack Williams
shoulder and the third shattered my
right knee.
"On the other side Exclby was killed
Tlly. another noted dcsperado. crawlcd
with a shattered arm aud broken ankle
to Shustcr's and begged for mercy. When
| was hit | fell. but managed To crawl TO
the top of the rnvinc and put an extra
hole in Camphels nose. 1t generally
took years to rid the frontier of two such
outlaws rs these. and felt that we were
sodJIa his snrr ,ort ~ doom emf in rho