The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-10-27
a LARK BLOT.

A LARK BLOT.
Three Cowboys Shoot and Kill a
Prominent Citizen.
We have heard all sides in regard
to the shooting affair on Monday
morning and will endeavor to pro-
duce the whole story as it happened.
We do this regardless of ony ones
ideas or feelings and with a deliber-
ate intention Of placing the cold facts
before a public who have listened to
all kinds of yarns.
Three Texan cowboys in the em-
ploy Of Scott & Hanks, left Keith on
Conductor Browns train for Glen
dive sometime on Sunday afternoon.
We are informed at Keith that they
came at the wish of Brown, who
passed them to Glendive free.
Whether he had his plans laid and
wished the town taken or not we
will not judge. However, there is
but little doubt that he brought them
UP free and remained with them
until the shooting. On their arrival
here they proceeded to bowl up. The
first transgression tnat we find was
the shooting of s. sign by the smaller
of the three. Sheriff Taylor, VINO was
in the Star saloon at the time, play
ing the popular game of stud poker
with one of the trio, arose and went
out, meeting the offender. He caught
him bv the collar and the revolver
and endeavored to tell him to be quiet
and also that he was the sheriff. At
this he was covered by the other,
who had followed from the saloon,
and told to let up, which he prompt
" did, and received a blow from the
butt of a revolver from cowboy No.
l. The sheriff made ne attempt to
arrest at this time. The trio then re-
paired to the Star and carried things
with a high hand, ordering drinks
for the crowd, including the sheriff.
They paid literally for what they Or
dered. At this time the under sheriff
was present and the night police
man Boyd came and went several
times. No effort seems to have been
made to arrest them. Wejump over
q space of from a half to II and a
half hours, during which time the
cowboys we're frequently separated
and their guns were in their hostlers.
The cowboys fiaally went over by
the freight depot, accompanied by
Conductors Brown. In the meantime a
posse was collecting behind the st ,irs
at Pontel & Gallagher's corner,
and the command to 'hold
up your hands, was given (you
will notice that this is the road
agents c0mmand.) At this the Gov
beys began to retreat, and the posse
to fire upon them. The cowboys
crawled under the trucks Of a freight
car and waited. After from twenty
five to fifty shots had been fired the
crowd, imbued with some courage,
scattered and made their way to the
freight department.. Mr.. c. s. Wilt
combe, accompanied, at quite a dis
lance in the rear, by two others, one
of whom was j John Boyd, approached
the car where the cowboys were.
placed his hand against the side OF
the car and peered beneath, when
almost simultaneously came three
shots, one going through his heart
and breast, scarcely one inch and a
half apart, and either n would be
fatsl. At this his companions re-
treated, What the balance of the
crowd were doing at this time is not
definite, as each man seems to have
been his own keeper, but presently
thew found themselves safely OH the
street or behind shelter.
It does not seem to have been
known at this time that MI. Wilt
combe was shot. There seems to
have been q report to that effect and
contradicted. However, from fifteen
to twenty-five minutes after he was
killed his body was recovered. The
crowd leaving at the time Of MI.
Willicombe being shot, gavethe cow
| boys a clear field and they left for the
bluffs. lMr. Willicembe's death
seemed to have effectually quelled all
desire on the part Of the posse to
| again search until morning.
From all the inquiries we have
| made wa cannot discover that any
ATTEMPT was made to arrest the cow
| boys or any demand on the part of
| the officers for their surrender. The
| only time they were asked to give
| themselves up was the command by
| Mallory (who seems to have had
| more sand than the %officers) to throw
up their hands, and this was imme-
| diately followed by firing,
That morning after daylight one OF
the trio appeared at the depot to
| catch q train. He was covered by
| Mallory with a Winchester, with the
| order Of "hands up" 1t was a dead
| cinch aud he complied, being imme-
| diately covered by the under sheriff
| and Nor. is Cain. Two were still at
large, and two posses were sent to
! Keith, one on horseback and the
other by train, but they were not
| found. In the afternoon Billy Allen
and Bert Coleman were hunting for
a horse on Sand Greek when they dis
| covered the two cowboys. Return
| ing at once they reported and a posse
was made up, which fortunately
| found them asleep and at once took
| them in.
I The sacrifice Of a life was entirely
uncalled for, and the whole affair is
a dark blot upon u usually peace
able town. After a careful consider
| alton of this affair and how it was
conducted, we want to go on record
| that a court of law will not convict
| them of murder.-Glendire Times,
| Goth.
Personal.