The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-10-19
Locals of a
Wider Nature.

q pioneer here, has just returned from a trip as far west
as Grindstone Butte, 60 miles west of the capital. He
found everything taken, so has decided to contest land
fourteen miles southwest of Fort Pierre. Mr.. Ditch
says that the country west Of Pierre has every appear
ance OF a good farming region. A scenic artist of the
Northwestern railway named Saunders from Chicago
has just taken a claim seventy miles northwest of Fort
Pierre and thinks he has a bonanza.
Inspired to deeds OF daring by reading dime novels
and cheap love stories, after a two thousand mile esca-
pade in which were many narrow escapes from pursuing
officers, farmers ugly dogs and echos of frightened
womens' voices, Ivan Goodwin, aged Is, and Wilbert
Eggbert, aged II, now Ire in the Miller jail charged with
stealing two valuable horses just east of here. The boys
left their homes in Indianapolis as they told their parents
to come west and work IN the harvest fields. They first
stopped at Washington where they asked for work of a
~threshing machine operator. Because he refused them
their choice of the work they came on and after hanging
around ST. Lawrence during the afternoon, planning, at
night they saddled, bridled and rode northwest, their
final destination evidently being Billings, Montana, with
twoo of the most feet and valuable horses Of the town.
Warrants were sworn out and placed in the hands of
ssio@ Nooho hNo chSJ h"
crossed the Missouri river far northwest and gone into
North Dakota, Goodwin being captured in Emmons
county. his horse taken from the man to whom he had
sold it and placed in a livery barn at Mandan, the boy
brought back to the scene of the crime where he practi-
cally confessed all. Now the chase after Eggbert was
renewed. 1t was learned that the boys had quarreled
in their fight over the division Of minor thefts that they
INDUCED in on the way, separating. Finally alone with
out his older partner he decided to sell his horse and re-
turn to the parental roof in Indiana. ARRIVING there he
he wanted to make up with him for the QUARREL, and in
cidentally prompting him as to the story to tell when he
too should reach his Indianapolis home, SO that the yarns
OF both regarding the western jaunt would not tangle.
But the letter to Goodwin was forwarded on from Billings
to him at Miller in care of the sheriff, who at once
got requisition papers and went after the author Of the
tell tale letter. Arriving there the officer found that young
Eggbert had begun work in a factory. The widowed
mother and sisters were hard working, good appearing
people. 1t was with difficulty that the sheriff could tear
the mother and sisters from the son to return him to the
the scene of his western crimes. The officer learned that
Godwin's parents were good citizens living near, but he
refused to- acQuaint them Of their sons iadgment in the
western jail charged with an enormous crime, fearing
that the shock would be too heart-rending for them.
Returning to Miller with the boy the two met again,
this time n Jail at midnight, where they made up the
quarrel that separated them on the North Dakota prairies.
later 3 letter came to young Goodwin from his faith
49, wbo ev;2antlv did not Lnou, ~ L;a so.,a r1;~L i