Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-04-21
War Of the Cattle Mon.

4
War of the Cattle Men.
A terrible state OF affairs is reporte,
| TO exist In Johnson County, Wyo., ol
the eastern side of the Big Horn Noun
| tains. The owners or managers of tn
big cattle ranches In that region hav
long suffered from the depreciation
committed by organized bands @
| thieves, technically known there n
"rustlers," and took up arms In allege,
self-protectlon. Forty of them wer
surrounded at the I. A. Ranch by abou
800 of their foes.
The Acting Governor OF Wyoming tele
graphed 10 Washington, briefly statin,
the facts, and requested that troops b.
sent at once, as the disturbers of tn
peace had grown 80 numerous as to b.
beyond the control OF the State officials
Senators Carey and Warren at ono
called on Acting Secretary of Wa
Grant. General Schofield was sum
moned, and the party at midnight re
paired to the Executive Mansion, arouse,
the President, and after a consultation
the President directed that the neces
sary troops be dispatched to the scene
General Schofleld at ! o'clock Wednee
day morning sent telegram to Genera
Brooke, commanding the Department O
Dakota, ordering him to send troops
from Fort Mckinney at break Of day t.
the scene of the trouble.
Accordingly, Col. Van Horne's com
mand, consisting of three troops of cav
airy. received orders TO march to tn,
scene of battle at once. About a. m
the sound of forward march" rang ou'
clear on the morning air, and tha blue,
coated troopers started out OF the for
and galloped toward tho "A" ranch. The
distance was covered by daylight, anC
the commanding officer and Sheria
Angus held a consultation. The Sheriff
reported that he had orderCd the men tc
surrender, but they had refused and hal
opened fire on his men.
Col. Van Horne found that the rust
lers, small stockmen and the Sheriff q
posse had completely surrounded the
ranch and cut of all means of escape,
so that the stockmen's forces were
entrapped. However, the military had
no trouble In inducing the stockmen To
surrender. The only provision that was
exacted was that they be taken to Fort
Mckinney and not be allowed to fall
into the hands OF Angus or his men or
the rustlers. Colonel Van Horne con-
sented. and under the protection OF the
cavalry the stockmen's forces, consist
ing OF sixty-flve men, quickly saddled
and bridled their horses and rode to
Font Mckinney, where they are now
confined under guard. The Sheriff @
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,
a band of Grow Indians have left their
reservation, and are helping the rustlers
by running off cattle and horses from
the ranches, while it Is intimated that a
prominent Sheriff In the neighborhood
is in sympathy with the thieves.
The trouble is one of long standing.
A number Of small stock growers and
others who tried the doubtful expert
ment of farming on the arid lands have
been injured by the owners OF large
herds, or the men who represented them
on the plains" Some OF the little fell
lows we're driven off and felt sore.
Their case has been taken up by lot
OF lawless characters In much the same
way as the grievances of workingmen
In London are sometimes made the pre-
text for mob outrages by the worst
classes Of the British metropolis. That
Is why the wicked Iustlers find Il easy
to operate; they are more or less sym
pathized with by the aggrieved ones.
For this reason juries have failed
to convict In cases where the worst of
crimes have been proved, the shooting
down Of men in cold blood being
added to the theft of live stock. Then
1t Is said the sheriffs and deputy sheriffs
OF the thief-infested counties have owed
their positions to the votes and infiu-
ence of the outlaws, and that In one or
two cases the sheriffs have personally
stray cattle and have had
deputies who were actually Tustlers.
Under such conditions the thieves be-
came bold. They not only took un-
branded calves and put their own marks
upon them, but had the audacity to run
of 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 ranchmen tried the virtue
Df association, and adopted regulations
Ior the tracing OF the stolen property
when offered for sale In markets
as we'll as for reclaim
ng the value of estrays. Then
he rustlers essayed another role.
It is reported that during last |
year they did land-office business In
selling dressed beef to army contractors |
Ind to the subcontractors working on
he Burlington and Missouri grade in the |
lorthern part of the State. They stole |
hundreds OF cattle, either by shooting
hem down or running them of 10 be |
laughtered for sale to the persons suf-
Iciently unscrupulous TO buy the meat |
t big cut from regular prices. The
elbows guilty OF these outrageous pro-
eedings are said to have cloaked their
illainy by posing as small stockmen,
nd actually held a meeting at Buffalo,
a the northern part OF Johnson County,
where they masqueraded under the
tile OF the Northern Wyoming Farm
RS and Stock Growers Association.
hey then arranged for the annual
Dund-up to suit their conven-
'nce in forestalling the reputable
attlemen and In order to get in their
eadly work ON the mavericks" (un-
randed cattle) before the rightful own
re- appeared on the scene. This was the
Ist straw.
/