The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-10

not a lust cause Tor Legislation, IL ~ III
deed difficult to find one.
s
THE RANGE DETECTIVE.
r. il not very probable that an accurate
history OF the war now b.ing made by the
growers against the horse rustlera will ever
be written. This is due to the fact that the
msn who have been robbed for q number OF
years pact have taken the law into their
own hands. and in doing SO make them
selves to an extent amenable TO IT. But
their action is justified By the fact that N
no other way can the bands OF horse thieves
that have been proving upon the horse
raissrs Of Idaho, Washington. Montana,
North and South Dakota and Wyoming, be
e%feotuallv driven out Of the country. AL
the militia in these six states II sens
after the m%arauders could not DO IS erect
i've work as the hundred man Who are nov
rounding up the horse thieves. The Work
is not being done under the direction Of
any Of the stockgrowers' associations, nor
with their knowledge. But the growers IN
the various districts have raised = fund OF
S1OO, 900, employed men they know are
brave and trustworthy. and these are the
people who are carrying on the war OF ex-
termination. %S%
II must not be supposed, however, that
the stockgrowers' associations have allowed
the ~rustlers to grow in numbers without
making an effort to prevent IL. The IN
spectors in their employ have risked their
lives many times in pursuing these thieves.
and to dav behind the bars Of the reniten-
tiarles of the several states are men who
can testify to the shrewdness and courage
of the northwestern stock inspectors. Col
umn after column has been written about
the daring deeds, miraculous escapes and
cuaning capture Of criminals by the detse-
tiyes Of Europe and America. In thou
sands Of cases the praise accorded these
officers for their ingenuity and daring has
been deserved; but there is a class of detec-
tiyes in this country who risk their lives
oftener, and who must know not only the
! ways of the highwayman when he is in the
CITY, but also his haunts and his hiding
| places and bis go-between in the tninly
settled country as we'll. These men are on
the 90 almost all the time-to-day down in
New Mexico looking for a horse thief, who
ia q murderer as we'll: next week far across
the Canadian line on the trail of a gang OF
cattle thieves who have been despoiling the
; Montana or Wyoming ranges. 1t is only in
I the past ten or fifteen years that then
worth has been appreciated or their services
+ valued as they should be.
r In the early days of cattle raising II
Wyoming and Colorado, whenever the range
! thieves became too bold, the ranchmer
! for miles around would organize, get on thu
track of the thieves, run them to their hole'
: and then shoot or hang them. After q vlsl
tation Of this kind herds would be compare
$ lively safe for a time. Nevertheless thous
ands of head of cattle and horses wer'
: stolen each year and shipped to Chicago
n for which the riehtful owners received no
a cent. The stockmen of Wyoming or
ganized q stockgrowers association ant
appointed for each county in the state
stock inspector. Colorado followed suit il
a few years. to be followed later by Mon
> tana. The duties of these inspectors wer
, not to look out for diseased cattle, but t
inspect every ear load of cattle shipped on
of the state, get a list of the brands, VIII
$ the consignee was. and report the facts t
the secretary of the association. Their
a were, of course, mistakes made at first, blu
of late years so perfect has the system be
come. that it il almost an impossibility 70
. a thief to ship a head of beef by rail out c
Montana without detection. Gradual
II the duties of the inspectors were added I
and in addition to watching the shippin
p points they have become thief chaser
d The inspectors are selected from the brave
10 class of western men, thoroughly CONVEX
ID SAINT with the country, and men OF INTEL
gence. Their powers in Montana are squ1
a to those Of a deputy sheriff and their q,
=, thority is recognized all over tho state.
Il Among the Montana inspectors are mi
~ who could tell some thrilling stories of the
or adventures, not only with horse and oatt
I'd thieves, but with Indians as we'll. In poi
re Of continuous service Inspector w.
Smith, now the representative of the Mo-
aa tana association at Chicago, and who
-, headquarters were formerly at Miles Cit
outranks his associates. He has been
10 the service of the association eight or t.
LID years, previous TO hat time being an il
n spector in Wyoming. He is q typic
n wssterner, close mouthed and without
ne particle of fear. He walks with a sliQ
be limp, and one unacquaintsd with his hi
tory meetlnR MIN on INC streets or CG1OaE
wv would almost Immediately conclude he W
=, u cattle grower OF moderate means,
Az was satisfied with life, attended strictly
10 his OWE business and would be the last .,
Ter son one would pick out OF Il crowd as t
he most noted trailer of cattle and hol
or. thieves in Montana. The most noted Il
Ter successful eastern detectives have co
it's tinuously in their minds eye the physie
nomy OF noted crooks. Smith not only
a wonderful memory for a face once SCI
-, whether q photograph or the person hi
aa self, but in addition has the hundreds
brands of cattle and horses In Montal
lsh Wyoming and Colorado so thorough
fixed in his mind, and the location of tn
ver accustomed ranges. that If he runs aoroa
and bunch of cattle or horses out of their
asa customed haunts, he can locate them in
,lr instant, and he scarcely ever has to cons
~. the brand books issued by the associatio
Many stories are told in Miles City OF II
row escapes he has had when in purs
of deaperadoes, and of brilliant captures
has made after pursuits lasting sev.