The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-29
A WATER RIGHT FIGHT
Putting a Flume Across the
Reservation.
THE INDIANS RESISTED
How II Happened That the Laoorers
We're Starving Preparations Mede
to Hang Toms-Resigned
the Presidency.

The action brought I'm the district
court Saturday against James A. Muir
ray by +. ID. Toms and ]. ]. Cusick
revived some stirring Incidents In con-
nection with a somewhat famous water
right fight at Pocatello.
Susick and Toms conceived the idea
Of putting in a water system at Poca-
tello, but in order to get sufficient water
they had to cross the Indian reservation
and 60 into the mountains and locate
some streams. The Indians offered
strong opposition and resisted by force
for a Iong time. Cusick and Toms sent
men out into the mountains to work on
the fumes and bitches. and the Indians
made a raid on the laborers and, over
towering them, loaded them into wagons
and on ponies and took hem into Poca-
tello. The next day Cuslck took the
men back to work and the Indians
again loaded them up and hauled them
into town. This performance was re-
peated five times and the interior de-
partment was finally appealed to and
several agents n inspectors were sent
out and they succeeded in pacifying the
Indians.
I'VE had grief all the way through in
building that water system" said Mr..
Cuslck yesterday in telling about the
trouble he and his partner had.
In the complaint filed in court and also
in Cusick's story, related yesterday, 1t
was stated that an agreement had been
made with Mr.. Murray whereby the lat
ter was to advance the money for the
construction Of the water plant and was
to be paid back from the earnings of the
plant or from the sale of bonds. When
the system was practically completed
CusiCk and Toms owed the
and laborers $500 and for some reason
MI. Murray refused TO advance n
more money unless Toms resigned as
president Of the and trans
ferred all the stock OF the company 10
him. The laborers were starving and
Toms and Cusick could give them no
money The county commissioners were
called on and had to provide food Tor
the men, said Cusick yesterday. The
men were desperate and threatened TO
hang Toms, for they understood that II
he complied with the demands of Mr..
Murray they would get their pay. Toms
at first wouldn't give in and then the
men. led by one Of the contractors
made preparations to hang him. They
bought a rope for that purpose and fas-
tened one end of IL TO a chimney on the
water works. Cusick pleaded with the
men and suggested that they have a
conference with Toms. They finally
agreed to suspend preparations for the
hanging and a committee waited on
Toms in his office and before they left
him he agreed 10 resign the presidency
Of the which he did, and then
also transferred the stock to MIR. Mur-
ray. w~hereupon the men were paid off.
Toms left the country soon afterwards
and is now living In New York. Mr.. Gu
sick and his partner claim that Mr..
Murray has frozen, or attempted 10
freeze, them out of the company. or
courae. there is another side to the story,
and Mr.. Murray has his side yet to tell.
Mr.. Cusick also claims that he first agl-
tated the question Of opening the In
dian reservation at Pocatello TO settle
ment and that the opening was the di-
rect result of the movement he inau-
Eurated In that direction. Mr.. Cusick
is at present interested In another big
land, power and mine enterprise near
Pocatello out of which he expects to
make a million or two pretty quick.