The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-15
HUSTLER TETON JACKSON
The Predecessor of the Present Out
law and Prince OF Horse
Thieves.
Ills Place Now Titled by Tom
]. Riddle, Hunted by the
Stockmen.

A College Grad uate MT tho Head OF the
Rust,era with Many Friends
and sympatIlIzers.
In the Idaho penitentiary at Boise City is
Teton Jackson, serving a sentence of thir-
teen years. one Of the boldest rustlers who
ever strnddled a horse. He is the prsde-
cessor of Tom Riddle. che leader Of the
rustlers upon whom the stockmen of Mon
tana. Wyoming and Idaho have declared
war. Teton jackson made his appearance
in Montana after the northern Montana
etockmen had wiped out a gang of ~rustlers
in the early sos. Teton Jackson is rcd
headed and before re-enteriug the pc niten-
tiary had d luxuriant growth of buahy. red
whiskers. He was short of stature, bow
legged from constant riding IN walked
with that swagger peculiar to a cowboy.
When he was ut Bozeman he was slightly
over 40 years of age. He 10 ignorant as
far as education goes, yet shtewd in his
dealings. While there he saw the absolute
impossibility Of being freed by the law.
Swift retribution came whom Jackson
grew bold. The bones OF his crew are now
bleaching on the prairie where Winchester
bullets overlook them. Teton had marketed
all his horses in Nebraska, and when he
undertook to bring a band Of fifty across
the Grow reservation to the Northern Pacific
rail Dad, he was apprehended near Billings.
He made q desperate effort to FREQ himself
from the tolls of the law and i'll trying to
do 90 used up the entire band Of stolen
horses. which could not be positively ident-
,fed BY their owners living in Idaho, owing
to the removal Of brands through the
medium Of a red hot frying pan. In spite
Of the lawyer who tried to free him by eli
the teohnioalities that suggested themselves,
he was taken back to Boise City to serve
ont a sentence Of thirteen years in the Idaho
penitentiary, as he had taken sudden leave
Of q Jail in that state some years ago. At
the expiration OF that time, if he 10 alive,
there will be mon in Idaho who will see to
Il that he is not allowed his liberty.
N Teton's rendezvous ia described as being
most admirably situated for the purposes
for which it has been basely used, both by
Jackson and his follower, the present ont
law and prince of horsethieves, Tom Rid
die. It is a basin Of ample Dimensions,
luxuriant with grass, surrounded BY high
mountains and only approached BY a mar
row defle. In this basin the gang gath
cred in the winter and spent the days hunt
ing and fishing. horse racing and gam
bling. An ample store Of provisions and
whisky supplied the demands Of the band,
which as at tho present time numbered up
wards Of twenty men. Three log shacks
provided shelter for the r%ustlers, while
shed and corrals Of poles from the noun
taina provided the necessary cover in this
p%otected retreat for the large band Of
horses kept and fitted up during the winter
for the summers forays or the market.
In 1890, Tom Riddle took Teton's station
and his place, and ever since has been sven
more Jealous than his predecessor. Riddle
is described a. . handsome man who car
ries a tooth brush. He ls said to be a grad
nate, who came to the west to be a COW boy,
but found it too slow for his swift nature.
He started in a modest way at first; but as
he succeeded he extended his circle Of asso-
ciates until he now has q considerable band
of his own oalibre, each and everyone of
whom do his bidding without dissent. His
followers place unfaltering trust in Tom, as
he is daring u he ia brave and in every way
a born commander. Not alone is he feared
and liked by his immediate followers but he
has friends and sympathizers in the small
towns of Wyoming and the smaller ranch
men of both Wyoming and Montana. It
ers, or at least his sympathizers, were at
Red Lodge last summer but whether this
is ever proven or not, it 10 well known that
men who wero afraid to "peach' on him,
have done so, and that it is through this
that the present raid by indignant stock
mon was made.
The Bozeman Chronicle has told how
the rendezvous of Riddle and his gang was
discovered by the Chapmans, we'll known
in Bozeman, last winter while they were in
search of the thieves; OF the 5000 600 raised
by stockmen to apprehend this gang; of the
3;H1rnnt ,ur&fnu yukSnh 1afA 1Drf ,~-A1 ;-
different directions with the view Of sur
rounding tho thieves and capturing them.
One of the first results of the war on the
~rustlers came to light when the body of w.
q. Fadden. of Fargo, was found near the
Wyoming line with eight bullet holes in it.
is presumed that Fadden was one of two
men hurriedly travelling on their way to
that heaven Of American horse thieves
Canada-when suddenly overtaken or con-
fronted by Ono one will ever know who)
outraged cattlemen or their representa-
tives and made to pay the penalty of their
crimes and to present a horrible example to
those inclined to sympathize with them or
follow in their tracks. From Sheridan and
Buffalo, two small towns in Wyoming,
comes word of extensive cattle-killinp by
men who are members of the gang, but
who are not with the main body, in retail
iation and with the view of terrorizing
the stockmen. But this will fail of it's
purpose, as the stoclmen are thoroughly in
earnest and will drive out or kill every
man connected in any way with the out
RACES which have made the horse and cattle
business Improbable, az we'll as dam
gerous, in the region of country border
ing on the Wyoming, Montana aud Idaho
lines. 4
The battle ground is far from telegraph
lines. and reliable Jews comes slowly. 1t
is known that the cattle growers nave men
IN the field to head off the stragglers who
may flee toward the north.
The boldest gang of ~rustlera made their
headquarters in Jackson Hole last winter.
They stole largely from Yellowstone and
Park county horsemen, although some
cattle were driven Off. Tom Kent, at G. ey
Cliff, lost upwards of 100 of his best
horses, many of them mares. Every horse.
grower near the Grow reservation suffered
severe losses last year, in many instances
valuable stations being taken by the bor-
der %ruffians.
The stolen animals were usually marketed
at obscure eastern points, and shipped from
small, remote points on tho Union Pacific
line, where stock inspectors were not likely
TO be. Anyone who has livod in the west
knows how readily this could be accom-
plished without detection. Atrusted mem.
Der of the gang accompanied the shipment,
or. as was often the case. several member
went along and dividad the "swag" as their
profits in the dangerous occupation.