Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-04
BLooDsHED ON wYoMING's RANGEs.
Cattle Thieves, Tired of Being Trimmed Out
by Lynch Law, Are Ready for m Plight

Cattle Thieves. Tired of Being Trimmed Out
by Lynch Law, Are Ready for "a Fight.
The last news that came from Buffalo in
wyoming, was a tale of outlawry and blood
shed, ending with n prophecy that would seem
to marx for that city promise that it would
be the most lawless town in the country next
spring. al 1t lis not so now.
Buffalo is an island of population in desert
sea OF bunch grass. 1t is ninety miles from
railroad. aud Is reached only By stage or on
the cattle trail 1t is on the trail that is fol-
lowed by the Texas cattle that are driven into
Montana, and il is in the heart OF as rich a
range country as there is in the United States.
They call IT q city because it has thousand in
habltants. These are nearly all bullwhackers.
cowpunchers and freightors Ii is the last and
strongest purely cowboy outfit in the west
Wherever there are cattle and cowpuncherS
there are also rust,ers OF range pirates aud
Buffalo Is the headquarters of these thieves
who have long done very profitable business
IN branding mavericks and running of market
able cattle dropped from or cut out OF the
herds passing through the country or grazing
on the ranges. They find influential and APP
parently reputable men in that country who
will buy of them and ship the stolen goods 90
market, unable TO resist the chance To make big
profits
great, and long ago the managers Of the big
COW companies determined 10 protect them
selves. The flrst LIOodshed-that now prom
ises 10 continue until something like a war ia
oeye.Oped-Is naturally ret down to the credit
o. ile CowmCn. he,aure ine victims have AL
been TGstlers or their receivers A Mouxu
named Cattle haze WAS the frst one TO die
Sic iIved, as nearly every one does IN that
country, an solitary comfort IN lonely place,
ard was known 10 be leading receiver OF
fence FOR the rlstlers. She Was lynched. Then
followed the lynchins Of James AveriIl. post
master in the interior, who ls said to have been
unable TO shat his eyes 20 good bargains in
other mems cattle. These episodes belong u
the history OF the last three years. But events
last fall began to narrow the lines between the
cattlemen ard the rustlers, until now they are
at a terrible tension The cowmen arranged
to have stolen cattle detected IN the Omaha
ana Chicago stock yards ana to cover the pro-
ceeds vi their sale into the stock commission
treasury as an estray fund. The rustlers re-
taliated with the adoption of the motto: "A
hoof for a hoof ana a life for life" Jhe hoof
end of the motto came first because il was the
easiest and dead steers, punctured with bulles
holes began to dot the ranges last fail.
Now some human casualties are beginning TO
mark the other slae Of the ledger account be-
tween the rustlers and the cowmen. A man
named lisdale was found murdered, ami while
the inquest Was on there was broueht an the
shot in the back as he sat in his wagon driving
past gully on what is known as the ole road
Almost IN the Same te!egraphic breath that sent
the news here came word that John 4. Smith,
n well-to-do cattle dealer, not commonly held
10 be above suspicion as q rustler, cannot be
found. Ii is thought that nothing more than
his body eyer will be found.
The greatest excitement prevails in the little
COW city OF Buffalo. The rustlers own the place
and the organization of johnson counIy of
which the town is the capital, m theirs. Every
body knows who they are, and their meeting
place is as well known the Capitol in tins
city. They have plenty OF money. wagoncr,
q notorious rustler, who was lynched in Au-
gust had 10000 in ca sh and half as much in
cattle. Cattle Kate was a rich woman. The
best lawyers are IN their pay, the city rs under
their thumb and they neither skuik nor try to
keep any secrets about what they doing.
They have begun the naming of cowmen who
are to be put TO death, and both SIDES sre so
angry and composed oil such fearless men that
nothing short of petty vet horrible war 10
looked Tor, beginning now and growing 70 ~
height in the spring.