The Helena independent., 1889-12-01
When the Sheriff is Busy the Regu,
lar Army Boys Keep the
Bad Men Quiet.
Daring Attempt of Road Agents to
Rob a Paymaster Near
Fort Laramie.
Fsar Months Pay secured which was
Never RecoVered-Thc killing
Of the Robbers,

more than four neighbors at any one ume'
il will not be supposed a sheriff or consta-
BILE can get very fat out of fees And when
some marauder. who has no fear OF the law
before his eyes. breaks over the one lnheAi-
ble rule and steals something, he must lie
pursued and caught and vigorously pun
ished Ia keen Others from following the
scriptural injunction 10 go and do Ike
wise" Now and then a band of outlaws
would drift into the region of Fort Lara
mie. where the writer was stationed IN the
honorable capacity Of high private in
"doughboy'' regiment some years ago, and
attempt to run OFF stock or commit other
depredations. If the invading party were
small. or their advent occurred at a season
of the wear when time hung heavily on the
settlers hands. they would be pursued by
the regularly constituted army of the law
for no territory 50 new, no country so large,
but that officers could be found III album
dance TO assume the duties and draw the
nav. But if bad Judgment guided the coun-
sels of the unruly. and they came on des-
perate deeds intent on busy seasons, or
when officers hands were full of other oc-
cupations, the regular army would be turned
TO by settlers for protection. , And partly
because their duties demanded it, but
chiefly because their wishes inclined 10 give
poor soldiers exercise, the officers invariably
rendered every assistance in their power.
As rule soldiers are paid NJ the end of
each month: but at frontier posts this il
often difficult. and a pay day once IN two
months il considered good enough. When
winter comes pay days are still more irregu-
lar. A paymaster may be showed up III
comfortable four company fort, where the
society is pleasant, the quarters agreeable
and such inducements as cards and cognac
are offered him. In such case he will not
rush frantically out into the storm and run
the risk of being snowbOund in some dreary
mountain PASS but will exercise his lntelli-
sepce and the unpaid soldiers frugality at
one time and in one motion. The winter III
question had been very severe one, and
no naymaster had reached Fort Laramie
since the holidays. As spring began her
regular battle with wyoming winter
we began to look for Paymaster Eschol
and his escort The long road 10
the south and the mountain pass TO
the north were both scanned from
morning until night by Il hundred men who
bepan 10 think they could not live much
longer without money. The snow had all
melted away and the ground WAS III reason
ably good shape for wheeling, when one
morning the bugles sounded reveille and
the boys turned ont for the regulation break
fast of coffee and bread, the word went
through the quarters like wildfre that a
strange ambulance was standing out by the
stables. rush was made by the soldiers
10 gaze on this vehicle and To speculate as
10 whether or not il had conveyed the pay
master and our good money into camp. No
one seemed to know where il came from,
even the sergeant who had charge OF the
stable declining 10 talk, having too high a
regard for his Importance TO dissipate II by
revealing the only secret he possessed.
Little groups Of soldiers fell 10 discussing
the matter. and, naturally fell to betting
the pools running about even IN favor OF
and against the proposition that Eschol had
arrived But long before guard mount the
matter WAS settled. IL was not the pay
master: and winners of bets was just as
badly of as before. for there was nothing
with which TO pay. The ambulance had
been fitted up at Laramie, ON the railroad
town made famous 10y the bold and bril-
liant William Edgar Nye, and had been
hauled 10 the fort to be ready for the pay
master when he arrived from Fort Fetter.
man, as his own vehicle, 80 the message ran
WIS badly disabled. About noon of the
same day the regular watchers ON the outer
walls discerned u group of dark objects ON
the mountain road, and promptly spread the
news that the long expected "cash was
comm" Upat the officers quarters We
saw the captains studying the moving fig
ures with a field glass, and knew they were
as anxious as we 10 greet their salaries.
Suddenly, as we watched first the grouL
ON the mountain road and then the groupai
the quarters. We were conscious of com
motion. The coming caravan seemed thrown
in confusion, Little clouds of dust were
tossed IN the air-no. IL was not dust, IL wls
smokel There was fight! The officer
were half wild. The post commander tool
the glass. leyeled il moment, and ther
turned and issued an order In a moment
bngles blew and drums beat ''assembly'
with a swift, stirring force that betokened
urgency. and "Fall in, Company d." wa,
the order. The bugles had already sounded
'boots and saddles for the cavalry when Oul
orderly sergeant called quickly the names oi
twenty men in the company. We wer,
ordered TO gel our arms Ht once; tn,
others were dismissed On reassemblinl
we were marched 10 the armory and eacl
man WAS provided with thirty cartridges
and the line of march was taken up nt 4
quick walk toward the pnss. A. we hur.
Tied nlong. a little Irregular / fear, W,
strained our eyes towHrd the pass, tive
miles away. but could see no sign of lif,
there. Whatever fate had befallen oui
paymaster. be and his assAilants had drop.
ped from sight, and there was nothing fOl
IL but a walk and season Of waiting more
or less patient. We had gone almost a
quarter Of a mile when detail of cavalr,
dashed past and gallOped for the hills
armed and accOutered for ten days' iaunt
IL 50 much were necessary.
We saw them gain The summit Of the
pass al the swinging gallop, and then sig.
nal flag told the watching officers al th,
fort. Been fight. Eschol wounded
Robbed send ambulance" The ploddnr
infantrym,n read the signals aud really
envied the caynlrv boys, who seemed in i
fair way 10 see some life. Arrived at the
pass We found the ambulance overturned 4
qunntity of gold. silver and greenbacks
scattered about on the ground. the horses
gone and Alfior Eschol lying withn cushion
nnder his head where the cavalrymen had
left linn. dc had been shot ia the shoulder
ana IN the thigh. The ambulance from the
fort reached him almost Hs soon ns We did
and brought the order 10 hurry To the river
ana prevent the escape OF the robbers there
Another walk of five miles and we were al
the riyer. II seemed small hope. In a
country ~ wide, what wis hinder robber,
so daring as these from selecting a NOR,
feasible ooursef Bntwe had hardly renched
the rivers edge when we heard shots 6red
10 the north, and instantly each man secret.
ed himself, hiding lis blue uniform in thu
gray mask of sage brushes and rocks. A
moment AfterwHrd four men came gallopinp
over a stony ridge to the left. two Of them
leading extra horses and all riding pell nell
They did not mean 10 cross the shallow