News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-08-08
THE CATTLE QUEEN.
STORY OF A LYNCHED ANA.
ZON'S PRAIRIE LIFE.
She Was a Splendid Shot and Could
Ride with the Boldest--Her Expe-
riencc with Gamblers.

She was Splendid Shot and Could
Ride with the Boldest-Her Expe-
} rience with Gamblers.
People in Wyoming are not We,
through talking about the tragic fate OF
Cattle Kate" Maxwell, who was lynched
With George Averill, her partner. 'The
Queen, as she was called, was known
from one end of the Territory to the
)thor, and while not respected, all feared
her, as much on account of the thieyisl,
proponsitios of her adherents rs her own
prowess with the six-shooter.
Dashing Kate Maxwell, the lavless
aeroine of Sand Greek, w. T., was n
woman of nerve, and her many csca-
2ades brought her into prominent noto.
tioty heforo the Rocky Mountain public
aore on less frequently during the past
icur years.
Cattle Kate" by which name she
vas known far and wide, was a woman
If undoubted pluck and spirit, and
whenever she pleased could be most
fascinating in her manners and conver
sation. She was above the average
height, with black hair and eyes and
regular features. She was regarded as
Gather handsome but for scar on her
chin. She was little over thirty and
iond of dress rs n society woman, de-
spite her rough life and surroundings.
She wore silks and velvets, with an
abundance of jewelry when about the
ranch or in town. When on horseback
she usually wore mans suit of cordu-
roy, with sometimes a short skirt of the
same material, but oftcner without.
She had been a variety hall singer, but
;ook to ranch life at once. She liked to
ride and shoot, and showed a great
iondness for all sorts of athletics.
The daring Kate had been on Sand
Greek for about four years, and since
ner husbands death had managed q
small cattle ranch. Maxwell, her hus-
Dand, was n quiet sort of fellow, and
dsed to make trips to Chicago every fall
to sell cattle and spend the money in
"doing the town." He brought wife
oack with him after one of these trips,
and this wife was no less parsonage
than the notorious Kate.
Before Maxwell died his ranch was
known to every fleet footed Indian run
ner and bad prize fighter in the Terri
tory. There were running rnces and
prize fights, dog fights and cock fights Mt
the Maxwell place nearly every day, and
it soon became rendezvous for pretty
tough class of people, Kate had induc-
sd her husband to send 10 Chicago for
Tom Mason, an ex-faro dealer, and he
was installed as foreman of the ranch.
After Maxwell died the place became
notorious, and to-day it is headquarters
for the most reckless gang of cowboys
and half-breeds i'll the Territory.
Kate entered upon her new life with
q spirit and zest which has seldom been
cqualed i'll so short time, even by the
nlost reckless and daring of cowboys.
To her it was AN easy step from the foot
lights of the concert hall i'll Chicago to
the daredevil every day life on the
ranch ut Sand Creek After her hus-
bands death, SO strong was she in the
bold. that she had gained over tho des-
per,,to men who were associated with
hor in conducting its affairs, sho fouud
no difficulty in easily maintaining her
position as the mistress.
Her men were devoted to her and
boosted of her horsemanship and steady
aim whenever they could. Kate killed
one man at least and wounded another.
A drunken Mexican ''greaser" insulted
her at roundup, and before the cow
boys could reach him Kate had shot him
dead. One of her own men presumed
TO call her katie one day and she sent
bullet through his right arm ''to teach
him manners" she said.
All of the men except Foreman Tom
Mason spent the greater portion of the
time in the gambling house of Mike Far
lev and Joe Boden, at tho new town of
Bcssemer.
They lost heavily and were soon i'm
portuning Mrs. Maxwell for advance
money on next seasons wages. She lee
tured them severely and on one occa-
sion read tho riot act to the men when
she missed roll of bills from her
room.
The financial condition of tho ranch
went from bad to worse, and Farley and
Boden waxed richer. Kate heard hints
that gambling was not on the ''square,"
and sent Mason to Bcssemer to investi
gate. The foreman reported that the
men were being systematically robbed.
The way Kate avenged the robbing OF
the men has been told. Her descent on
the gambling house with pair of six
shooters nearly resulted in the lynching
of the gamblers and ended in their be-
ing driven out of the country and the
burning of their establishment.
Old Washakie, the ShoshOne Indian
chief, who enrolled rs government
scout, used to visit the Maxwell ranch
frequently. He had two or three young
bucks who could outrun anything in
the territory, and Kate's cowboys were
constantly challenging them to a race
and as constantly being beaten. Kate
always backed her own men literally,
and she finally sent to Chicago for pro
fessional sprinter. He was dressed up
as cowboy and kept around the ranch
in anticipation of Washakic's visit He
couldn't very we'll give his party the
"double cross" however strongly in
clincd, because he couldn't speak the
Indian tongue and he WAS backed to
win against two of lho Indians until the
s,Nnlc~ had their blankets up and stood
to lose oNoIythHB but their rcd skins
on the race.
The Chicago sprintcr won, and the |
Indians philosophically parted with |
their money, ponies, guns and blankets.
Old Washakie saw the trick, however,
and has never visited the ranch since.
Kate visited Cheyenne a year ago |
this summer and put up Mt the best
hotel and occupied n suite Of rooms that
were fitted up for Henry Oelrichs, n
brother of Hermann Oelrichs, of New |
York, when Harry wss drawing n So, 900 |
yearly salary as manager of an English |
cattle company. She was on her good
behavior, and only once betrayed the
amazon. She had been spending money
freely and big stories were IN circulation
concerning her wealth and the extent |
Of her cattle ranch. A tramp" printer |
accosted her on the street ono day, an
nouncing himself as q reporter, and |
asked her some impcrtlnent question. /
She knocked him down with a stunning |
left handler and lashed his face with |
her riding whip till lie begged for
mercy.
Kate last fall took nearly all her stock |
to Chicago and came back with consid
cradle money. Neighboring cattlemen
declare that there are more cattle with |
her brand on the range to-day than she
over had, and Mrs. MaxwelPs Greer |
was, in consequence, liable to be cut
short at any moment. She committed |
the most venal oilense known among |
Stockmen. She had been "rustling."
Ter cowboys were adapts at this, and |
the Maxwell ranch was believed to be |
tho Headquarters Of the greatest gang of |
'rustlers" ever known i'll the Territory. |
fustling is the alteration of brands |
on cattle, and the \. il. brand, through |
the exertions of Cattle Kate's gang, was
becoming the most numerous i'll Sweet
wator County. The stockmen organ /
ilcd for protection, and a raid on the
Maxwell ranch was Just one of the