Glenburn Street Duel
March 22, 2023 — Citizens of Glenburn awoke with a start to the sound of flying bullets on this day in 1908. W. B. Bennett and a man by the name of Brooks started a genuine gunfight on the streets of Glenburn after refusing to pay their bills at the livery barn. It was reported that both of the men exhibited the usual signs of a night spent in the local saloon.
The two men arrived in town for a night of drinking, and deposited their horses in Glenburn’s livery barn. After a night on the town, and the taste of liquor fresh on their breath, the two men headed back to the stable to claim their animals and head home. Bennett, claiming to be a United States Deputy Sheriff, began the row after stepping into the stable, demanding his horse from the livery’s keeper. The keeper gave the pair their horses, but the two men refused to pay the bill for the horses’ feed.
A fight broke out and Bennett, still claiming to be a sheriff, fired a shot and rode off into the night. His partner quickly followed and the two began riding through the streets of Glenburn, firing shots in every which direction. The now-awake citizens of the town gathered in the streets to find out the cause of the ruckus. After assessing the situation, several of the men-folk organized a posse and rode after the troublemakers.
A short gun-fight ensued on the Main Street of the city, and Bennett was shot in the stomach.
The two men retreated to a farmhouse about a half-mile outside of the city, but were quickly apprehended by the posse.
Bennett was taken to a local doctor, but another physician had to be called in from Minot to perform surgery in order to remove the bullet, which had lodged itself below the man’s left lung. Both men were later taken to Minot and locked up for the incident.
“Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from Humanities North Dakota. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.