The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-05-12
THE KING OF THE RUSTLERS,
Terror From Washington. Oregon
and Idaho Run to Earth ut
Last.
Arrested at ChOteau on Monday
Morning After Two Years
Chase.

During the summer, fall and winter OF
1901. Washington, Oregon and Idaho
ware overrun with horse and cattle
thieves. The officers of the law seemed
to be powerless TO stem the tide OF the
lawlessness OF the ~rnstlers and they ran
the horse and cattle industries to suit
their own convenience. The gang was
we'll organized and disciplined and had
agents all over these states to keep them
posted on the /" markets and where the
the best stock could be found. and the
proper time to roundup and ship.
Thousands Of head of horses and cattle
had been driven off but no one appeared
10 know where to or by whom. Sus-
picions were plenty but proof was lack
ing and nothing was done toward head
ing off the thieves. Theirustlers did not
confine their operationssssolely to country
districts, but went into cities and towns
and carried on their vocation.
In the fall of 1890 they established
headquarters in Spokane county and for
awhile did a big business. The sheriff
of Spokane, during their operations in
his county, got onto the combination OF
the gang and it was not very long before
he had the leaders Of the gang all
spotted and was only waiting for a favor
able opportunity to..gather them in.
On the 9th of January,t1S9l, the rust
INl ,rl Dannfy Sheriff
Pugh was selected to round sthem up
dead or alive. He accordingly secured
the aid of several good shots and started
on his mission. They were not long in
finding what they were after and the
thieves knew they were wanted by the
men on horseback. They were overtaken
in a thick forest and the battle at once
opened with a general discharge Of fire
arms from both sides. The shooting was
kept up for several hours, the sheritf's
party driving the ~rustlers before them.
Finally the gang broke for the tall tim
Der and several escaped and several
we're captured. One of the gang was
killed and two wounded. and Deputy
Sheriff Pugh was shot IN the leg. The
party returned to Spokane with their
capture. luCIutlilE tIC tNh' II
From one of tho ruetlers arrested it
learned that William Matthews, well
known in Washington, was the leader %
the ~rustlers and that he was one of the
gang attacked by the sheriff ana his
party, ana was among those who escaped
into tho woods with a bullet hole in ono
of his arms.
This battle led to a general breaking
up of the rustlers in that section. The
prisoners captured in tho light ~''squeal-
ed" and the sheriff was kept busy for
several weeks making arrests. Several
leading butchers in Spokane were ar
rested-one of them being influential
and wea!thy-and all went over the road
to the penitentiary in due time.
In the meantime the sheriff had men
on the trail of Matthews, who after the
fight made his way to Adams county
and stole forty-seven head OF horses and
drove them to British Columbia and
shipped them over the Canadian Pacific
to Winnipeg and thence to Grand
Forks, Dakota, where he sold them.
The sheriff here lost trail of his man,
but soon after struck it again and had
men keep close watch for him. Finally
he disappeared entirely and it was over
a year before another clue was found of
his whereabouts. This time he was To-.
Gated at Choteau, Mont. He was doing
a little of everything in that section and
did a great deal of travelling between
ChOteau and Fort Macleod, in Canada.
He was known in the Choteau country
as Tom Biggs."
Sheriff Hamilton has been on his trail
for several months and finally decided to
close down on HIM and advised Sheriff
Pugh to come on, that he was ready to
deliver the goods IN good condition.
Sheriff Pugh arrived in this city last
Saturday with a requisition from the
governor of Washington and approved
by Acting Governor Botkin for his ar
rest. Sunday morning Deputy Sheriff
Dryer, accompanied by Sheriff Pugh,
left for Choteau and arrived there in the
evening. "Thomas Biggs' was located
10 II log shack, where he was "%baching'
with three other men. 1t was decided
not to arrest him until Monday morning
which was accordingly done at the dawn
of day. Thomas" was greatly surprised
at the sudden appearance of the officers
and their demand for his body. His
friends tried to bluff the officers bat
they wouldn't bluff. "Thomas" was Sc
curely ironed and the two sheritfs with
their game started for this city, where
they arrived early Yesterday evening and
lodged their prisoner behind the bars