The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-14
THE SOLDIERS TAKE A HAND.
TROOPS ORDERED OUT TO HELP DOWN
THE CATTLE THIEVES

slider the situatiou-Three Troops OF
Cavalry Get Under way-The Rustiers
Getting the Upper Hand or the sherif's
Fosse-The Cause Of All tho Trouble.
WASHINGTON. April 13.-Alarming kilograms
were received here Inst night from Wyoming
saying that q serious fight had occurred near
Fort Mckinney between rustlers and Sher-
ifrs posse. and that the posse had been de-
fcated and wero now surrounded ana in
danger Of being killed. The acting Governor
OF Wyoming. reciting these facts briefly. re-
Questcd that United States troops be sent at
once. as the disturbers Of the peace had grown
80 numerous as to be beyond the control Of the
state officials. Senators Carey and Warren at
once called on Acting Secretary OF War Grant.
Gen. Schoileld was summoned and the party
at midnight repaired to the Executive Man
sion. aroused tho President aud after con-
sutation tho President directed that the neces-
sury troops DO des patched to the scene
Gen. Schoiie.d at l o'clock this morning sent
a telegram to Con. Brooks. commanding the
Department Of Dakota. ordering him to send
troops from Fort Mckinney at break OF day
this morning to the scene Of the trouble.
There arc three companies OF cavalry and
three OF infantry ut Fort Mckinney. and Gen.
.5cholcll said to-day that doubtless by this
time tho troops are on tho ground.
The trouble. as understood here. is that the
Iawless Glasses that abound in northern Wy
oming had organized and were making raids
on cattle ranches. stonling even from tho
houses Of residents. Emboldencd by their
successes the gang Of outlaws had increased
in numbers until they were too strong for the
local authorities to suppress. posse had at
tempted on Monday to arrest some OF the
ringlcnders when an open fight occurred with
several fatalities. and the posse was worsted
and nfterward surrounded.
Senators Carey and Warren were greatly
alarmed at tho state Of affairs. and last night
felt great uneasiness us to the safety OF the
Shcrin's posse.
A body Of about fifty armed men known as
regulators. and supposed to be In the employ
OF large cattle owners. left Casper about April
u and proceeded to n point on the north fork
Of Powder River. sixty miles from tho
post. known as the X. c. ranch. where
they killed two men and burned the
ranch. This was on tho 9th inst. This body
Of men is now at the 1T. A." ranch.
on the north fork OF Crozy Woman Creek.
where they are strongly intrenched. and de-
Tended themselves against the Sheriffs posse
The wagons owned by the regulators have
been captured Ivy the Sheri!rs posse. They
contain supplies Of ammunition. dynamite.
and personal baggage. One of the Transfers
has ulSulSeu inc names Oi tiie TeGulatoTS. no
says the expedition is ofllcered 10y Major VOL
colt. Frank Canton. and Fred Hcsse. The on
tire country is aroused BY the killing at X
ranch. and some OF tho best citizens are in
TO losse.
OMAHA. April 13.-Troops were ordered out
from Fort Mckinney late last night to quel
tho disturbance between the cattle mon and
tho rustle,s in Wyoming. They are under Col
Van Horn, commander Of that post and COM
Prise troops Il d. and H. Sixth Cavalry Capts.
William stanton. George L. Scott. and Will
liam NJ Wallace.
DENVER. April 13.-The "rustlers are keep
ing quiet to-day. and so far as known no en-
gaGcments have taken place. The invaders
are still in their harricade: surrounded by tho
rustlers- citizen party. 1t is bel the rust
lors can scarcely muster more than 200 men.
n mechanics. and Iaborers. and it is asserted
That there arc not much more than score of
Ssny Consists Of pr .H citizens 81 ths
section. and among them is said to be a Sena-
tor and one or two REPRESENTATIVES.
Men familiar with the situation between tho
cowmen and the rustlers in Wyoming have
he trouble on Powder River when the spring
roundup was made. As long ago as Jan. -
an article was printed in TIE sun which told
tween the cowmen and the rustlers and pre-
dctsd that the war would break out in the
Wherever cattlemen have organized outfits
and located ranches cattle thieves have always
followed. and there has always been fighting
Heretofore 1t has been fact, singular. per-
haps. that menIwlo would assist at lynching Il
horse thief with cheerful good Will would have
tie. But now that til. war has actually begun
it appears that horse thieves and cattle thieves
herd together without distinction under the
be applied to cattle thieves only.
When western Nebraska Logan to settle up
md n lar n n
rustIing began to flourish. there was SO much
more opportunity for it in hc,new Territory
ever. 4 number Of ranches. most OF them along
the Nionrara River some Of tho cattlemen
s ha
ago Affairs reached such condition up there
that Gov. Thayer was Obliged to send troops
personal visits to Brown county: but before
the sF SuthsS vas finished nearly twenty mon
The present trouble In Wyoming is tho cul-
mination OF an i'll advised effort on the part OF
the Wyoming state Live stock Association to
stealing could DO wholly stopped. where the
and where. immunity from punishment is 80
certain, The rustlers We're few, in number
when the ASSOCIATION was formed and their
themselves almost who'll to tax ne the MAYER
icks or unbranded ,yearlings and putting their
garded Ms proof Of ownership. and a rustler
has lust as much right to u brand as any
legitimate cowmnn. As long as tho branding
OF mavericks was not done openly there was
g., # Is frequently the case that roundup
roundup there il likely to be found number
OF mavericks. These were generally allowed
to 60 to the outfit with whose cattle they ran.
and that outfit put its own, brand on them.
nut as the rustlSTs grew b9Ider and stronger
also e nlter brands ln some cases instead Of
their brand on the cattle also and forged n bill
OF sale. The rustlers were. for the most part.
men who owned small ranches. or cowboys
who had u few head Of cattle on tho range or
running with some rancher's stock.
The associat on made n regulation that no
COW 2ntlt In the association should give any
employment to- any cowboy who had been
guilty Of branding mavericks or Of assisting
y" rustlers or Of work. ing with or for tho rus
tiers. black list was kept Of such cowboys.
The result was that q good many cowboys
found themselves unable To got work from ho
association outfits. and were compelled to be:
come rustlers. Tho rustlors have increased
l25 Of them. They are probably the best men