The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1884-03-29
A MURDERER AT LARGE.
The Slayer Of Rogers and Leeper
Escapes.

We are Ill receipt -Ol TIE lOllOW-
ing letter from DR.. Olmsted, ply
sician of the Shoshone Indian
Agency. AS the murdered men
went from Billings to the scene OF
their death, the matter is Of local
as well as general interest:
SHosHoSE AGENCY, Wyo., March
II, 1SS4.-Since your publication OF
my letter to the postmaster at Bill
lings, the murderer of George e.
Rogers and Benjamin Leeper, Chas.
Benjamine Twistleton, (by the way
it was one of the coldest, damnable,
outrageous murders ever commit
ted here abouts), has made his es-
cape, and is now a fugitive from
Justice as a horse thief and mur-
derer. He killed the men January
80, 1884, on No Water near Big
Horn: came into the Agency Febru-
ary 16, and went to North Fork,
Sweetwater county, Wyoming and
gave himself up to justice of the
Peace Cottrell on the 18th. He was
Immediately put on trial. Such a
trial a! God help the right, when a
court is convened for the purpose,
as this turned out to be, of letting
the culprit off. The citizens find
ing out how utterly loose and with
out regard for law or the rights of
the people the trial was likely to be
conducted, called in Messrs Barnaby
& Sheldon to prosecute the case for
them. They succeeded in bringing
the court to terms, and the result
would have been the binding of the
murderer over to the county court,
which was then in session at Green
River. The prisoners counsel find
ing no alternative practically gave
the case up. The prisoner a willy,
shrewd man, seeing the meshes OF
the law drawing close around him,
and knowing a rope of the proper
size and length was ready in case
the court should acquit him, and
fearing the service of a warrant
from Nebraska on him for horse
stealing: took advantage of the ab-
sence of the constable who was off
on other duty and during a recess
of the court at 3 O'Clock p. m. Feb
ruary Goth, 'to take a little sugar
in THEIRS" jumped onto the best
horse in the country, and while no
vigilance was on him, and fled to
his horses, which Rogers claimed
half ownership in, rounded them
up and skipped, leaving his friends
here, to whom he had given bill
sale, to mourn his loss. The brands
on the horses are III II which
might lead to his arrest.
Twistleton is a man about 5 feet
8 inches in height, well built, forid
complexion, cadaverish cheeks,
greyish to blue eyes, light hair we'll
brushed back, and left front tooth
knocked out and scars on neck in
region of Adams Apple, caused as he
says by shot from an Indian, the
scars are plainest on left side. He
is cool, slow talking man and
when talking salivates considera bly,
on his lips. His voice is deep dia-
pason ali all his movements
steady and well guarded, he is also
accompanied by his dog, a large
yellow cross between mastiff and
blood hound. He is one OF the best
shots in this country
There is no doubt he was helped
off, and Justice Of the Peace Cottrell
has been requested to resign, the
postmaster ut North Fork was the
clerk of the court and defendants
attorney; it is understood he has
rendered his resignation to take
effect April /.
Nothing has been done by any
body to find the bodies of the mur-
dered men and hold an inquest, and
to the sister Of Leeper, who writes
for a keepsake, a picture, or some
thing Of her brothers, am COM
PEELED to say [ cannot send her any.
She lives at Helena. M. T.