The Little River news., 1918-07-17
AWED BY SOLDIERS,
 RESISTERS GIVE UP
Had Lived for Three Days on Peanuts Posse Passed in 10 Yards of Them-COwed by Ma.
 chine Guns.


 Searcy, July 14.-Awed and cowed by the presence of overwhelming forces of soldiery hot on their trail and the machine guns which they be- lieved still stationed at the Atkinson home, Jim Blskely and his two broth CTS, Jess and Lum, and young John Penrod, members of the Atkinson gang of draft resisters, who have been fleeing before troops and posses since Sunday, June 2, came into aheadquar- ters of the Searcy- -JudSonia Home Guard at Rosebud early this morning and were taken to Searcy and gave themselves up to Captain Gustaserson, commanding officer of the company, who has been on the trail since last Sunday. Tom Atkinson and h:s son, Bliss, were said by members of the gang to be on their way to their home With the intention of giving them selves up to Cleburne county officers after they had seen their families.
 We might have stood eff the posse" one of the gang said, but we couldn't go against the soldiers, and with the machine guns against us we knew we didn't have 8 chance"
 Members of the gang tell contra dictory stories about Tom Atkinson's wound, some saying that t is serious, and one declsring that he didn't even know that the leader had been shot. Both Tom Atkinson and his son Bliss, were in the first battle at their home, when young Porter Hazelwcod was killed Sunday morning. Atkin- sen is 60 years old and wcS acknowl- edged leader of the gang, and Bliss Atkinson is below military age and was not subject to tl. draft. All three of the Blakely boys and young Penrod are chased as desorters for their failure to resroLd to the draft c:ll.
 Old Ike PeErod was one Of the first sympathizcrs ricked ID and brought into Heber Strings WI sn the coldier- citizen dragnet was swept through the woods early in the chase, and Mother Bickoly, mother of the Blakely bCys, was one Of the women brought in from the danger zone by tLe sol d: ITS when the region was cleared for battlc.
 It is certain that Tom Atkinson is wounded, despite contradictory state ments made by members of the gang, because he is travelling very slowly. He was not expected to reach his ohme before some time tonight. Threw Rifles in Greek. The four members of the gang who came into Rosebud azd surrendered were carrying their ammunition, but scid th;t they had thrown their rifles and revolvers in creek. Two revolv- CTS were found later in a tree, how CTS were found later in a tree, how. ever, after their hiding place had been revealed by member of the gang. According to stories told by the gang the drives made by the soldiers were responsible for the surrender. On the big hunt under command of Major Brandon Thursday morning down the Cadron creek valley, when warm em- bers of a fire were found, the platoon of home guard and machine gunners commanded by Captain Gustaferson and Lieutenants Lightle and Mann Of the guard, and Lieutenant Prather of the machine gunners, passed within 10 yards of the gangs hiding place. De- ployed as skirmishers on line 200 yards long, the troops drove down the valley on both sides of the creek, ana just beyond Big Bend turned back to cross and search out the caves in the high cliffs on the right hand side. The gang lay in ooncealp1ent in a thick tangle of pine thicket just ten yards from where the left wing of the line turned back to join the right wing on the cliff side. As the soldiers crossed the creek they counted them, 50 en. listed men with service rifles and five officers, medical officer and two or derlies with side arms. The display shattered the morale of the gang They knew that the United States government was against them.
 -W.S.S
 WINS VICTORY IN SENATE