Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-06-23
THE WATSON CASE.

There was one case before the court
at the session just closed that aroused
considerable interest aud feeling. 1t
was the action entitled the State Of
Montana ". Stem Hansen and James
Connely. The latter we're charged with
kidnapping and depriving one j.. E.
WATSON of his liberty, Oh the night of
the 10th Of May.
After Il trial lasting two days, during
which twenty-five or thirty witnesses
were examined and the ease ably pre-
scented ON both sides, the jury brought
in IA verdict of mot guilty"
1t is not our purpose to go into the
details al this case. We believe a
majority If the people of this county
are satisfied with the verdict, and that
Is sufficient for the present. But we
have "A few remarks to make and they
Will he directed toward the prosecuting
witness, j. f. WATSON, rather than the
state of Montana VS.. the d~efednants.
While we deplore lynch law under
any circumstances and wrote nothing
10 prejudice the people of this county
prior to the trial, we would have no one
mislcd a. To our sympathies in the case.
They were wholly with the defendants,
and for good and sufficient reasons.
Had they bee found guilty it would
have made no difference as to our feel
ings in the matter. But Il jury of their
fellow-citiLens, after weighing the evil
dcnce carefully, declared them inno-
cent Of the charge on which they were
indicted, and the imam with "A peculiar
voice" is still unknown, even to the
prosecuting witness. That there were
some good men and generally law
abiding citizens in the affair there can
be no doubt. Had they been outlaws
and bad men at heart the prosecuting
witness would not have been alive TO
testify ;S to the imam with Il peculiar
voice" No, the outlaw still lives. and
lr should feel grateful toward those
who mean him no serious harm. That
hc suspicinncd one or two parties may
bc attributed to the fact that he had
given them cause To despisc him for his
secret plotting and cunning against
them.
We need no introduction to this fell
low, WATSON, or Fat Jack" or Buffalo
Jack" as he is ~variously called. In
1881, the proprietors of the ARGUS, then
,tl1t-L,1 ~ Maiden, .ln5iri,,. - l,,., |
something of the past history of this
character and knowing that he had IL
bad record ut Bismarck, addressed Il
letter to Col. C. \. i.ounsberry, form
erly editor of the Bismarck Tribune.
In the letter an accurate description
was given Of WATSON and his method
of operating. In a short time the fol
lowing letter, which has BEEN carefully
preserved, was received:
RIsMARcE, OAK, Dec. %, 1881.
EpnORS ARGUs.-Wusson, or Buffalo
jack, v IL Just what You describe him to be.
lie was under bonds for crime i'm Mime
sofa, and jumped his boEds when he came
To Bismarck. lie was aroused of murder
at North Pacific Junction ~ thcearly days
- AfAN fNaA "a'H
ithrrs ia connection with an election
rrud. aud nearly all who were attacked
eft the country. | retracted nothing. You
remember when Fred was born and my
nng rid" over the country from Bismarck.
The night before ! ieit Wasson was to have
lren hune-lynched. One Of the parties
Who was ia the Scrape, H.. L. Douglass, u I
nephew Uf Senator Window, spent the
.Nrning with ur pla wing chess. We played
until u y. NJ, the hour set Tor the lynch
] talked the matter over with Harry,
aud advised him to put a stop to il. I
Harry returned at IL o'clock and said he
iad told the rrpnd what | said and they
to let it go. John f.. WATSON is
indebted to III" for saving him from being
yHched for ouirHsiug the law as county I
attorney and hriug a party To "A rand that
ought to have sent everyone connected
With il To tn" penitentinry. Wasson, Cor
nellie aud others hired or tried tn hire a fe-
male 10 burn my iiice. 1t was to have
seen done that evening, hut they were too
{" do it. The old files are at
di-In-Hl,
Sincerely yours.
g. \. LUUNsIsERRY.
This man WATSON Processes To be a
but he knows inst enough about
to keep ont uf It's clutches himself
while he i~nveigie~ others into its meshes.
he is the shadow in the background;
ne plans while some one with more
courage and less cunning, executes.