Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-01-11

hary, position TO which, IL WAS said.
Gov. Toole was thinking Of appoint
ing him. In the article referred To,
The Gazette openly aud directly
charged that Frank Conley wa. re-
sponsible for the shooting aud killing
of DIR. CsrIin an 4 child, in the niemor.
able contre bad between the Conley
boys and Maurice Sullivan at the Car
lin raucn after the bloody meel-e that
occurr d at Do Ree.e's on Chr ST.
ma, eve, 1854. Th. unfortunate kill,
Ing Of DIR. Carlin aud his child was an
incident that cas-, cloud upon what
was otherwise u mot creditable action
on the part of the Conlsy boys. The
circumstances leading 10 il were brifiy
these: A row rad occurred at dance
In a disreputable house; shooting had
be.1 freely INDUCED in and there wss
every reason to believe that murder
had been committed. The perpetrator
had fed for is life. striking across
the Yellowstone for the cheerle-s north
side range. Pursuit IL attempted at
sll, must be prompt, and rs usual in
such cases while they were officers IF
this county, Jim and Frank Conley
were equipped and on the trail of the
supposed murderer Sullivan very som
after he got started. They overhauled
him at the Carlin ranch on Sunday
creek, where he had taken refuge fr m
the severity Of the weather, and made
him aware of thei pre.ence and er-
rand. Sullivan, supposing himself
murderer and his life forfeit, deter
mined to defend himself to the last,
and the Coulev boys quickly saw that
the battle to be- waged hy the light OF
the cbaerless winter moon, with the
mercury 40 helow zero, was to te to the
death, and that any advantage shown
the fugitive sullivan would result In
disaster 10 ifem. While with the
Conley boy, the mission was 10 cap
ture, with Sullivan it was to kill and
escane.
For some reason. never clearly ar
rived at, and while all the contes'ants
10 this deadly f.ud were out In the
open, taking shots st each ottW when.
ever opportunity offered. DR.. Csrl'n
with his Young child at bis breast. at
tempted TO leav the house to GO. no
one knows where. While making
this attempt and when fairly in range
of the shooting, he fell pierced by
bullet from n Winchester, the same
deadly missile slso killing the chi'd.
Practically this IL all Of the tory that
pertains to consi Grafton Of the Bill
iugs Gazette's attack on Frank Con.
ley, as the charge u herein made that
he killed DIR. carlin aud child. T .e
remainder Of the episode msy he
briefed tn cover the capture of Sulli-
van by the Conley boys. aided by a
posse that followed theiu from town.
the trial of Sullivan at Billings (he
having tsken a change of venue to
Yellowstone county for the M irder OF
DIR. Carlin and child (his victim of the
dance house scrape having recovered)
and his acquittal. Whoever killed
DR.. Csrlin and his child may perhaps
never b. known, but u anything In
connection with this unfortunate
tragedy. was established at tn. trial.
IL was that the killing was not done
by Frank Conley. the facts elected
being that DR.. Carlin was kill ID by
Winchester bullet, aud that Fra X
Conley wss armed with . shotgun.
The killing could not under the cir
cumstances have been considered ma
iicious or premeditated by whoever
done. but simply the result OF chance
shot, to wbic the victim heedlessly
expss himself. Having this in
view, aud the further fact that the
evidence most clearly exonerated
Frank Coulsy frf m crimin Iity, II
look. ~ II the Billings Gazette has
gone considerably outside Of the lin-
Its of even partisan journalism in
making such an unfouaded charge
against man for the sole purpose OF
defeating him In the matter of polit'
ical appointment. Frank Conley Is
not If the same political faith as the
YELLOWSTONE JOURNAL, but his rec
ord as q faithful, honest and intrepi
officer will never be impugned by us
because Of his politics. Gov. Toole
could not appoint better man to the
Office named.
APPROACHING A SETTLEMENT.