Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1890-02-06
JOHN x. BEIDLER's EXPLOITS.

Il
Some Stirring incidents in His Eventful
Career Related by the Independent.
While acting as deputy marshal he
was given "a warrant for IA bad man on
the Yell Dwstone, who was wanted for
horse stealing, and who had threat
ened to kill Bei'ller ON sight. Y.
jumped on u blackboard and started
out. While on the road he heard the
man he was after was ahead, going
down the Yellowstone afoot with a
Winchester on his shoulder X drove
leisurely along, and, coming up with
his man, he invited him to jump in
accepted, and in the course of cOnver-
satiOn he remarked to y. that he was
looking for that ID y. Bedler. and
intended to kill him on sight. \. said
he was acquainted with the man HIM
self, and would point him out ii hu got
n chance. After "a while y. asked his
companion to drive ~ little, as he was
tired holding the lines. The man read
lily complied with this reasonable re-
quest, when y. deliberately pulled his
gun on the bad man and told him to
surrender, as he had some jewelry for
him. The man could do no less, so he
submitted with ill-cOncealed disgust to
being handcuffed, and was taken to
Fort ksogh and turned over to the
civil authorities.
MS CLOSEST CALL.
The closest call he ever had in Mon
tana was at Rattle Snake creek, near
Bannack, in the winter OF 1861. lie
saddled his mule at Bannack and
started for Alder gulch. The weather
was very cold, and it being near dark
he stopped for the night at the small
roadside house near Rattlesnake. lie
had hardly taken up his quarters
when five road agents from Bannack
appeared at the house with the in;en-
tion of killing him, having followed
him for that purpose. They had been
tried for their many crimes shortly be-
tore at Virginia City, but through some
means escaped conviction. Their
graves had been dug, however. and
they were anxious to wipe out all who
had been Instruments III their arrest.
One of the men said to N.: You are
the man who helped dig my grave"
''ie-, said ". and, 10y the way, you
have never paid me for that yet.
Tins was such an apt reply that all
laughed, and one OF the robi-r> pro
pos..'i to treat. Another insult Wa
offered in order To provoke "a reply,
but 1t was parrie,l III such "A humorous
way that drinks were again proposed.
The object OF the road agents va, to
provoke y. and then kill him. Aboui
this time "a committee of twelve Nlgl-
lantes walked in aud called Hand,
up" The locks of twelve shotgun-
clicked, and all threw up their hands.
GUARDING TREASURE.
This peculiar way of dealing with
bad men was "a noted characteristic oi
the old pioneer. Knowing he pos
sessed the qualities of good humor and
GOODNESS IN an eminent degree, and
Alistt iic WIS nav 4 VI iistl.
the Wells Fargo Express company en-
gagged him as messenger To guard the
treasures shipped from Helena to
Corinne in early days. lie was never
molested by road agents while acting
in the capacity of messenger. But on
one occasion there was II great amount
of gold dust to be sent out, and the
body seemed to know IT, notwith-
standing the Efforts of the company's
agents to keep it IA secret. y. said
never "a word till the day arrived for
the treasure coach to depart, when h.
told the agent to hold IL over for one
day. This proved good advice, for the
coach that went out on which the
treasure was to be shipped was held
up and robbed near Snake river, but
it cont aimed little OF value. Next day
y. took the treasure safely to CorInne.
When at snake river y. received dis
patch from Theodore Tracy, the agent
at salt Lake, as follows: "lieldler, Why
IN HI amt you there when our
coaches are robbed?" KS answer
was characteristic of the man. lie
wired Tracy as follows: why in HI
don't they rob them when I'm there
On arriving at Corinne y. was not
in very good humor, and told the
agent he guessed he'd quit and go down
to Salt Lake and see Tracy. lie saw
TIacy, and the first words the agent
said We're: well, n, you got my dis
patch?" And you got mIne. y. re-
piled. "Ies, and it was just a. good
as sent. What are you doing down
herey" 1--WE quit, said y. "Oh. go
on back to work; I'll raise your wages,
was Tracy's reply. y. returned and
went to work and never lost "A treas
ure for Wells, Fargo n Co. during the
whole time he rode ON the coach IA
messenger bet ween Helena and Corinne.
A HELENA EXPLOIT.
execution OF the first murderer that
ever killed man in Helena. This, the
first murder in the capital, was perpe-
trated June \, 1868, when John X keene
killed Harry Slater. While the muir
derer was making his escape he was
arrested by Y. Beidler and Col. Curtis
and turned over to sheriff Wood. The
sheriff placed TIA. prisoner in his own
house Tor protection until the legal
uthOrities could take up the case.
but the people became impatient and
determined to make an example oi
keene and not wait the long delay
that IA court trial would neces-itate
keene was taken to wood yard near
the sherifl's house and given "A trial, at
which stephen Reynolds was made
Judge, and IA jury of twelve was also
selected. keene was found guilty and