The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-08
jim C0NLEY'S SIDE OF 1T
he Tells How and Why He Shot That
,s,,.t Indian.
1T WAS THE SAFEST WAY
The Redskin Was Entirely Too
Promlscuous In the Matter of
Handling His Rifle-That Re-
ward and Who should Get II.

terrorzed the Flathead valley some years
ago, has been twice told in the columns of
the STANDARD recently, once by the Mis-
soula bureau and once by a correspondent
at halispel, who interviewed Ralph II,
Ramsdell, who claims the honor and 81, 600
reward from the state for the capture of
those redskIn bandits. Each correspond
ent has charged James Conley, a citizen
OF Anaconda, with having killed an ''in-
nocent, deienseless old Indian" during
the hunt for the outlaws.
Mr.. Conley is a brother of Frank Conley
of Conley & McTague, and he has been
an officer in Montana Tor a good many
years. He has a record for bravery and
has probably brought as many criminals
TO justice as any man in the state.
"l'll tell you how killed that Indian"
said he to a STANDARD reporter last even
ing. u don't want any newspaper con-
troversy over the matter nor any notori-
ETY. nor any reward for what l did, but
don't want to be accused of killing de-
fenseiess Indians. That Indian wasn't
good until he was dead. He fired six
shots at our party before he gave up, and
then only when he had three bullets in
him.
II had been after a band of horse
theVes IN Beaverhead county, and had
tralled them INTO tue Bitter Root valley,
headed toward MIssoula. / came into
Butte to notify the officers al Mlssoula to
look out for them. A few days later re-
ceiyed a message from Sheriff Heyfron
asking me to como to Mlssoula. L went
supposng he had located the horse
thieves. When got there he told me he
was getting up a posse to go to the Mis-
sion after Pierre Paul, La-La-See and their
associates. There were seven or eight of
them, all bad Indians, indicted by the
grand jury for murders committed.
I'VE went to the Mission and the chiefs
held pow-wow. agreeing TO surrender
the Indians we wanted in half an hour,
but they did not do il. We waited several
hours, but by that time the whole outfit
had given Sheriff Heyfron the slip. The
road from the Mission for a long distance
is beside the railroad track. There was
freight train ready TO pull
out, and we boarded the caboose
arranging with the conductor to run slow
and we would keep a lookout for Indians.
About six miles this side of the Mission
there was a cabin 800 yards, perhaps, from
the track which had been headquarters
for the renegade crew. We were going
over to search it. The train was running
slow and |, taking Heyfron's rifle. stepped
off, expecting the others of the posse,
Sheriff Heyfron, Assistant Indian Agent
Adams, Harry Logan and one or two
others, to follow me- but they did not come
Immediately. l started through some
anu as ulu SO an lnlldn anu a
squaw jumped up out of The brush some
distance away. The buck had a rifle and
In an instant he shot at me, the bullet
struck a rock at my feet and it glanced,
whizzing part my ear. | fired at him then
and broke his arm. He ran to a bunch of
rocks further away and threw himself be-
hind them. He kept on shooting, loading
his gun with one hand and resting the
barrel over his knee, taking deliberate
aim. The train had stopped and
the conductor from the cupalo of
the caboose kept me posted as to where
he was, and once l got another shot at
his side. Finally l went to tho caboose
myself and shot the Indian through the
head from the cupalo of that car. The
squaw had a six shooter and threatened
TO use IL, but did not, though she came
near being shot by Harry Logan who
snapped both barrels of a shot gun at her
thinking she was a man; fortunately the
gun did not go off.
"The Indians seem to spring from the
ground in that country, for we were sur
rounded by them before the train could
pull out and a relief train with 80 or more
volunteers from Mssoula came to our as
sistance.
II did not know at that time who the
Indian was | had killed, but afterward
Indian Agent Roman telegraphed me at
Missoula that he was one of those for |
whom Sheriff Heyfron had a warrant,
and that he was one of those Indians in |
.dcted for murder in the first degree. |
Even now / do not remember his name. |
All of those eight Indians met violent |
deaths. either from pursuing parties or
on the scaffold.
at was year later that Pierre Paul |
was captured by the Ramsdell party of
which was a member also. The rest
were all drawing $40 day from MissouIa
county but l did not get a cent and did
not ask it. was out with them for the
fun there was in it more than anything
else. James Grant of Carroll, was
another member of the party. There
were nine of us, including an Indian
guide named Joseph and one or two
others of the Indian police. We had pur-
sued Pierre Paul TO the Pen d'Oreille
river where there was ferry run by an
Indian. He would not ferry us over until
we threatened to kali him and then he did
so very reluctantly.
"Ramsdell had good horse but the In
dian Joseph bad better one, as was
proved by races during the trip, they were
ahead but not very far and had stopped
at cabin near the foot OF n rocky bluff
in canyon when the rest of us came up,
a squaw IN the cabin said that there were
no Indians there at all, but while we were
standing about debating what to do. lot
of stones began to rattle down the side of
the bluff. We looked up and there about
oOO yards up the hill was Pierre Paul
scrambling for a hiding place. As re-
member il now Joseph, the Indian, ran
after him and halted HIM. We did not 90
ilp tho hill on horseback because il was
impossible to have done so. When taken
Pierre Paul was stark naked he had
thrown off even his leggings IN running
and bad only sheath knife tied around
bis body by thong of leather. His rifle
be had thrown away and he was COM
pietely dlsheartened by the close pursuit.
Had he not been worn out be might easily
have hidden in those mountains and dis
covery would have been almost impossi-
bic.
James Grant and myself are as much
entitled TO a share of that 81. 900 as anv |
men in the Flathead valley If il is going |
10 be awarded. but for my part / think /
that SO day and expenses is reward /
enough, especially as / only got a little |
fun and excitement for my share in the
,hase,"