The Ward County independent., 1921-10-06
RED" BURNS, IN M0HALL JAIL,
WORST MAN TAKEN IN N. OAK.

Mohall where three members of the
gang are being held awaiting trial.
The trouble may come when they are
taken before the courts for trial.
The wife of one of the bandits has
told of her husbands securing his
weapon from an official whose positi-
on would seem to preclude his conniv-
ance at such daDerdly piece Of
work. The name of the Minot resort
keeper whose offer of $1,000 to the
bandit getting Watkins scalp is well
known to the officers and his offer
has been traced with almost absolute
certainty to its source.
In speaking Of his arrest, "Red"
says that if he had had his "gat"
ready he would have "got" the off,
Ger in the back of the Watkins car as
he made the arrest of Burns. This
officer was Upton and had the gun
man but known this same Upton had
his gun pointing directly at Reds"
vitals at the very moment Of making
the arrest and had this Burns man
made one false move his life would
have been the penalty. So in this
one instance Burns would not have
been so cock-sure as he would have
his auditors believe. There are
those of our tax-paying friends who
will probably express the wish that
this circumstance might have taken
place in which event the public
would have been spared the expense
of his trial and keep.
One of the bandits in the Mohall
Jail has divulged the name of the Mi
not man who passed the hack-saws
into Ward County Jail recently which
little circumstance resulted in the es-
cape Of noted gun-man and "killer"
from the tolls Of justice. Certain
Liberty bonds have been traced that
rewarded the Minot man for his eff
forts.
Three more men are wanted to COM
plete the list Of gun-men whom the
enforcement officers require to make
the chain complete. Just when or
where this much desired object will
be attained cannot be foreseen but
when one looks into the steely eye of
either Watkins or Upton he under
stands that their assertions that they
will "get" their men has a mighty
sinister significance.
The bandits under arrest are known
to have been connected with burg
laries and attempted murder at STAN
ley, robbery and murder at Kenmare,
and bank robberies at Lund's Valley,
Grano and Norma. The possession
of certain pieces of silk by Minot
parties may yet implicate some of the
men 'higher up" in these transactions
When the full details are given to the
public something of a sensation will
be created.
The Watkins forces are engaged in
apprehending not alone the whiskey-
runner, but are employed in tracing
stolen automobiles and plunder of
sundry character.
On one day this week they sue
ceeded in tracing no fewer than three
Ford care that have been stolen re-
Gently. Two of these cars have been
restored to owners and one is yet to
be returned from Montana. There is
q growing sentiment in favor of en-
forcement of the laws and respect
for the statutes of our state and
nation. When deeds Of violence,
murder, arson, robberies and thug
gerry become complicated with the
whiskey controversy it is safe to
presume that the public will be found
aligned with the forces of law and
order.
Commenting upon conditions, Mr..
Watkins attributed the crime wave of
our state and nation to the laxity Of
the courts and the men whose swofn
duty it is to see that justice is meted
out to the offenders. 1ndeterminate
-. L. Ao
suspend sentences are a fruitful
source of abuse of judicial privilege.
In a recent address before the w. c.
r. U. he called attention of the del
egates to the, fact that steps should be
taken to see that the next legislature
enact laws looking towards the
abolishing of suspended sentences
and indeterminate sentences.