Show Establishing a Townsite PIERmS D Dec 2SGrcat excitement prevails here because of the discovery this morning that a band of about sev entj five settlers atttempted to found a townsite across the Missouri at the mouth of the river i is learned that the scheme has been in embr > o for several weeks and a i number of prominent residents of East I Pierre were concerned in it Work was commenced at 12 oclock last night and all night thereafter men with teams and loads of lumber were crossing andre and-re crossing the river the people of Pierre being entirely unconscious of what was going on All went well until about Gam and then a half breed who farms the land whereon the squatters had located discov them Seeming a band of followers he attacked at-tacked the squatters with guns pistols and lassoes They lassoed the boss carpenter and severely injured several of the home seekers Finally the latter took to flight being unable to holdout hold-out in the battle To add to their dismay storm of rain and sleet set in and one by one they came straggling across the river almost frozen and some of rver them bleeding from bruises and wound The half breeds secured the lumber piled it up and set lire to it and now all that marks the prospective tovnsite is a vast column of flame and smoke visible here while the jells of the victorious half breeds mingled with occasional pistol shots can plainly be heard on this side |