The Opelousas courier., 1903-07-18

perad0eS In the West, Could NOT
Be Captured by an Army. $:
Police officials throughout the coun'
try, but especially In the West and
Northwest, have recently had their at
tention attracted to the "Hole-in-the'
WALL" the most notorious and in many
ways unique hiding place for despera,
does in the world. Within the grim
granite wallis of the Hole are more than
two score Of men, most Of whom are
wanted for more than one murder.
Without are the peaceful farms and
ranches of the rapidly growing North,
west. If n of the men in hiding
should venture beyond the boundaries
of this strange place of refuge he would
be shot on sight. And several bloody
and unsuccessful attempts to raid the
Hole haveyoroved that 10 is just as dan
gerous form outSider to try to enter.
Interest in the Hole-in-the-Wall was
revived by the report that Tracy, the
notorious bandit, was heading for it
when he met his death. Every West
ern sheriff knew that If Tracy once sue
ceeded in reaching the Hole his capture
would be practically impossible. Men
who incurred the enmityRf their fellow
outlaws have sometimes been given
up by the inmates of the Hole. That is
the only way in which the law has eve
secured a grip on a man who once
reached 1t. Even attempts of United
States cavalry to force an entrance
have been repealed by the bandits who
made it their haven.
The Hole-in-the-Wal is one of the
most remarkable of the many strange
freaks of nature in the Rockies. 1t con-
sists Of a great wall of granite, almost
impossible even for the nimble and
%surefooted mountain goats. The wall
is shaped like a rough circle and forms
a natural fortress which Is practically
impregnable. Once safely %ensconced
within, a score of good rifemen land
the men who have made it their refuge
are ameng the best shots in the Vest
could defy an army.
The Hole-in-the-Wall is situated in
the northern part of Wyoming, just
south OF the Montana State line, west
of the Big Horn Mountains and east of
Yellowstone Park. There Is but one
entrance to the Hole, a narrow gate
way through the great walls Of granite,
where the Powder River pours through.
Dr1ho IIr# 5&l,a1-o Il, 1a4&srr @1o xrv6o1n
world another place that could be more
easily defended by desperate men or
where they could SO securely defy the
law. The pursuit of Tracy would per-
force have stopped at THE grim entrance
to the Hole.
Where the Powder River has forced
its way into the Hole-fn-the-Wall the
cliffs rise up precipitately OF both sides.
On the left side Of the river, and about
fifty feet above its surface, runs a
rough pathway, which could hardly be
called a road. It is so narrow that two
horses cannot ride abreast. Any per-
son wishing to enter the Hole-in-the-
Wall must pass through this ,defi1e.
Even if no defense was made the jour
ney would be toilsome to the last de-
gree. At every step, however. the in
truders would be under fire from all
sides and In a position where it would
be practically impossible to retaliate,
as the defenders would be invisible.
The character Of the country precludes
the use Of artillery, and no troops could
hope to effect much with rifles. So the
jewellers in the Hole-in-the-Wal have
lived in cheerful defiance of the law,
although nearly every man in hiding
there has committed not one, but many,
crimes that deserve the death penalty.
Long before the Hole became a hid
ing place for white desperadoes it was
known and used by the Indians. A
remnant of the Sioux band fed there
after the Custer massacre. Later an
attempt to corral them was made by
United States troops, but failed utterly.
A few years after the Sioux had fed
to the Hole 1t began to be the refuge of
some of the most desperate characters
of the Northwest. The famous gang
known as the Belle Fourche bank rob-
bers fled to the Hole after one of their
most successful raids. They had bro
ken into several banks and the posse
on their trail included sheriffs and their
deputies from four counties. The pur-
suit was kept up until the Hole-in-the.
Wall was reached. Then the outlaws,
having entered through the granite
walls, turned to face their pursuers.
That ended the attempt to capture
them. A few shots were exchanged,
but no real assault made. 1t would
have been simply a useless loss of life.
The only real attempt to raid the
Hole was in 1892. The outlaws had
been for months annoying the cattle
men, sweeping down on the herds, kill
ing the best animals and often shooting
any cowboys who happened to be in
charge or rode up to investigate. The
Hole was becoming the place Of refuge
for every cattle 'rustler" in the North
west. The stockmen determined on a
raid. 1t was a complete failure.
The raiding party consisted Of about
100 Texas killers" who had been I'm.
ported by the ranchmen. These men
were expert marksmen. accustomed to
danger, confident In their ability to
teach the Northwestern outlaws b les
son. They advanced to the entrance Of
the Hole and were allowed to march
half way up the defile between the
great granite cliffs. Then invisible en-
emies opened fire from every side. The