The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-01-02
HUNTING HORSE THIEVES.
MONTANA ovERRuN WITH BANDS
OF LAwLESB MEN.
An Eruption of violence which Vigi-
lance Committees are Treating
With Doses OF Hemp.


A recent letter from Miles city, Mon
tana, to the New York Times saws:
Never since the dark days of 1868 a has
Montana been so overrun with horse
thieves, road agents and other bad
characters as at the present time. Both
whites and reds have taken hand at
the business, as though endeavoring to
see which could Guido the other in
deeds of villainy and acts of crime. As
it stands both parties are about even,
with no back counties to hear from. The
first act of the past year was committed
May Is, near Glendive, by well organ
lied band of road agents, who made a
murderous attack on Major Whipple,
regular army paymaster, in the hope of
securing some SIS, 900 or $50, 900 which
that officer was carrying to pay off the
troops at Fort Buford. The scheme
failed, owing to the fact that the mules
became frightened at the rapid firing
and ran away with the ambulance in
which the funds were being transported.
A brave soldier, however, was killed,
Sergeant Aquila Coorod, and two others
were badly wounded.
About the same time Con Murphy, the
notorious road agent, made his escape
from the Deer Lodge penitentiary, where
he had been incarcerated for several
years, and commenced operations in the
western part of the Territory. On May
26 he made bold attempt to "hold up"
the Benton coach, near NIitchell's ranch,
on which occasion passengers were
robbed in broad daylight. His partner,
q oil 30
into Idaho and make raid on Ricks's
ranch, and get what money he could.
Kicks was wealthy cattleman and had
great deal of ready cash on his prem
Uses. Kicks, however, was fully pre-
pared for the attack, and when the high
waymen came in sight, Kicks, with
; eighteen or twenty cowboys at his back,
rode boldly forth to meet them, and
"smote" the robber chieftain dead in his
tracks and put his band to flight.
| Murphy was captured few weeks later
and lodged in the Jail at Helena, where
it was supposed he would be secure, but
on the night of July 21, he broke Jail,
through the aid of confederates, and is
now at liberty. He was assisted mate
rally on regaining his freedom by the
kind consideration of Sheriff Fitzpatrick
and his watchmen, who, on the evening
in question, were interested spectators
of prize fight at the Academy of Music.
While the sheriff and his aids were look
| ing at the scientific display of the manly
art, their prisoner, whom they left
shackled, had gotten rid of his irons, and
was making his escape. through hole in
the ceiling of his cell,
Con Murphy, at the present writing, is
on an island in the Missouri river, twenty
five miles from Helena, with a band OF
twenty desperate outlaws around him.
He is in position to defy 500 armed
men, and is so confident of his safety
that he has made no effort to get out OF
the country. Recruits are constantly
joining him, and he is no doubt prepar
ing to carry on system of depreciation
and plumber the like of which never has
been heard of before in the Northwest
Personally, Murphy is brave man
While being brought from Helena tC
Butte when last arrested, although man
acled and handcuffed at the time, he
boldly jumped from a Utah and North
ern train while travelling at speed o.
twenty miles an hour. The train wa
stopped and the outlaw recaptured with
out difficulty.
On the Fourth of July two desperadoe'
named respectively "Rattlesnake Jake
and his partner, Steve O'Fallon, made
descent on the little village of Cotton
wood, in the Dog Den mountains, will
the avowed intention of cleaning out thu
town. They rode up to the open door
way of T. G Powers store and began
firing into the crowd inside without an,
warning whatever. The citizens of thu
town were soon drawn into the fight. anC
before many minutes had passed o Fallol
fell with five shots in his body. Will,
in the last agonies of death he raised
himself upon his knees, and, taking de
liberate aim with his Winchester at
young man named Smith, tan outsider
who was trying to get away from tn,
fracas, shot him through the head, kill
ing him instantly. "Rattlesnake Jake
took nine balls into his body before h,
yielded up the ghost.
Early in the summer there was q CRANE
revival Of horse stealing all over Mon
tana. 1t grew so rapidly in favor, anC
has been participated in by so man,
people of late, that it may be trul,
classed at present among the prominen
industries of the Territory. Up to within
few weeks there was, between tn
Muscle Shell and Judith rivers, the mos
daring and powerful band of horse anC
cattle thieves, regularly organized anC
captained that has ever existed in tn
Northwest. The numerous depreciation
and outrages committed by this bant
Numbering over one hundred) at las
called for the speedy organization o
safety and vigilance committees. Cattle
men, stock growers and sheep raiser
went at the thing in a business-like way
From each roundup party a number o
cowboys was detailed, under fearles
leaders, to scour certain sections O
country, and when nest was foun,
to clean out the same in short order
Deputy sheritfs and their posses wer
voted no good. They had been trie,
and found to be wanting,
There has been deal of hanging i
the northern country during the pas
season, and no one will ever know VIII