Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-11-24
SLAYER OF SULLY
LIEUTENANT JOHN r. PETRlE, Ex.
DEPUTY FEDERAL MARSHAL
ILL AND PENNlLESS


SEEKS SOLDIERS HOSPICE |
Many of the Stirring Incidents of His
Career in the State are Woven
Into Novel "Langford
of Three Bars
Mitchell-Word has lately been
received in this city to the effect
that Lieutenant John r. Petrie OF
Chamberlain is down and out at Los
Angeles, Cal at which pla he has
applied for admission to the soldiers
home, because he was out of money
and broken in health. The news will
be received with regret by the many
hundreds of friends of Petrie through
out South Dakota, for he was widely
known as trusted and wo thy OIL
Ger of the federal government having
held the position of United States dep
uty marshal for great many yeas,
For over a quarter of a century Mr..
Petrie worked out at Chambelain, and
in his capacity of marshal has track
ed down over a thousand criminals
who were wanted by the COVE nment
The case was rare where Petite failed
to get his man dead or alive. His last
and most notable capture was that OF
Jack Sully, who for years roamed the
prairies west of the Missouri river as
the leader of famous gang o. horse
thieves and cattle rustlers, who sue
ceeded in running off thousands OF
| horses and cattle and setreting them
along the banks of the river and then
/ driving them into market at some re-
mote point from the scene OF stealing.
Sully had all the officers standing in
ear of him, for his reputation was
bad, and he successfully carried out
many raid. Sully's last rad brought
him to the end of his rope. He had
succeeded in getting away with big
bunch Of cattle and run them to the
| southern part of the state. crossed
| the river over into Nebraska and
stopped at Verdigree, Neb. At that
place he was captured BY local Of
ficer and brought back into this state.
For safety he was placed in the county
iail at Mitchell He made his escape
from the jail one Sunday night when
/ the sheriff of the county died, and
| whereby the vigilance of the officers
was lacking for the moment Suliy S
friends were in waiting for him ,and
i had been planning and waiting for the
4 opnnrtunity for him to ESCAPE. Horses
were in waiting that night and his
friends spirited him Off to the reser-
walton west of the river. 1t was then
that John r. Pet ie was placed on the
trail of Sully, with orders to bring
him in dead or alive.
sully. thinking that Petr'e would
come after him, arranged with the
ranchers and neighbors who warned
!, him of the approach of the deputy
when he appeared in the vicinity. Pc
trie Anticipated some such action, as
he knew the ranchmen were ien6iy
to Sully and was compelled to go after
him with a posse After posting the
latter. he directed the ran hnen to
ride up to Sully's house and tell b III
that Petrie was after him and had
warrant or his arrest and that ne
: would best submit without trouble.
/ Sully only needed the ss
make his escape. Booted and spur eG
! the cattle rustler sprang from his Gov
r er, mounted mis- ever waiting morse
and dashed out into the open and dcWf
n a hill at Petrie joined in the chase
: taking with him two of his posse
Petrie ordered his men to fire low
n and thus take Sully alive. 1mmedl
n ately the three men commenced u
. pump lead from their Winchesters a
4 the fleeing rider and his horse, but on'
n bullet went too high and drilled hol'
4 through the body OF the desperate
n who rolled off the saddle and fell t.
q the ground, but still showing fight a
n the deputy and his posse rode up. SUI
r w felt and knew that his time hat
+ come when the bullet pierced III
q body, Petrie kneeled beside thu
{ wounded and dying Desperate and par
II italy revived him with the content
4 of his flask. and few moments la1e
% Sully died
n This is but one the many ex
Il ploits which marked the career OF tn
!, once prominent Petrie, and 1T prac
sically closed his career on the PLAIN
N west of the river. A couple OF year
N ago he went out to the Pacific coas
u for the benefit of his health, and nov
N comes the sad information that he
= practically all In.
" In the recently published move
"Langford of the Three Bars the ID
"a cidents O which are laid on the Slou
- reservation west of the river. Petrl
;, figured as the character of Marsha
- Johnson, in which much of his wor
- as deputy was exploited. Petrie en-
-. ~ listed in Company A, Second 1il1no1
;, cavalry, as a private. He was muster
"A ed out of the service as lieutenan
~ of company I, One Hundred and F.oI
- tieth infantry. He was born at M
= Morris, Ogle county H., which b
O. claimed as his home.
~ Pierre-Stanley county will cor
tinue to remain the largest count
es in South Dakota for at least two year
es more. There were votes enough Cal