The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1915-04-30
Burglar Shows FigFN When
Cornered in Mandan Store

D Mandan, n D., April 29 in a
shotgun and revolver battle which
lasted from o'clock until 1895
Friday night, burglar held half a
dozen officers at bay in the Sphinx
and Lang clothing store and only
surrendered when he received two
terrible wounds in the left leg and
left arm.
Louis Holmes, janitor Of the
Barrows building, was coming out
of the basement O." that block and
saw two men at the rear of the
Sphinx and Lang store. One was
on guard and was sitting on a box
at the rear of the store, the other
was cutting glass from a rear win
dow.
Holmes saw the man enter and
then called for Mr.. Lang, who was
at the Elk rehearsal They Sc
cured guns and were Joined by
Deputy Sheriff Oscar Olson, Will
liam Kenzal, Manager H. L. Hart
man Of the Grand, George Upper
and Night Policeman William Meis-
ner.
Deputy Sheriff Oscar Olson had
close shave in the gun fight
He was informed Of the man be-
rear of the building, entering
through the window. He turned
on the desk light at the rear Of the
store.
The burglar ducked back into
the shadows.
Olson drew his gun and ordered
him to throw up his hands.
The burglar answered with
shot.
The burglar then ran towards
the rear of the store on one side
OF the stairway leading to the
basement. Olson took the other
side, believing the man would at
tempt to leave the building.
When about eight feet from o.
son, the burglar let drive.
One bullet went through the
rim of Olson's hat.
Olson's automatic revolver had
four Or five times refused to work
He dropped to the floor aud re
NAMED there for twenty minutes,
vainly trying to fix the gun. He
could hear the burglar moving
back and forth in the cabinet.
1t was then that Mike Lang.
Geo. Upper, Judge Henke and VIM.
Kenzal entered the store. Lang
had to go to the center of the
store to turn on the lights. His
lction was greeted with shot.
Throughout the entire hour and
thirty-five minutes of the gun fight
the burglar did not utter a word.
They entered the store about
O'Clock and when the burglar heard
them coming he ran to long suit
cabinet on the east side of the
store. Upper went to the cab
met and was STOPPING down rails
ing the dust curtains. The burg
lar was spotted and when Upper
said: There he is," the man ,let
fact that Upper was down low,
and the man standing above him
and hampered in his movements by
the clothes behind which he was
standing, saved a tragedy then.
The men in the store called i to
the man to come out and give him
self up. His reply was couple
CT shots from his revolver Il
From then on for nearly an hour
and a half shot after shot was ex-
changed. Hartman and Lang got
on top of the clothes cabinet with
the intention of cutting the. cur
tains so that others could see the
burglar. The latter took shot
at them through the wood top OF
the cabinet. The two succeeded
in their attempt to cut the curtains.
The burglar was huddled in the
extreme corner at the south end
OF the cabinet, and had a 3core5of
suits packed around him. y
Louis Holmes finally walked up
directly opposite where the man
was secreted in the clothes cabinet
and waited for him to expose some
part Of his body. =
The burglar showed his left arm
and pointed the revolver at Holmes.
Before he could pull the trigger.
holmes let drive with charge OF
No. shot from the shotgun with
which he was armed.
The shot was true and struck
the mans arm. Holmes took an
other shot and struck him in the
left leg. ri
:, Numerous calls were made and
the burglar then came out.
He was bundled into the Lang
automobile and taken to the sfer-
in's Office at the county jail. where
ne was stripped and searched. II
a.. A peck basket full of stuff vas (
taken from his pockets. Enough
loose matches to fill a carton were
round. That he was IAN old hand
at the game and q genuine crook
was proven BY: the STUFF he car
irfed. "a. :Fs.. ..@&.t L. n. 5 u s<s
VIII sell the Pioneer Meat Mar
Sket IN Bowbells or will trad q 5 for
land or live stnnk. "a