The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-19
A LITTLE COLD WORK
But Towards Scheme Resulted
in His Arrest.
PLAYED THE BOUNTY LAW
Bought His Hides in Chicago and Then
BOT $500 From the Clerk and
Recorder OF Gallatin
County.

Bozeman. Dec. B.-Under section 800
of the political code of Montana there
is allowed a bounty to the person who
kills certain wild animals, and FOR
each wolf or coyote. s." Then follow
several sections relating to the manner
OF production, time of killing and num-
Der of witnesses. etc. Under these sec
tons OF the political rode there has
been considerable traffic in wolf and
coyote hides. the former owners OF
those hides having lived their lives In
other states or I'm Canada. and IL has
been a hard matter to detect the frauds
N impositions on the several county
officials throughout the state.
On Wednesday of last week. how
ever. a man calling himself William
ii. Howard, from parts unknown. I'M
dertook to get the best of. and did get
a warrant for $3.50. from the county
clerk of Gallatin county. This man
Howard arrived in town on Nc. 1 from
the eastern part of the state last sun
day week. He had with him a large
bundle of hides. He took up his abode
at the Bozeman hotel and deposited his
little bundle of hides. numbering SO as
IL afterwards appeared. In the LaClede
hotel. The next two days he put In his
time getting together a few acquaint-
ances. He told G. w. Jackson that he
knew Ned Latta very well, and Ned
Latta was informed by him that Cen
eral Wilson was an old chum of his.
and so on until his little scheme was
made up. on Wednesday he drove up
to the county clerk and recorders Of
| fee in a hack. together with Charles
Ruffner and Ned Latta, as witnesses.
The bundle of hides was along also.
After a while Deputy Peck Wen out
and punched them, according to law,
n found some of them had been de-
tached from their wearers for some
time past: seven of these hides being
wolves N the other 70 coyotes. when
asked where he killed them. he said in
the West Gallatin basin. one OF the
hides was that of n black wolf When
asked by the sheriff. who happened to
be present, where he had killed this
wolf. he again stated that II was I'm
the Gallatin basin.
BY this time the suspicious of both
Sheriff Fransham and Clerk McNaugh-
ton were aroused. The sheriff went out
and made some Inquiries concerning
coyotes and wolves in the Gallatin ba-
sin. He was told that there were very
few coyotes and no wolves there. He
also got another man to ask Howard
where he stayed I'm the basin while
hunting. n he replied. along either
side OF the river and I'm the brakes, but
could not remember the name of any
creek or man up there. When asked
whether he had seen Jack Smith I'm the
'HaNaAAF -, nv Nhal ilA hao ~
there five weeks ago Mr.. ninth stays
there nearly all the time. as IL well
known by every one. This was sufi-
Client for the sheriff. and so he arrested
Howard, who had his preliminary trial
on Thursday. when he was bound over
10 the district court.
Howar had. however. obtained a
warrant for 1858 from the clerk. which
he sold at a discount. and when arrest
ed had abou 5000 left. He had in the
meantime bought some goods at Will
sons. which were to be shipped to w.
ii. Howells. Deerield. Fergus county.
Sam Jackson. sheriff OF Sweet Grass
county. happened to be In town this
week and stated that a man had put
in III pelts down at Big Timber. and
probably this was the same man. Shcr-
in Fransham went back To Big Timber
with Mr.. Jackson M found that this
mar Howard. or Howells, was to all
intents purposes the same person
as a w. H.. Meyers. who sold the Sweet
Grass officials III hides at 81 apiece and
afterwards disposed of the warrant to
John Asbury at the bank for about
$3.50. While down there the little
scheme vas unear;hed by the sheriff.
II is believed that he had a partner.
whom the authorities are after, help
ing him. The pelts II appears were
bought in Chicago for little or nothing.
and were shipped. or some of them. TO
Big Timber. Then this nan N his
partner took them down across the riv-
er and sorted them. In the sorting n
humble were thrown out and found
close to the river. being too rotten for
use. Then a number of those left after
the deal with the Sweet Grass county
clerk were shipped to Bozeman. with
the above mentioned result. The oper-
atoms Of this man are being traced as
closely as possible. and II IL believed
tina he or his partner had disposed of
a nnnahar 80 nalts ~ tho EarpnS anttn-
~ authorities. and possibly the firm
has worked quite a lumber of other
places.
After the punching by the clerk was
over. Howard took the pelts to the tan
merry. but Bauman. the manager. did
not want them. as he said they had
been killed a long time and We're prob
ably some discarded hides which had
been thrown out by some tannery else
where.
County Attorney Sidney Fox. while
In the city this week. said that "A num-
Der Of hides had been punched I'm vari-
Gus parts Of Eastern Montana during
the last month. so there may be some
further developments In the course OF
a few days.
on last Thursday evening r.. r. Hall.
tr.. was given a franchise by the city
council to put In gas mains. Mr.. Hall
proposes to erect his buildings and gas
works in the immediate vicinity Of
Bozeman and supply the city and pri-
waite individuals with gas at n lower
rate than they can get electric light.
He has until the first OF June. 1899. In
which to erect his plant and lay some
Of the principal mains. He opposes To
furnish the city with gas for a price
not TO exceed 81 per thousand cubic
feet. he 20 furnish all meters free Of
cost or rent to the consumers. He also
agrees to put up and maintain in good
order and repair. street lamps. posts.
etc. at such places as the city may
desire. and TO furnish eas at a rate Of
not more than $3.50 per month. and
each Of the burners To bc-a not less
han 1--WE cubic feet per hour. II Mr..
Hall takes advantage Of the franchise
the citizens OF Bozeman can take their