, 1889-07-13
CAUGHT RED HANDED.
Billy Lykins and Tom Carroll Cap
ture Two Cattle Thieves.
Granger George Perry and His Son
lanes are the Offenders.
Trap Laid for the Rustlers, Who are
Watched All Night.
A Child UnwittingIy Gives Evidence
Against His Father.

For the past three years cattle thieves
have boldly preyed upon herds ranging in
the Horse creek country, about forty
miles north of Cheyenne. In that sec
ton the established honesty OF the farm
er finds its antithesis, for in almost every
instance the depredators have been grang
ers who followed the rain belt across the
Nebraska line into fair Wyoming. Upon
numerous occasions their crimes have
been excused when the poverty plea was
advanced with prayers for mercy. This
has become doubly tiresome. Instead of
combining themselves to stealing for their
own use these lawless grangers have
openly sold Wyoming beef in Nebraska
settlements. They come over in parties
ostensibly to hunt antelope, but return
with carcasses of the fatted steers care.
fully selected from the herds of Horse
creek ranchmen.
Billy Lykins, a well known ~stockgrow-
er and in days agone a terror to horse
thieves and other range criminals has
done more than his share in protecting
himself and his neighbors from the raids
OF these freebooters. He has captured
no less than half a dozen of the rascals
red handed, but in no instance has one of
the thieves been convicted.
Mr.. Lykins' latest capture was made
yesterday morning. The thieves are
Geo. Perry and son and they are now in
the Laramie county Jail.
Perry is a border granger who halls
from Iowa. The family settled on Horse
creek a year ago and being almost without
means received assistance from the gen
erous ranchmen. This spring Perry was
given several hundred pounds of seed po-
tatoes. The tubers were not planted as the
donor had anticipated, but were hauled to
this city and sold to a local grocery house.
When this was learned even those who
had all along held that Perry was honest
no longer doubted his rascality.
Lykins, with good reason, suspected
long since that the granger who was an
object of charity was an industrious thief
and kept his weather eye on the fellow.
He and some other ranchmen who believ-
ed themselves losers by Perry's residence
In the region set a trap for the ''rustler."
They marked in a peculiar manner the
hides OF a number of beeves and drove
the bunch to the vicinity OF Perry's
claim.
1t was figured that Thursday was one
of the lowan's butchering days and Ly.
kins camped near the fellows place, hav-
ing care that his presence was unknown.
Sure enough, at the hour when the cattle
thief of PerrY's stamp usually operates
along towards midnight-that worthy in
dividual and his son James commenced
business. The victims selected for slaugh-
ter was a full grown steer and
a big calf. They were driven into a cor
raj and killed by being struck in the head.
When the dressing was well under way
Lykins left to summon assistance in ar
resting the thieves. Tom Carroll and
several others followed the doughty little
deputy back to the rendezvous of the
thieves. Crrroll came up in time to see
Lykins display the courage for which he
is noted. Perry, senior, resisted and he
and Lykins were engaged in a
hand to hand struggle when Car
roll in terferred and helped bind the thief.
Lykins was armed and only CAROLS al
rival saved Perry from a wound at least.
The dressed carcasses were found, but
a search for the hides was about 20 be
given up when Perry was asked concern
ing their disposition He asserted
that this portion of the evidence had
been burned. A precocious heir
of the Perry family piped out: mo,
they amt burned; dad throwed 'em down
the WELL" The hides were found in the
well and Lykins has promised to have a
new crown sheet put in the boys pants.
The meat and hides we're brought to the
city with the thieves. The cattle were
the property of the Ferguson Land & Cat
tie company, of which A d. Adamson is
man ager.
Mr.. Lykins watched the thieves from
4 O'Clock Thursday afternoon until 3
o'clock yesterday morning, but was not
too weary TO bring them to the city over
land, Tom Carroll accompanying. Billy
says he will never again aid in capturing