The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-05-25
NOTORIOUS DESPERATE SHOT
ON ROSEBUD RESERVATION.
4 RUNNING FIGHT WITH OFFICERS
Rife Ball Brought Him Down-The
Outlaw and Cattle Hustler Had
for More Than Quarter OF Gen.
fury Been a Terror on the Range.

"
Rosebud country. are these: A week or
ten days ago Sully stole bunch of near
ly 200 cattle belonging to various neigh
boring ranchers. He took bunch of
seyenty-four down across the Nebraska
line and sold them for $50 per head, re-
ceiving half cash and half paper. He
cashed the paper Soon after, Brand In-
spector Long got track of the cattle, and,
accompanied by their owners, Harry
Ham and Hugo Schilling, recovered them
and returned them to the home range.
As result of The exploit United States
Commissioner Tidrick, of Chamberlain,
on Sunday morning sent out Deputy
United States Inspector Petrie, Brand
Inspector Long, Sheriff Irish OF Brule
County, Deputy Sheriff Jesse Brown OF
Lyman County, and Harry Ham to bring
In Sully, dead or alive. They found Sui
ly at his home, near Blackbird island,
Tuesday morning, and attempted to make
the arrest. Sully was ordered to surren-
der, but with a defiant taunt he made
a break for his horse, sprang upon its
back and made dash for liberty. For
a time a running fire was maintained be-
tween the two parties. but the pursuers
speedily proved the victors. Sully's horse
was hit five times and killed, while Sully
received wounds from which he died
within thirty-fve minutes.
Sully for the past thirty-five years has
been known as lawless and desperate
character. His most recent exploit was
to break Jail at Mitchell, where he was
being held for trial on charge of cattle
rustling, and until Monday the officers
had not been able to set their eyes on
him.
He has for years been recognized as
the head of a band of rustlers that has
been the cause of endless trouble and ex
pense to the thrifty class of people who
have of late been coming into the neigh
borhood, and his tragic end is not likely
to cause very deep mourning upon the
range.
The Sully gang has been credited with
having stolen, during the past twenty
years, total of fully $4,000 head of cat
tie and several thousand head Of horses,
but it is reasonable to suppose that this
estimate is somewhat exaggerated.
Nevertheless, it Is safe to say that sew
eral thousand head have been stolen by
the thieves during that period. The gang
Is also said to have been responsible for
the death Of seven men during the long
period it was carrying on its operations
along the Missouri River. The victims
were chiefly inoffensive settlers, who, un-
fortunately for them, were foolish enough
to protest when some of their cattle were
stolen, or who were so indiscreet as to
reveal incidents connected with cattle and
horse stealing raids which by chance
came under their observation.
Sully's career naturally has been filed
with interesting Incidents. He first made
his appearance at the Northern Pacific
crossing (now Bismarck, n. d. in 1872,
and was at that time a chum of Jack
Kinkade, who killed his own sister at a
country dance in Missouri. kinkade tried
to kill the fellow with whom his sister
was dancing, but she sprang between the
two men just in time to receive in her
own body the bullet which was intended
for her companion.
Only when Kinkade was on drunk
with Sully would he ever mention the
killing of his sister. "Bilp' Reese, an
other of Sully's old-time chums, was shot
and killed in his own dance house Mt
Miles City, Mont, by DIR. Lefcher. The
men quarreled over the affections Of
''Dode" Reese, supposed to have been the
wife of "Bill' Reese, who, after the
death of Reese, lived with the slayer of
the man who was supposed to have been
her husband.
Jim" Foster, a character well known
on the frontier twenty years ago, was
another chum of Sully. Foster was an
accomplished banjo player, and mai.
people who yet reside in South Dakota
remember the devil-may care fellow, who
at intervals would visit the frontier
towns for the purpose of having glori-
Gus drunk, during which he was invaria-
bly, accompanied by his banjo.
He had remarkably fine voice. 'T'I
Remember You, Love, in My Prayers"
was favorite song of his, with which
he was wont to entertain such Of the resi-
dents of the frontier towns as cared to
appear upon the streets when himself and
his drunken companions virtually rad
possession of the thoroughfayes and the
buildings adjacent thereto.
One Of Fosters characteristics when
drunk was to light his cigars with SIS or
SO bills. He, like many of the former
chums of Sully, 'died with his boots on"
He was a handsome man. a veritable
Adonis, and was perfect specimen of
physical manhood, yet by nature was en-
dowed with many of the traits of the In
dian, being considerable of sneak and
coward.
While on a hunting trip to the Black
Hills with sexeral boon companions he
was shot and killed. The members of the
party declared that he was the victim of
the accidental discharge OF gun, but
there is little question that he was shot
down by one OF his companions who had
grudge of some kind against him, and
feared that II he did not resort to assas-
sination Foster himself would assassin
ate him when the opportunity offered.
Sully was also sehum OF Lame John