The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-04-21
SOLDIERS IN WYOMING.
TROOPERS RESCUE THE BE-
SIECED REGULATORS.
Cattlemcn I'm tho T. a. Ranch Surrender
to Col. Van Horne, Of the sixth United
sfntcs Cavalry-Is Blood May Vet Flow
Cause of the rreScn; Trouble.
Eesrucd from lsust!crs.

n
10 exist in johnson County, Wyo., on
the eastern side of he Big II rn Noun
tans The owners or managers of the
bis, cattle ranches in that reg ION have
long suffered from the depredations
committed by organized bands of
thieves, technically known there as
"rustlcrs," and took up arms in alleged
self-prott ction. Io,ty of them were
surrounded at the T. A. Ranch 10y about
3n0 OF ihrir foes.
The Acting Governor of Wyoming tele-
grnphcd TO Washington, briefly stating
the facts, and requested that troops he
sent at once, as the Gi5turbers OF the
peace had grown SO Humorous as to be
beyond the control OF the State officials.
Senators Carey and Warren at once
called On Acting Secretary Of War
Grant. General Schoficld was sum-
munnd, and the party at midnight re-
paired To the Executive Mansion, aroused
the President. and after a consultation
the President directed that the ncres-
sary 1ruops be dispatched To the scene.
General Schniieli AT 1 O'Clock Wedncs-
day morning sent Il telegram I" General
Brooke, commanding the Department of
Dakota, ordering him TO send troops
from Fort Mckinney at break Of day 10
the scene of the trouble.
Accordingly. Col. Van Horne's COM
| m;ind. consisting OF three troops of cav
airy. received orders 10 march to the
! scene of battle at once. About 3 a. nj.
| the sound of forward march rang out
| clear On the morning air, and th blue
| coated troopers started out ri the Tort
and gallopcd toward the A" ranch. The
| distance was covered hy daylight, and
| the comnandin. officer and Sheriff
h.,iI n, ~ afinn The Sheriff
reported that he had order, the men TO
surrender, but they had refused and had
| o.,rncd fire on his men.
Col. Van Horne found that the rust
lers, small s,o .kmcn and the Sheriff's
| posse had con pictely surrounded the
| ranch and cut off all means of escape,
| SO that the stockmens forces were
| cntrapped. However. the military had
no trouble in inducing the s:ockmen to
| surrender. The only provision that was
exactcd was that they be taken to Fort
| Mckinney and not he allowed to fall
| into the hands of Angus or his mon or
| the rustlcrs. Colonel Van Horne con-
| scnted. and under the protection Of the
cavalry the stockm"ns s forces, consist
| ing Of siXty-tivc mon. quickly saddled
| and hri!led their horses and rode t.
| Fort Mckinney, whore they are now
! posse and the forces of rustlers and
| small ranchers rode ahead to Buffalo or
| dispersed to their various farms.
Just what the next move will be can
not be said, as the feeling on both sides
| is intensely bitter. The settlers for
many miles around the scene of the
trouble are fleeing for their lives. and
not without reason. Stage coaches have
been stopped. and men shot down in
broad daylight. To make matters worse.
ban,! of Crow Indians have left their
reservation, and are helping the rustlers
| hy running off cattic and horses from
the ranches, while il is intimated that a
! prominent Sheriff in the neighborhood
is in sympathy with the thieves.
| The trouble is one os long standing.
4 number of small so .k-growers and
others who tried the doubtful expert
mcnt of farming on the arid lands have
| been injured by the owners of large
| herds, or the men VIII repre- nted them
on the plains" Some of the little fell
| lows were driven off and felt sore.
j Their ease has be- taken up by n lot
! or lawleSs characters in much the same
way "a the grievances of workingmen
| in London are sometimes male the rre-
| text for mob oulraS.s by the worst
classes of the British metropolis. That
| is why the wicked IuSt'ers find it easy
| to operate: they are more or less SYM
pathized with 10y til, agSrieved ones.
For this reason juries have failed
| To convict in cases where the worst of
| crimes have b. Ell proved. the shooting
down of men in cold blood being
added to the theft of live stock. Then
it is said the sheliffs and deputy sheriffs
| of The thief-infestel counties have owed
| their positions TO the votes and inill-
cncc of the outlaws. and that in one or
two cases the shcrffs have personally
| appropriated stray cattle and have had
deputies who were actually fustlers.
Under su n conditions the thieves be-
came bold. They not only took un
branded calves and put their own marks
upon them, but had the au Iacty to ruin
off by the carload cattle and horses that
had been stolen from the ranches of
men whom they had intimidated TO the
extent of forcing them to leave the
place. The ranchmcn tried the virtue
of association, and adopted regulations
for the tracing of the stolen property
when offered for sale i'm markets
eastward, as we'll as for reclaim
| ing the value of estrays. Then
the rustlcrs essayed another role.
! 1t is reported that during last
/ year they did land-oflice business in
selling dressed beef TO army contractors
and to the suhcontractors working on
the Burlington and Missouri gr: de in the
mort hCrn part Of the State" Tncy stole
hundreds of cattle, either by shooting
| them down or running them off to be
! slaughtered for sale TO the persons suf-
ficien'ly uns. rupulous to buy the meat
at a big cut from regular prices. The
fellows guilty of these outrageous pro-
cecdngs are said TO have cloaked their
vllainy by POSING as small stockmcn,
and actually held meeting a Buffalo,
in the northern part o. johnson County,
where they masqueraded under tho
title of the Northern Wyoming Farm
ers' and Stock Growers Association"
They then arranged for the annual
roundup to suit their conven-
icnce in forestallins the reputable
cattlemen AMI in order TO get in their
deadly work on the mavericks" 0un-
branded cattlel before the rightful own
ers appeared on the scene. This was the
Ia It straw. The big ranchers deter
mined TO teach n lesson TO the rascals'
by organizing an armed force. They
were surrounded as above described.
1t is probable the armed array on both
sides will soon bc dispersed, but it is
not likely that the trouble is over. The
sense OF injury is too deep seated 10 re
extinguishcd at once. 1t will be a work
of time TO drive out all the had charac-
tiers who infcst that region, and it is
much to be hoped that the Purifying
process will lie accompanied by fuller
recognition on the part OF the big cattle-
men of the rights OF those who ara
striving to make an honest living in an
humble way.
| The Umbrella Trust.
Now THAT umbrellas and parasols arc
to be controlled by trust, there should
| ho an increased frada in bin hats I,nl