Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1878, 1877-04-04
PETE BRA11GAN.

Gives Himself Away but Sticks by his
Friemds-His Story Of the Murder,
Twelve Uhysof Hardshdp--ARecord
ofHard Riding, OF Hopes and fears.
Below will be found the statement Of
Pete Branigan, convicted Of the murder
!of John Massepgale and sentenced TO be
hung at Bismarck April 10Th who escap-
ed bnE the 10Th ult. through the assistance
Of friends and the purchase aof "a watch
man at the jail who opened the doors for
the promise Of the paltry sum Of two hun "
.dred dollars. White Bramgan carefuily y
shields those who aided him, ms state
,mentois probably in: the mains true and
will be found interesting though he naighet
have pictured much more crap hically
that long ride stp Ft. 3 Stevenson, chased
asshe was BY men brave and true from
Bismarckiaided bysas large number of In
dian scouts, but Bramig AN had wisely re-
turned to Bismarck and when i he was
supposed 10 have reached the land Of Sit
ting Bull he was comfortably quartered
in a cabin on the bottoms within sight Of
the city, and here he remained until the
general search for him was aaband doned
when lie leisap1rly made His way 10 aicoun-
try :tiy which above all others he should
have avoided. Our readers my never
know how much he suffered from fear,
hunger and exposure, as he tranped
along, frostbitten and blinded by the
glning sunlight reaectesl from vast fields
Of snow with which ne met on every hand, /,
hiding in elu1nps Of fbushes, then seeking
restin abandoned sdugouts ora last years
halystaueks topping .ls1 boldly At pub
and making himself known to
ne met; ;ftS-i Srazedd61Tper-
.haps he mas MAS ~ tie ell, memory ipf 6 that
bloody night, by the memory of;; Mass
engale's pleas for. mercy, driven, perhaps,
tosdispair9b the. difficulties with which
lhesrnet and the constant dread aofre-eap,
ture, as, he must have known that all
iaa,e haoao,e III anew trial Would be cutso by
This attempt TO beat the law through bri-
ssberyl Hut We willlgiys, hAAn tie. benefit
of his statement taking nothing from it,
adding nothing gtoit, except to omit some
immater1al portions, as given to Jesse
rBranham, of the St.fRaul sPloneer-Press
4 who i Is now IN this city: Branlanl visi-
ted himbinahis cell at Fargo and remain
isdhg ed with him in several hours and to him
Pete, gave the following 81 statement; N
On Christmas, day + had a. dinner par
ty and after dinner party Of us went
over to Morton's, ,Halland hadf a cigar.
I retGrnkd home iimmed diately after this.
When went into may, house there was
a party Of soldires there and I began talk
ing with them, Massengale caniein with
Edwards and slammed the, door and said
Ehe could lick any d-r7d son Of a b-h
ii the house tof I ten dollar note. Cor
poral Edwards Of H. &C. 18th 1nfty said
he had. better come around and see who
he was talking to.el My wife requested
me to carry a table on which there was
aolunch, out Of the room so as to clean up
the kitchen. Massenga1e jumped up and
demanded to know if I wasfa fighter. l
told him was mol; he said the house
was fraud and every sonIof b--7h that
lived in it. I said every &one had been
Etreated dnghtssmceIJuI the house that
soldiers and citizens were treated, alike.
/ sal, the table down IN the corner Of the
bar room ana CLOSED 9tf1el Kitchen door,
On mvway aybaek throighthe hesitting room
to the bar:roorn, Massengaleu jumped up
and said YOU + the son iof.a BIB I came
to fick. sGorporal Edwards said dom t
kabrnse that man, that is our friend. Keep
on your blouse and come with me, Crow
Iy.d Mas. engalss 20; said stand back
and give Johnny show, meaning Mass
engale. aoHe repeated this Iagaln e and
again and said we tcamefo for fight and
We Ven mean ia. have It. Then Crowly said
Ito Corporal Edwards let: go of him or I
will slap yo,I.s Emma requested me to go
and get get Pete Malloy, the marshal, ard as
I was yy; putting on my coat TO do so Crow
lyistepred ahead Of me and as hewas un-
tieing his scarf he had b his hand under
his coat, and said to me stand back. i
pushed him against the stove, Massen-
gale brokeIoCse from Edwards and struck
me on the sideof the head and continued
striking at me till we came in front of the
stove, when he hit me knocked me against
the wall. / asked il he had anything IN
his hand, but no one answered. He was
grabbing for my throat and run his finger
in my mouth, and said let go; don't bite
my finger. / said / would If he behaved
himself. then broke loose from him.
and he grabbed at me again, breaking
my watch chain and tore three buttons OF
myvest. 1 run to the kitchen door and
he followed to the sitting room door.
Emma jumped in ahead of him and says
dor,+ vo., follow him. he said YOU Id