The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-27
SHERIFF O'MARR.
His Courage Defended by One Who
Knows Him.

His Courage Defended by O.e Who
Knows Him.
To The Independent.
The correspondent Of the Hclena Herald
of May II. from the Springs. commits a
great injustice on a good md reliable Of
ticer, when he charges Sheriff OMAR. OF
Meegher county. with cowardice. We who
know him, and We are legion, know the
statements to be false.
The facts are these: When Sheriff
OMAR was called upon to arrest Gay and
Gross he deputized two men from White
; ulphur Springs to assist him II necessary.
The desperate character OF Gay and Gross
was not known till later on. In the dis
charge Of bis duty one man wa: unfortu.
nately killed, ex-Sherif Bill Rnder, OF
Meagher county, and for many years dep
uty sheriff, az brave and faithful an office,
as ever faced o criminal. and ono that knew
no fear. - T..
Gay and Gross had been located nt a
point about five miles from where the
sheriG's posse had met. RAIDER and a
companion had not come In with tho main
party. and when they did come in. and
found that the desperadoes had been To-
Gated. In his eaGerness p~erhsps.to be tho
first uron the ground. he nnd his compan-
ion. Constable Westbrook. OF Castle. dashed
of. Shortly afterward Westbrook rode
back to the posse. saving that they had run
on to the men. and RAIDER had been killed.
From that time on Gay and Gross kept
under cover like Indians. In fact kept up
IN Indian warfare. and the sheriff NJ no
found them Mt all go as to locate them, OK
cept from the report of others who claimed
TO have seen them.
At that time everybody was wild with ex-
element and every man who could get a
gun and horse constituted himself IN off,
Ger. and tho. number Of places whore these
self-created officers located the despsradoas
wns enough to give the sheriff the vertigo.
The OCCASION wherein the Herald's COR
respondent claimed the sheriff showed COW
nrdice was this: Tho sheriff had placed
guards for the night at the places whore IL
was most likely that Gay and Gross might
appear. then retired to get some rest. hav-
ing been in tho sadd.e from carly morning.
Right here, MIR. Editor. allow me 10 settle
n little matter for the benefit of Soma mild
hammered idiote, and that 10. that even a
sheriff has got to have rest. strange us it
may seem.
A man called to say that he had Just seen
Gay aud Gross. The sheriff questioned
him and ound it was doubtful as to
whether the man had seen tho dosl cradles
at all. and turned In again, saying il it was
Gny and Gross the men he mad ont
WAS called upon to listen to statements
made by o~f6cious individuals who thought
tbs sheriff should follow their advice
harmless blatheiskitee, who, after being
properly Rnubbed, set Rhoat the statement
that had their adyice been taken the dss-
peradoes would have been captured.
You have met these fellows in your bus
mess. Nj. Editor; the woods axe foil OF
them over here.
1here has also been 4 statement In ons
of the Helena papers. from a citizen OF
White Sulphur springs registered in Hs,-
ena." Mr.. Editor, we knOv the citizen,
etc., and any statement he might make In
White sulphur Springs would not be be-
lieved II the A%schanRel Gabriel stood
sponsor for him.
Tho rest of tho chase OF these criminals
has boon published in THE INDEPENDENT.
Bot sufficient to say that Sheriff OMAR
located Gay and Gross In the lower Nus
selshell. took u small posse, started After
them and ran onto them In the brush.
whore unfortunately another brave man
was killed. The sheriff. finding the des-
porndoes had the advantage Of his men.
called them oil. snyinR no would take n
different method of cnptu ing them, with
ont such a risk Of loas OF life.
The brush At this point being from n
quarter to one-half mile wids and forty
,n,les long. no sent ~courisrs down ahead Of
tte despcrsdOes to alarm the country and
cnmc TO tbs Springs with the balnnc CO Of HIS
mon. attended 30 some business Of his Of
fics that required his attention. took the
cars for n roint on the Ysllowstonr. whore
lssss,s found showed the dsspsracoss we're