The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-02-03
A BIT or
Capture OF Matt Hall ana the story Of
His Crime.

His Crime.
Yesterday Sheriff Sharpless received
the following dispatch:
Fort Fetterman, Feb. 2.
Have Matt Hall In the guard house.
Captured him on the Lightning river.
Had to shoot his horse TO capture him.
J. Field.
Mr.. John Field Is the deputy who
started out in the pursuit Of Hall some
time time since from Fort Laramie.
Tue story OF the crime, which has been
briefly limited at Is given below, is re-
lated by an eye witness.
On the 18th Of Nov. last a man
named A. IL. Smith stopped at the
ranch" of Octsvia Reeves, near Fort
Laramie, and had his team and horses
put up. He said he had contracted
with Bob Osborne, who keeps another
"ranch' near the post, for two women
to TAX to his own ranch neal Fetter-
man, but Osborne persuaded the girls
no TO go. This interference lead to a
quarrel in which Smith was knocked
and as he says robbed Of $500. At Oc-
t~avia's, Smith staid until his bill
amounted to a considerable sum, and
he gave her a bill of sale of the team to
secure this amount. While there he
was engaged in several squabbles,
which eliminated In being ordered to
leave. Then came Mat Hall, alias Max
Chambers, upon the scene, demanding
the team Smith had left, claiming that
1t had been hired at Fort Fetterman,
that he had staid as long as he was go
lug to at Osborne's RANCH" and lie
had walked six miles already, and he
was going to ride back to Osborne's in
spite of h. Octayia refused to let
the team go until the stable bill at
least, vas paid, Hall becams boistrous
and a ordered out of the house.
Then Hall became embroiled with a
soldier and drew his pistol ready for a
rise, but parties standing near inter-
feared, and the weapon was taken
away. Some days afterwards, on
Christmas day, a man named Crawford
came down from Osborne's saying he
had been sent after HALLS pistol. but
the fellow being pretty drunk and nav
ing no order, he was told to tell the
man to come and get it himself.
To this Crawford replied that he
would have the pistol or kill a ,ligger,"
but finally rode of, and in the evening
about six O'Clock "a man rode up to the
bar room of the ranch" and asked
for the proprietor, Octavia Reeves. He
was asked to come In and did SO,
mufied to the eyes, and as soon as he
was in the room demanded his pistol.
Octavia answered that 1t was not there
aud asked where Smith was, but the
fellow answered by drawing a revolver
and firing at her, the shot missing her,
however, aud mortally wounding
George Cox, an inmate Of the house
who was standing a little distance be-
hind her mistress. The perpetrator of
the deed was Immediately overpowered
by parties who were ATTRACTED by the
shot, disar med, and kept under guard
until the middle of the following day,
when the doctor pronounced the victim
to be on the road to recovery, and Hall
was given his freedom.
Georgia Cox lived but a short time
after the shooting, however, dying on
the 9Th inst, and Hall skipped, going
in the direction of Fort Fetterman, but
eluding capture until a clue was found
which lead to his capture by Deputy
John Field, a stated in the telegram
published. Hall has proven a desperate
character, defying arrest repeatedly,
and it will be no enviable job to bring
him back from Fetterman, but Fields
grit will probably succeed in e~nsconcing
the fellow In n Of the cells of the jail
here after a few days.