The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-19
BARON AMI SHEEP HERDER.
LIFE IN AMERICA OF A FORMER
MEMBER OF THE GEARS UARD.
High Iiro in ~. Petersburg, New Work, ana
Washington, Then work on n sheep Ranch
at $40 n Scene In n Mon
tann Gambling House-Forced Restitution.

Helena, Mon. announced tho death, at Clark
brothers ranch at Chateau, Seton county, north,
crn Montana, OF n young Russian nobleman.
Baron Max Won Grotthus. Yesterday additional
particulars were obtained Of tho young mans
death and Of tho romantic and adventurous life
which he led.
Baron Won Grotthus died OF pneumonia. lie
was Ill but a short time. Before he died ho ex'
pressed a wish TO be buried in Russia, and after
his death his father, answering a despatch in.
forming him of this wish. directed that the body
be embalmed and shipped to ST. Petersburg by
the earliest possible steamer.
Baron Won Grotthus was about 80 years old.
He belonged to an old family in Russia, and
when no left st. Petersburg, in 1885. he was a
Lieutenant In the Cars Guard. He was an in
veterato gambler, fond of all kinds of sport, a
favorite with men and the pet Of women. Ills
reputation was that he went a faster pace than
any other man in his regiment. Debts accumu.
lated. The allowance made him by his father
was insufficient to meet his obligations. The
father refused to increase the allowance and the
young man came TO America.
For a year he divided his time between New
York and Washington. He was slightly over
six feet tall, with q fine figure, blond hair and
beard. and blue eyes. His manner was courtly.
In a year he had reached the end of his fnan.
cial tether. and no found himself confronted by
the alternative of going to work or starving.
During that first year in America he had mot
cambridge Clark and Walter s. Clark. They
were graduates of Yale and tho sons of a
wealthy man. then living in Yonkers. The two
brothers were about the Baron's age. After they
left college tho brothers cut rather a wide
swath In Now York, and finally their father
bought them n sheep ranch In Montana and
sent them out there to take charge of it.
The ranch was on tho Milk River, and tho
nearest town to 1t OF any size was Great Falls
About the only thing the Baron knew by which
he could turn an honest penny was how to ride.
He didn't care to follow the example Of some
OF his countrymen in this country and turn
riding master. SO he applied to Walter Clark for
a job on the ranch. Clark frankly told the
Baron that the only employment that could DO
had on tho ranch was that OF q sheep herder,
whose pay was $40 a month. The Baron agreed
10 axe me JOB and went to Montana at once.
to dress himself without the assistance of a body
servant, When he reached the ranch no donned
tho garb or q cowboy. took a herd OF sheep and a
ground; Nobody, on tho ranch ever heard him
complain Of the character Of his work. nor OF the
rather solitary life he was compelled TO live. He
did whatever he was told to do. and did 1t well.
There comes to a cowboy. now and again, the
Tie, furnishes the element OF danger to the cow
~ . Wv pul- I ldkc u UOClIG mock OF BnGep
out to the feeding grounds and sit around and
watch an intelliHent dog do moro than q man
conid 90 do, In i looking XXI out for the herd. is work that
bravery and furnishes hardly a possible chance
for adventure. Ifa Montana man wants to call
damned sheep herder. "A'0 Once as the ia,is ep nl% IS
passed, there Is usually a ohfor, an undertaken.
the scion OF a noble Russian family and q former
lieutenant in the Cars Guard had become.
For eleven years. And until he died. he did that
after pay, day. that the Baron was himself again.
height Of taking less than han t ilS eI he s, art for
Helena. The dress Of the sheep herder was cast
aside. and when Won Grotthus appeared in tho
Montana capital he was attircd us faultlessiy
as the best dressed man who walks up Broad
way on q pleasant afternoon.
Every BODY OF any prominence In Helena knew
the Baron. knew his birth and breeding. and tho
house Of every member, Of the Helena -Four
ho would enjoy bis rehabilitation lie Occupied
the best suite Of rooms in the best hotel In
Helena, md And played faro for as high stakes as he
could. HIS winnings were often heavy, but he
was never satisfied to stop play. when he was
ahead Of the game. Consequently he always
settle his hotel bill. A man who knew him well
In Helena told this story of him yesterday: :,
those entitiod to Know him knew hat as he Would I'D
make things lively while he stayed, and he
STAYED as long as his money held out. That was
looked forward to his coming because they
knew that they would get most OF the money he
AS long as he was winning he would keep
sober. When his luck turned he would begin
drinking f.nf And Lord! The man was the sIresstest
kinds Of drinks and not show 1t a particle. He
could drink enough absinthe TO kill about four
Tho proprietor of the hotel where he always
stayed, Knowing the man and his habits, kept
IRS5 s byts SIG msn tabs Son on Hmm hun; When u, XII he SfSt broke
would look II over and then exclaim:
. !, BUT, my dear sir, how can ! pay this
cutthroats who run your gambling bells have
Then the hotel man would seizo the Baron's
trunks and still he would stay on. He would 90
around and borrow money from his friends
wherever he could. and that money would go
prietor would seize his clothes that were not in
The trunks. He would begin with an overcoat
hadn't enough clothes to protect him from the
weather. Even then he would continue TO gam
seen Se az hi ionE l.s as ne bi Goq bots 1o snS walk cent Around l h "a o
gambling house In the dead OF winter without
either a coat or waistcoat.
to ono Of the ClarEs that Won Grotthus was nn.
able to pay his board bill and that something
despatch the Clarks would wire enough money
to get the Baron back to the ranch, lea wing HIS
trunks in limbo until he had earned enough
money to secure their release.
With all his fondness for gambling and his
propensity for borrowing money, Won Grotthus
Nub blIItty HOutsl- I1e never uFtW u cent OF
money at the ranch, save once n year, except to
pay the debts and the loans no made while on
his yearly spree. He never returned to Helena
in debt.
Honorable himself, he expected others to BIO
honorable with him. When he found dishon-
esty he was not slow to brand 1t. l remember
seeing him at q faro bank one night in the high
est-toned gambling joint in Helena. There were
a number OF persons present. Sitting next to
the Baron was a young fellow who was drunk
and who had been losing steadily all the even
ing. After a time some OF those at the table no.
ticed that the Baron seemed to lose interest In
his own play and was watching the dealer in.
tently. Suddenly the Baron quietly remarkcd:
before this game goes on you must pay the
bet OF the gentleman sitting on my right. You
have been stealing his chips for the past hour
The dealer was on his feet In Il moment.
Staring at the Baron as IL he would annihilate
him. he exclaimed:
You lie! You damned sheep herder. take
that + -.
"Andt the dealer had slapped the Baron's face.
The Baron never so much as raised his hand, al
though tho room WAS In an uproar. Looking at
the dealer steadily for "a moment, he said. in tho
same quiet tone:
"'Oh, yes. I'm a sheep herder, and a very good
one, i fancy. A liar. though, l am not. You
have insulted me and have assaulted me. /
meet you with your own weapons. Step out
from behind that table. and we'll see who can
punch tho harder