The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-26
Latin for use ON the Range.


the Moreland ranch. told an interesting
story yesterday to party of friends:
Some years ago he and his brother,
sons of an English clergyman and gradu-
ates of Oxford University, came to this
country and went upon the ranges to
learn something of the stock business.
The younger brother, like many young
men who adopt this sort of life, was in
clined to be the cowboy of romance, and
let his hair and beard grow unrestrained,
dressed roughly, and soon became, in
appearance, a veritable son of the plains.
A few years ago he went out in the
capacity Of a deputy sheriff to hunt a
notorious half breed horse-thief. He
came upon his man after time, dropped
his revolver upon him and said: You
are my prisoner" SHOW me your war
rant" Young Randall was inexperi-
enced in catching desperadoes, and he
lowered his revolver and began fnmbling
in his pocket for the requisite document.
As he did so the haIf-breed shot him
and fed. He was not seriously wound
ed, and, reaching a neighboring ranch,
sent to the sheIiff's office a full account
of his adventure, and rested while his
wound healed.
When he was again able to travel. he
took his horse and started across the
range for his headquarters. One day he
met an officer who was on the lookout
for the same half-breed whose spprehen-
sion was additionally demanded by his
murderous mode of escape from Randall.
The latter's general appearance did not
greatly differ from that of the half breed,
and the officer, as soon as he saw him,
thought he had his man, showed revolt
yer in his face and said: you are my
prisoner" Randall said: "show your
warrant" "You can't play your old
game on me-" said the officer, and in
stead Of producing the warrant TO the
supposed half-breed, he exhibited an
other six-shooter at dead aim. The Off
Ger was fully convinced in spite of Ran
dalPs protestations, that he had the
half breed desperate With the long rec
ord Of crime, and he started for town
with him, rot caring very much if the
regulators of that range should drop
around and take his prisoner off his
hands
As they rode along, Randall, though
diSarmcd and helpless, was very refrac-
tory and rebellious, and the officer was
more and more convinced that his pris-
oner was the man whose apprehension
had SO long been demanded, and he mis-
took the English accent for the rem
nants of the Chinook dialect.
Near town they rode into a cowboy
roundup and the officer placed his pris-
oner in a cabin under guard, and de-
tailed all the circumstances N connec-
with the arrest of this notorious maraud-
err. The cowboys concluded to spare the
county the trouble of trying and convict
ing the prisoner, with the possibility of
no conviction and the probability of no
greater punishment than Imprisonment
and they concluded 60 hang their man
there and then. A stout rawhide larat
was produced and committee appoint
ed to wait upon the prisoner, pass sem
tence and conduct the execution. They
went into the improvised Jail and stated
their purpose. The prisoner made loud
protestations of his innocence and of
the mistaken identity and told them he
had friend in the neighboring town
who would readily identify him as the
man he claimed to be. 1t was concluded
to give him a chance, and the man
whom he named, a we'll known stock
grower, was sent for. 1t had been years
since Randall and his friend had met.
lIrvsss4y--r 1sF15czrrssnes:s ssasesdssfRsRGeg
were confronted. in the presence Of the
committee, without warning on either
side, neither recognized the other. So
that test totally failed, and the rope was
produced once more. But again did
Randall plead his innocence and beg for
fair trial The committee relented a
little and began asking him questions as
to his past movements. Of each year
and almost each month he was required
to give a history, none of which was
satisfactory, until he got back to the year
when he said he graduated from Oxford
university. This declaration was re-
ceived with incredulity.
One of those present was himself
college graduate and he resolved to give
the prisoner a last show and he asked
him if at Oxford he had studied Latin.
Randall answered in the affirmative and
named the books he had read. 'Let me
hear something from Cesar" said the
examiner. Randall, with glibness born
of familiarity and heightened by death
ly despair, ratified off and translated
page or two of the Commentaries
telligible to all who heard him except
the other college graduate.
Boys" said the examiner, this man
is no more half-breed than 1 am, turn
him loose" And young Randall's life.
was saved by his knowledge of Latin.
This is the truth, and all the ingenious
of the dime novel writers
who delight in detailing air-breadth
escapes, does not furnish such curious
Darallel.-Independent