The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-11-24
SLAYER OF SULLY
LIEUTENANT JOHN r. PETRiE, 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. Petr'e of
Chamberlain is down and out at Los
Angeles, Cal, at which pla e he has
applied for admission to the soldiers
home, because he was out of none
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 a trusted and wo thy OIL
Ger of the federal govCrnme"t having
he'd the position of United States dep
uty marshal for a great many yea S.
For yer 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 Pet IL failed
to get his man dead or alive. His last
and most notable capture was that o.
Jack Sully, who for years roamed the
p~rairies west of the Missouri river as
the leader of a famous gang o. horse
thieves and cattle rustlers, who sue
ceeded in running off tho sands OF
horses and cattle and Sc re ing them
along the banks of the river and then
driving them into market at some re-
mote point from the scene o. stealing.
Sully had all the officers standing in
ear of him, for his reputation was
bad, and he successfully carried olt
many a raid. Sully's last ra d b ought
him to the end of his rope. He had
succeeded in getting away with a Jig
bunch OF cattle and run them TO the
southern part of the state, crossed
the river over into Nebla ka and
stopped at VerdiRree. Neb. At that
plaCe he was captured by a local o.
fcer and brought back into this state.
For safety he was placed IN the county
Jail at Mitchell. He made his ESCAPE
from the jail one Sunday night WIN
the sheriff of the county Gie1, and
whereby the vigilance of the officers
was lacking for the moment. Sully's
friends were in waiting for him and
had been planning and waiting for the
opportunity for him to esca, e. Hor 'es
were in waiting that night. and his
friends spirited MIN off to the rcsor-
vation west of the river. 1t was then
that John r. Pet lie 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 neighEors who warned
him of the approach Of the deputy
when be appeared In the vicinity. Pc
trie anticipated some such action, As
he knew the ranchmen wee f ienrly
l.. C.,J1,- ool u,o nno, nn1lo1 IN on q ffn~
him with a posse. After posting the
latter, he directed the ran hmen to
ride up to Sully's house and tell HIN
that Petrie was after him and had a
or his arrest and that he
would best submit without trouble.
Sully only needed the warn ng to
make his escape. Booted and spur ed
the cattle rustler sprang from his COW
err, mounted ais ever waiting horse
and dashed out into the open and down
a hill at Petrie joined in the chase,
taking with him two of his posse
Petrie ordered his men to ire low
and thus take Sully alive. lmmedi-
ately the three men commenced 10
pump lead from their Winchesters at
the fleeing rider and his horse, but one
bullet went too high and drilled a hole
through the body of the desperado,
who rolled off the saddle and fell to
the ground, but still showing fight as
the deputy and his posse rode up. Sui
felt and knew that his time rad
when the bullet pierced his
body. Petrie kneeled beside the
wounded and dying Desperate and par
tally revived him with the contents
Of his flask, and a few moments later
5ully died.
This is but one o the many eX-
ploits which marked the career OF the
once prominent Petrie, and it prao-
ideally closed his career on the plains
west of the river. A couple of years
ago he vent out to the Pacific coast
'or the benefit of his health, and 10
the sad information that he Is
practically all in.
In the recently published novel,
'Langford of the Three Bars the in
,idepts o which are laid on the Sioux
reservation west of the river, Petrie
igured as the character of Marshal
Johnson, in which much Of his work
rs a deputy was exploited. Petrie en-
listed in Company A, Second Illinois
as a private. He was muster
ID out of the service as a lieutenant
company !, One Hundred and For
.ieth infantry. He was born at Mt.
Ogle county, H., which he
claimed as his home. Z.