Omaha daily bee., 1884-07-17
THREE men KILLED.
The Most Desperate Pistol Practice
Ever Known in The WGSt.
Extraordinary Nerve of n Couple of
wounded Horse Thieves.

Butte Inter Mountain, July IL.
At Cottonwood, in Meagher county,
few days ago, one Of the most desperate
afrsvs ever recorded in Montana took
Mace. For several weeks two suspicious
characters we're in the vicinity OF the
settlement, who were supposed to be
horse thieves. They were known as rat
tlesnake Joe, the terror of the west, and
his partner, O'Fallon. The ranchmen
in the vicinity determined to watch
them. On July 4th the two desperadoes
we're on Big Springs creek, and had a
Misunderstanding with some half-breeds,
more particularly with one by the name
of jackson. From words it came to
blows. Rattlesnake Jake dealt Jackson
a blow with his pistol in the mouth, and
made him lie down on the
ground, face downwards, under
penalty of death. After Jackson got up
he ran to his cabin, a short distance
away, and arming himself with a Win
chester. he prepared to defend himself.
In the meantime, the two desperadoes,
seeing some half breeds in front of T. @.
Power & Bros store, walked up in front
of the store and told the whites to get
out of the way, that they were going to
clear all the half-breeds out. Firing
commenced almost at once, rattlesnake
shooting at a half breed, who returned
the shot with good effect, hitting him in
the hand, and knocking off a couple of
his ingers. The desperadoes then said
they would clean out the town, and com
menced shooting at everybody
in sight. There was only three
guns in the town, and they were placed
in the hands of men of u%ndaunted cour-
age. who used them with such good effect
that both of the supposed horse thieves
were run down in a short time, OFallon
being shot first through and through with
q Winchester rifle, and Ra~ttlesnake SER
we'd in a like manner q short time after
ward. Both men showed great pluck.
O'Fallon, after being shot through, rode
back to his partner and asked him If he
was hurt. Jake said that he was. swell"
said O'Fallon, 81 am shot, and l am a
dead man, but / will stay with yau." At
that moment he fell from his horse, then
raised himself upon his knees, took
deliberate aim with his Winchester at a
young man named Smith IAN outsider
who was trying to get away from the
~fracas) and shot him through the head,
killing him instantly. The citizens saw
that there would be more men killed if
the thing was not ended quick, and shoot-
ing from pistols of all sizes commenced
in earnest. O'Fallon took five shots in
his body before he fell the second time,
and then he raised himself on his side
and continued shooting until he had not
strength left to support himself, and after
lying down he kept shooting as long
as there was life in him. Rattle
snake Jake, after he was shot
through the body, kept shooting; then
his right arm was broken by a ball, and
he changed to his left had and kept shoot
ing: another ball broke his leg, and sup
porting himself by the other, he kept
shootingi another ball struck his chiu,
carrying away half of his jaw, when he
fell on the ground raised himself on his
side, and kept shooting. From weak
ness he could not support himself any
longer, and he fred lying fiat on the
ground. There were nine balls in him
before he gave up. Just before he drew
his last breath he made an effort TO raise
his pistol again, but had not strength
enough, and it fell by his side.