The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-02-13
SOUTH DAKOTA
BAD MAN SLAIN
Wayne Kelly, a Notorious
Outlaw, Shot to Death
by Deputy Sheriff.

Sioux Falls, S. D.-Wayne Kelly.
accounted the last of the bad
men" of the South Dakota frontier,
died with his boots on
After series of thrilling cap
lures, escapes and pursuits. he
finally was cornered recently by
number of officers and was shot
and killed while again endeayoring
to make his escape from his pur-
suer.. His career, for elusiyeness,
had many of the features of that
of the famous BILLY, the Kid no
torious southwestern outlaw, who
kept the frontier of Arizona and
New Mexico in a turmoil for a
number of years, and his exploits,
If told in detail, would fill many
newspaper columns. and would fur
nish the material for Zane Gray
novel.
Kelly's stamping ground" was in
the thinly settled country in north
western South Dakota, adjoining
southeastern Montana. andssporth-
eastern Wyoming, as well as south
western North Dakota. The re-
glon has many wild and isolated
hiding places, and it is said Kelly
was familiar with practically every
square yard of the immense terri
tory in which he roamed.
Escaped From Jail.
In this region are the famous
Slim Buttes, which marked the site
of a bloody battle between United
States troops and Sioux warriors,
who were fleeing after the Custer
massacre.
Since Kelly's escape from a Jail
In that region in August, where he
was being held for trial on a charge
of cattle and sheep "rustling," Off
GERS all over the state had been
on the lookout for him. Recently
they learned he was on ranch
near Covert, a small village on he
Moreau river.
The authorities were given a
"up' that he had gone to the ranch
to obtain his car, which he had left
there some days before, and the
officers, headed by Deputy State
Sheriff Floyd Short, surrounded the
place at night, some of the mem
bers Of the posse concealing them
selves in a shed which stood be-
tween the ranch dwelling and the
barn.
When daylight broke Kelly came
from the dwelling and started to-
ward the barn, evidently to-, feed
his saddle horse, which the officers
afterwards found there. AS Kelly
was about to pass the shed, the
members of the posse ordered him
to "stick 'em up!"
Kelly threw his arms about half
way up, and Kept backing up, with
the officers commanding him to
"put 'em higher" Kelly kept draw
ing back and finally his right hand
dropped toward his gun, and not
ing this movement Deputy State
Sheriff Short fired at him at close
range with a rifle. Tie bullet
struck Kelly in the right side,
about half way between the Shout
der and his waist, and he died al
most instantly.
Chased for Weeks.
Early last spring posse was
constantly on Kelly's trail for a
period Of three weeks in an effort
to capture him, but ne finally es-
capped the pursuing officers by
swimming his horse across swol-
len stream during the spring fresh
cts.
Kelly was captured last summer,
but the officers did not hold him
long, for after being in frontier
Jail for less than two nights he
succeeded in making his escape
with assistance from the outside.
At that time he was traced to q
canyon In the Slim Buttes, where
he made his headquarters in a
deep, ragged rayine, entrance to
which could be made by only one
person at a time.
Thinking lookout was main
tanned, the officers crawIed some
distance to point near the mouth
of the canyon, and then, seeing no
sign OF life, made their way into
the canyon one at a time. This
was early one morning. Kelly evil
IDENTIFY felt so secure in his noun
tain fastness that no lookout was
maintained.
Therefore the officers we're able