The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-06
THE RUsTLERS MUST Co.
Growers Have Perfected Their Plans
to Wipe Out the Horse
~ ."s55 Thieves.
Tho Latter Show Their Power by
Shooting Down Stock on the
Wyoming Ranges.
A Party in Which There Are Some Mon
tanians Now ON tho Trail OF
the Desperadoes.

Though The matter has been kept very
quiet, there is little doubt but the stock
growers generally of Eastern Montana and
Wyoming have begnn the work of Kidding
the ranges Of the two states of rustlers. In
the past year the growers have lost many
hundred head OF horses, and during all that
time not a thief has been captured, nor has
one been punished. This was because the
~rustlers had a strong organization. ana tue
growers knew it was certain death tor two
or three mon to attempt to break the busl-
ness up. Amonth or two ago however, tho
growers got together and determined to
form as strong an organization as the rus
tiers had. When this was completed they
would begin the work Of discriminating the
thieves. The first thing to be done was to
convince the settlers whom the rustlsrs had
terrorized into keeping secret as to their
movements that the organization formed
by the growers was stronger than that OF
the thieves. This has been accomplished,
q biz purse has been raised to cRrry on the
work, and according to late reports the war
OF determination is on. But the rustlers
do not intend to give up without q desper-
ate struggle. They are aware Of the efforts
being made to rid the country Of them, and
are trying BY svery means in their power 70
cause a break in the lines Of the men
who are after thsm. Down in johnson
county, Wyoming, the ~rustlers are the
strongest, and it is there they arc making
their first stand. 70 convince the rover
that they will r~etaliate in every way IL their
power for any harm that may come to their
partners III 6 ime through the efforts OF the
owners, they have begun to shoot cattle On
the range. A report comes ftom Buffalo,
in that county, that a number of horses
and cattle had been found dead in the hills
east of tow with bullet holes in their
hides. Inquiry developed the fact that
Frank Sayles, an employe Of the Des Moines
Cattle company (4H brandt, discovered the
csrcasses last week but hssitated to say
ANYTHING about the matter for fear OF get
TIM. into trouble. One Of the dead animals
being the property Of the ompany he was
working for, Sayles concluded that 1t was
His duty to report the circumstance and re-
lated to j. E. Holland what he had found.
Tn latter went to town and informed w.
Fl. Holland, manager OF the Dea MONIES
company. that q company morse nag oeeh
shot on the range ana tnat otneTs Wero re-
ported to have been killed.
A day or two afterWard a party Of i've,
with the sheriff of Johnson county at Its
head, left for the hills. Sayles led the way
to a point about eight miles east Of tho
city, south Of the county road. where the
dead All horse was found. Inc animal hno
been shot three times, evidently with a rifle
at . considerable range. Nsar BY. another
dead horse was found, branded OK (senator
Carey's BRANDY, and lazy S, a brand which
he purchased some time ago. : ms horse
had also been shot, the onlies PASSING
through the heart. Sayles said that at
another place he had found two ia CDR.
Harris brandt horses, and near them
were four or five steers OF tho IS
and ia brands. The horses had
besn shot, he said, but he was not
certain about tina steers. IL ls falr
to presume, however, that they were
killed in q similar manner. When re-
quested to show where the other carcasses
were, Sayles refused, saying it was mono OF
his business, as the stock did not belong TO
the eempany which employed HIM and ne
did not care to say anything moro RDons
the matter than his duty to his employers
warranted. He stated further II he had
seen parties near the place where sile ! A
horses were. but could not be induced to,
say whether he knew them or VINO they
were.
A horse of the Bar X Bar brand, shot
through the hind parts, was found last
Saturday near Cars place on Crazy
Woman, and information is received from
8 reliable source that an examination Of
the range near Nine Mile will reveal some
startling facts relative to the extent to
which the wanton slaughter OF horses and
cattle belonging to the big cattle companies
has been going on.
TIE rendezvous for the horse thieves has
been at Jackson's hole. a basin near Yell
lowstoae park, in Wyoming. There are
now congregsted there, according to re-
ports, from fifteen to twenty r%ustlers, and
they have in thsir possession about LOCO
head of stolen horses. The animals have
been winterel ia tho basin and the r~agtlbrs
have, on pleasant days, been engaged in
changing the brands. The growers are 60
ing to make an attempt to surround and
capture this band, and are reported to be
on their way there now. 1t numbers
eighteen from the vicinity of Billings ana
about twenty-five from Wyoming. The
party has nearly 100 saddle horses, avory
member is we'll atmed and equipped, and
they are %snneuine of succssB. The cnttle
and horse companies ars credited with
having raised q fund of 100000 to extar-
inmate the ~rustiers and they have en-
ployed a lot of the bravest men they can
find; men acquainted with the range busl-
ness, who can shoot as wall as they can
ride. The ara paid $1,000 for their GER
vices. and before the spring is far advanced
there will undoubtedly be soma startling
news from johnson county.