Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-08-18
SON AAVEhGES
THE SHOOTING
OF SHERIFF

Memphis, Tenn, Aug 1S.-After a
battle with the two Notorious Chit
wood brothers, which began at the
Hot Springs, Ark, courthouse and did
not end until far back In the surround
ing mountains, young Sid Houpt sue
ceeded in killing one of the despera-
does and fatally wounding ne other,
avenging the wounding of his father,
Sheriff Jake Houpt, who was shot
down at the beginning of the affray.
The son Is today the hero of Hot
Springs.
Sheriff Jake Houpt, at first reported
dead, Is today said to be dying from
. bullet wound through his lungs.
George Chitwood, one of the outlaw
brothers In the fight, is dead. His
brother, fatally shot by the posse, Is
at the point of death.
The Chitwood brothers were leaders
of a gang of desperate characters In
Garland county, whose crimes were
largely In the horse stealing line. Sew
eral fine animals that disappeared late
ly were quietly traced and found to
have been stolen by the Chitwood
gang, with suspicion almost a GER
tainty in pointing to the two brothers
as the men actually guilty.
Warrants were issued recently for
their arrest. Sheriff Houpt appointed
deputies to go with him and arrest
the alleged thieves, but before the
,Annen rotIo,oJ A. EJlJA-o waI 49,.
Hot Springs heavily armed and, max
ing for the sheriff's office, asked if 1t
was true that they were wanted for
horse stealing.
Promptly answering that they were,
Sheriff Houpt advanced on them, call.
ing out that they were under arrest.
The brothers at once broke away and
ran for their mounts, the sheriff and
deputies pursuing through the court
house corridor. Still calling to the
men to halt, Sheriff Houpt and Deputy
Sid Houpt began firing as soon as
they reached the courthouse steps,
and the fusillade kept the Chitwoods
from reaching their horses. Jumping
behind telephone poles the brothers re-
turned the fire SO holly that one was
able to mount his horse, but Sheriff
Houpt shot 1t from under him before
he was able to ride away.
AS the sheriff stepped forward to
get a clear shot at the mounting man
the other brother dropped the officer
with a bullet that went through his
fInc opH 40 ont oP hto koolx
Other deputies were by now engaged
with the robbers and Deputy Sheriff
Sid Houpt followed the man who had
shot his father. The outlaw, who was
George Chitwood, cut loose a tethered
horse and climbed In the buggy, but
Sid Houpt was on him. Unable to use
his rifle, George Chitwood beat the
deputy iercely with the buggy whip
about the head and face. Blinded by
the blows, Sid Houpt dropped his rife,
drew his revolver and shot almost at
random. But the shot told and the
dead body of George Chitwood was
carried q block by a runaway horse
and thrown to the street as the buggy
turned over. The other brother finally
succeeded in mounting a horse and
tore down the street, making for the
mountains. Holding the reins In his
teeth ne brandished two revolvers and
warned all not to stop him. His horse
wounded, but he kept on his way
followed by Sid Houpt, who had right
ed the buggy attached to the runaway,
iumDa6 in and goya phasa
The other officers secured mounts
as soon as possible, and in less than
half an hour hundreds of men were
securing the valleys and mountains for
a trace of the fleeing Chitwood.
Riders from the squad that followed
Deputy Sheriff Sid Houpt and the flu
gitive bandit say that another fight
took place back In the mountains in
which Chitwood was fatally wounded.
The members of the posse are de-
termined to break up the band while