of this gang upon their property during the…

chunk 986 · paragraph 1352

It must be remembered that this is only one of the measures employed by the thieves and the number which were discovered was only a small percentage of that lost through the year by one company. What then must the stockmen of that vicinity have lost all told by the raids of this gang upon their property during the past three years? Enough to impoverish any persons engaged in a less profitable business. The many crooked things discovered at the recent round-up on the Gila and Duck Creek bore fruit on Sunday last. No longer able to endure the wrongs put upon them, the cattle owners determined to bring the criminals to account before the proper legal tribunals. At 3 o’clock p.m. Deputy Sheriff John Johnson began to summon a posse to aid in making the arrests. After considerable annoyance by rea- son of excuses offered by several who through fear of, or sympathy with the rustlers, declined to serve, he at a late hour secured a force of thirteen men well armed and willing to enforce the service of warrants of arrest which had been sworn out before the nearest Justice.At 11 o’clock p.m. the ranch of Wm. D. Witt Nicknamed Skeet, on Duck Creek was reached. The door was found nailed fast. No response was given to repeated knocking for admittance, but a noise was heard from the inside which apprised them that someone was within.