, 1890-10-09

a&A1 va
tiers and was finally merged.into the cattle
trust. now known as the Western Union
Beef company. Henderson made ac-
quAintances slowly, but friends a good
deal more slowly, While of a
consivial disposition his intimate acqualnt-
nnces might easily be numbered on the
fingers Of one hand, while even these
know comparatively little If anything
about him previous to his arrival here.
To those who knew Henderson,there was
an indefinable attraction in bis manner
and air which caused their friendship for
him to grow rapidly. Probably none who
knew him would fail to trust him implic-
lily and if they needed a favor none would
be disposed to grant it more quickly or
~ungrudgingly than would George B. Hen
derson.
Henderson's courage first attracted at
tention here about five years ago. The
Mcintosh brothers had just killed John
McGill and seriously wounded Mike Saw
age They were followed up by a crowd
of people and finally cornered. The pur-
suers were held at bay with revolvers in
the hands of the ~murderers until Hender-
son walked boldly up, disarmed them and
they were placed under arrest. Hender-
son accepted the position OF resident
manager of the II outfit and at once en-
tered upon his duties.
Things didn't grow any better-in fact it
seemed as il the fire of hatred long
smouldering was about to burst into a
blaze. One evening soon alter his arrival
Henderson sat in the ranch. 1t was a
pleasant moonlight night. Hearing a
strange commotion about the corral. but a
short distance away, he thoughtlessly
rushed out without a weapon of any sort.
He was confronted by a man on horse
back who threw down a gun on him.
Henderson said; You dirty whelp give
me a chance to get my gun and we'll have
it out" but seeing the mans mission was
murder. not fight. he broke for the ranch.
A shot was fred after him bat it missed
its mark. A few moments later Heuder-
son appeared with his rife only to find
that his murderous assailant was disap-
pearing at breakneck speed over the
prairie.
Sometime later Henderson was return
ing home in a blackboard. He was fred
upon by some assailant in ambush. but
the bullet missed bis mark. The report
of the rife startled the team into a gallop
and as the night was pitch dark they soon
got beyond Henderson's control. They
ran at breakneck speed for a mile, finally
bringing up at a roadside ranch. The
moment they reached it one of the horses
dropped dead, the bullet having struck it
in the flank. causing it to bleed to death.
In July Of last year the lynching of
jim Ayerill and Cattle Kate took place
in the northern part Of Carbon county.
When the affair is simmered down and all
preiudices cast aside there can be no
doubt that both were extensively en-
gagged 10 rustling cattle. The sex of Cat
tie Kate granted her immunity for a long
time, but her final taking off was charao-
terized by a degree Of brutality fortunate
ly very seldom exhibited aver on the
frontier. This ynching was regarded as
a retaliation on the part of the cattlemen
to whom the law afforded absolutely no
protection for their property. The affair
was brought to the attention of the grand
Jury in session at Rawlins, but no indict-
ments followed their Investigations. The
affair engendered very acrimonious feel
ings in and put of the newspapers.
AT the time of the lynching and for
several days previous Henderson had been
visiting his family in Cheyenne. His
friends realized the increased danger
which would now surround him because
Of the report. whether true or false, that
the big corporations were more or less
responsible for the %lynching. Henderson
while apparently approaching the truC
situation of affairs would not listen to any
proposition to resign his position. II
seemed to hum like retreating in the face
of the enemy and while acknowledging
the force of everything said to him moth.
ing could cause him to change his mind
Once again he was shot at after the
lynching. He was again fired at from
ambush. The bullet struck the candle OF
his saddle and he escaped unhurt.
This season the II outfit decided tC
move their cattle from the Sweetwater tC
the Baxter range in the Big Horn coun'
try. One herd was driven up there, but
the grazing was insufficient for the cattle
already OF the range and the II bunch
was moved back. Had this change beer
made Henderson would have been IN
new field away from the ~rustling center.
and for a time at least would have es'
caped his inevitable fate.
Last August Mrs. Henderson, who wa
in constant fear that her husband woulc
be killed, went up to the ranch to live
Mr.. and Mrs. Henderson were daily ex
pected to arrive here on their way east
They intended to spend the winter in Chi
cago. They had been married abou
thirteen years. A beautiful memorial
window was placed in St. Marks church
as a memento of their only child.
Henderson's intense love of his wife
was a marked feature of his character.
Those who knew the man best esteemed
him most, and will long cherish the mem
orY of one who, despite some weaknesses
had many of the elements of an upright
vigorous and attractive personality.
III