The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-17
BIG BATTLE At BONESTEEL.
Citizens Put Down Disorder by
Force Of Arms.
STATE TROOPS BEING Modified

Four Policemen and = Dozen Gamblers
Arc Shot at Bonesteel, q. D.-A Trairs
load OF the Latter Deported to Kan
sas Blood Marks tho Pathway OF
Confict-Lawlessness Finally Checked
Bonesteel, S. D.-Four special p0-
Iicemen and twelve gamblers were
shot here in a.. all night battle between
$50 grafters and criminals on the one
side and the decent element on the
other. The elimination Of a long series
of sensational events came with the
deportation of a trainload Of the worst
characters which had gathered from
all parts of the country. Hearty 100
men Of this stripe were loaded into
freight cars and taken from the town.
They were dumped into Nebraska, sew
enty-fre miles away.
State troops are being modified at
several points, according to kilograms
from the Lieutenant-G Governor OF the
State, and several companies Will soon
reach Bonesteel to protect the people
during the drawing and fling of lands.
Open warfare began when two graft
ers were. arrested for beating and rob-
bling a landseeker in open daylight. 1t
required the entire police force to jail
them, and then a confederate confront
ed the officers and demanded their re-
lease in five minutes or the whole town
would be burned and every man killed.
Before five minutes passed the jail
doors were thrown open and fourscore
crooks bore the two men triumphantly
down the street. Police officers were
diSarmed and q reign Of laWlessness
followed. Men were beaten and robbed
without ceremony.
In one instance q Kansan asked his
change at q gaming table. 1t was re-
fused. The gambler covered him with
a gun. The Kansan contrived to get
the drop on him, anu thus they stood,
r%evolvers pointing at each others
hearts. Then the gambler laid down.
The other put up his guE and at once
q gang of crooks bounced upon him
and beat him brutally. Chief Of Police
O'Brien looked OIL without stirring.
The Town Board notified Patsy
Magner, of Sioux City, and Tom Stau-
ton, Of Omaha, eoncessionaires, that II
the grafters did not stop, every citizen
would be armed and ordeped to shoot
them as fast as they could be found.
Magner and Stanton controlled the
situation fairly we'll until Stanbro and
Harrison, policemen, were assaulted!
before the Pike saloon, and the shoot
ing began. Both were wounded
Magner was shot shortly after, as was
Merrirille. Then 100 special police
were called for.
Hardware stores were stripped OF
their weapons. The army Of volun-
teers, helped by the better gamblers,
began driving out the grafters like rab-
bits chased from bushes When pos
sible, they were arrested, but many
fell back until out of the town limits.
Then the grafters, Infatuated BY their
defeat, turned upon their p%ursuers.
They charged, a hundred strong. They!
had only revolvers, and were soon
swept back by volleys from shotguns
and rifles of the police. One after an
other they were carried away, and
blood trails marked the courses taken.
After over 200 shots were fred they
were completely routed and the special
police turned back with the forty-fye
prisoners whom their fellows had tried
unsuccessfully to rescue.