The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-04-10
SANDERS AND POWERS.
THE TWO REPUBLICAN SENATOR'S
FROM MONTANA.
Exciting Episodes of Their Early Days in
the Far West-PropOsed Transfer of the
Pension Office to the War Department
Other Washington Matters.

Other Washington Matters.
ESPECIAL CORRESPOND NCE.]
WASHINGTON, April 10, 1890.
Col. w. B. Sanders, one of the Repub-
iican Senators from the State Of Montana.
has been in Washington some weeks. and
has already created for himself quite
reputation as a wide awake Westerner
and most interesting story-teller. His
seat in the highest legislative body in
the world, as we'll rs that of his colleague,
Tom Powers, has been contested inch by
inch by ex-Delegate McGinnis and Hon.
w. A. CLARK, who also claim the right to
represent the great State. All four OF the
claimants are men of wealth, and every
evening intimate friends of the quartette
gather about their headquarters, and en-
JOY the bountecus Inequalities dispensed
in the true Montana style.
Twenty yealp ago Tom Powers had the
reputation of being one of the most sue
cessful and energetic captains on the
Missouri River and commanded one of
the handsomest steamboats, that trav-
ersed that great stream. 1t is related of
him that on one occasion he executed
most daring feat, saving the lives OF
many passengers and large cargo OF
government freight from the Indians.
It was somewhere back in 1868 that the
old Fort Pe ere all the way up to Fort
Benton. The murderous savages butch
cred every white person they could lay
hands on. They were particularly
troublesome along the banks of the Mis-
souri,, and woe be unto any steamboat
that attempted to navigate the stream.
With full knowledge of what might be IN
store for hiEa, Captain Tom loaded his
boat at Yankton with Government pro-
visions for Fort Benton, and with num-
Der OF passengers, to whom he had ex-
planned the situation, coolly pulled up
the river. Everything went smoothly
enough until the fifth day, when perfect
fusillade of bullets poured into the boat
from the willows and bush on the bank
Of the river. The terror stricken pilot
imagined they were all aimed at him, and
it is safe to say some of them were, as
every glass liz the pilot house was shivered
at the first FIRE. With shrek the cow
ardly fellow fell fat on his face
and in another moment the boat
might have swung about and grounded
on a sand-ber, but Captain Powers, realiz-
ing the dangers of the channel at this
point, had instinctively rushed for the
pilot house nt the first sign of danger,
and just as the pilot dropped to the floor
he sprang to the wheel, and with steady
Bullets whiBtled through the air, splin-
tiers from the window sash few all around
him. The blood curdling yells Of the
redskins could be heard only a hundred
yards away, causing fearful agony to the
terrified passengers below. The undaunt-
ed Captain, however, hung to the wheel
with one hand and waved his hat at the
maddened eavages with the other. With
out scratch he ran the gantlet, and IN
due time arrived at his destination with
cargo and passengers safe and sound
Nor was the Captain any the loser from
damages by bullets either. He invited
his passengers into a game Of poker the
night of the attack and won enough to
repair his pilot-house. They had mot yet
recovered their nerve, SO that, although
with full knowle1ge of the steamboat
mans penchant for blufing his bob-tail
Pushes almost invariably got away with
the pot. His winnings repaired the dam
ages to his boat.
A most remarkable man for a Senator
is will be-when they -him-in Sanders,
the partner in trouble of Powers. His
adventures, particularly while leader of
the vigilantes in Montana, are of the most
sensational dime-novel character His
experiences date away back to 1861, when
Andrew Johnson was member OF the
Senate and the Southern men had with
drawn from Congress. Sanders at that time
was law partner of Charles F. Mander-
son, present Senator from Nebraska, and
lived at Canton, Ohio. They were both
in Washington, and were in the Senate
gallery listening to the exciting debates.
| There was so much noise that Charles
| Sumner, who was speaking, demanded
that the galleries be cleared. The two
partners went out with the rest, but San
| ders, being anxious to hear what was 60
ing on, coolly walked around to the main
door of the Senate floor, and with great
nonchalsnce announced to the door
keeper that he was Senator of the
Southern Confederacy, and as such en-
titled to the privileges of the floor.
| The doorkeeper was dumbstruck, and be-
fore he could recover Sanders walked in.
Later, when the galleries we're reopened,
Henderson took his old seat and looked
down on his partner comfortably lolling
on a lounge taking in the interesting pro-
| ceedings.
The experiences of Sanders for the
past twenty years in Montana are house,
| hold tales all over the Western country.
| They are such as few men have gone
through and lived to relate in the draw
ing-rooms of Washington official life. AS
leader of the famous vigilantes of Mon
tana, Sanders can look DacK On some GX-
citing scenes. On one occasion, however,
the Senator expectant figured ratEer con-
spicuously in a successful effort to save a
notorious criminal from the hands of
fierce and revengeful vigilantes. A wei.
known horsethief was wanted badly at
Helena. and had been located at a town
some distance away. The authorities
knew that the instant the news spread of
he capture of so notorious an outlaw
the vigiiantes would be up and after
him. and nothing on earth could save
him. It was particularly important that
the man should be brought to Helena
alive. His death for various reasons
would be calamity to justice.
Sanders, who was acting in the capacity
of United States Marshal, undertook the
difficult task of bringing the horsethief
to Helena alive. The latter had secured
the reputation of being most desperate
character and hard to handle So Mar
shall Sanders not only assumed the
responsible job of capturing and hanging
on to the desperate, but outwitting the
vigilantes as we'll. He found his man in a
variety theater, and, walking up within
FIVE or six feet. tossed him pair of hand
o,,ffc inst oovoro1 him mill, n