The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-25
SHOT BY THE SHERIFF
The Notorious Phil Carr Has
Passed in His Checks.
AN ACCIDENTAL KILLING
Sheriff Pyle OF Beaverhaad and a Posse
We're After Carr and Cohn.
They Expected Desper-
ate Resistance.

Phil Carr, the notorious rustler. who
with his equally notorious side partner,
Ike Cohn, has given the officers Of this
and surrounding countries an endless
amount of trouble during the last few
years, passed in his checks yesterday
morning. He was killed by Sheriff w.
S. Pyle Of Beaverhead county near Fee
ley's station while posse was attempt
ing to effect the arrest of himself and
Cohn for horse stealing. The killing
was entirely accidental. Sheriff Pyle
covering Carr and Cohn, who were
found in bed in q tent. They had
boosted that they would not be taken
and he expected them to make a fight.
He was therefore on the alert, expect
ing an attempt to be made to shoot
from under the covers, and had his
thumb on the hammer Of his Winches-
ter and his finger on the trigger when
the gun went off. the ball crashing
through Cars brain. He never moved.
Cohn surrendered at once when he saw
the fate of his outlaw partner, and is
now safe behind the bars of the county
Jail here.
Carr and Cohn were members of
gang of rustlers who have been operat-
| ing on a large scale in the southern
early spring; for several years for the
| matter OF time, but more especially this
| year. The gang was composed of two
men named O'Neill and Flanagan,
| Carr and Cohn and Peter lambert,
| known as French Pete" and Frank
| Murphy. O'Neill was foremen of the
stock ranch of ex-State Senator Charles
| o. Hurd of Valley county and F1anni-
| gan worked under him. Under the
| leadership of these two, the gang has
| been doing a. big business all summer
| in stealing horses and running them
| into Idaho to sell. The particular part
| of the work allotted to Carr, Cohn,
| French Pete and Murphy was run
| ming the horses off and selling them.
| A great many of the horses were dis
| posed of to the graders on the st. An
| thony branch of the Oregon Short Line
! railroad, while others went to livery
! stables in Idaho towns, so Sheriff Pyle
| has ascertained in his investigation of
| the gangs doings. The gang was very
| bold in it's operations.
| Sheriff Pyle says he knows of horses
| stolen in Butte that were sold by them.
Emboldened by success, the gang a
| short time ago rounded up a band OF
| $50 horses belonging to Senator Hurd,
! branded them and ran them off to sell.
Sheriff Pyle and his deputies have been
working a long time. but 1t was not till
| the wholesale job was done that they
| met with any success. Then they were
| successful in getting a clew to the
| identity Of the members Of the gang
| and warrants were sworn out for the
| whole gang by Senator Hurd. Sheriff
| Pyle and Stock Inspector Taylor of
| Beaverhead county got after O'Neill
! and Flanagan and captured them as
much as a month ago. The rest of the
gang, warned by the arrest of their
| leaders got out and still hunt has
| been going on for them for the past
three weeks. Sheriff Pyle placed war
rants in the hands of Sheriff Regain to
| watch this end of the line while he
| secured the country, but no clew was
obtained till Saturday. Sheriff Pyle got
wind that Carr and Cohn had come
| this way and he came to Butte. After
| a conference with the local sheriff S Of
| ficers an attempt to locate the pair was
| decided upon. A young man named
George Quay, living south Of town, who
| has ridden the range for some years
and is thoroughly familiar with it, and
who also knew the haunts of Carr and
| Cohen and knew their horses, was
called in as a guide, and party COM
posed of Sheriff Pyle. Deputy Sheriff
| Henry Aware, Deputy Sheriff Jack
White of Silver Bow and Quay set out
on horseback Saturday evening: They
| rode to the ranch of Joseph Boulet, two
| miles east Of Feeley's. where Quay
thought they would find the pair, or II
not, be able to get track of them.
Arriving in the vicinity of the ranch,
Deputy Aware, who assumed the ieaa-
| ership, sent Quay ahead to see If he
| could see anything of the young desper-.
| ADDE'S saddle horses, knowing that If
| the horses were about the men would
| not be far away. Quay went out on the
prairie and Deputy Aware had the salts
| faction of seeing him come back pres
| emily, leading a horse which he said
| was one of Carrs Satisfied the game
was near, the horse was tied and the
| whole posse crawled into hay stack
to wait for daylight.
| Just as day commenced to break the
party got out again. Deputy Aware
| sent White and Quay out on the ranch
with instructions to station themselves
| between the ranch buildings and the
mountains to head the pair off II they
| should attempt to make for the brush.
Then Deputy Aware and Sheriff Pyle
secreted the horses and went up to the
ranch on foot. Deputy Aware stationed
while he went through the out build
| ings. He had the satisfaction of And
| ing Carr and COINS favorite horses
and their saddles in the stable, but
found nothing of the men and conclud-
| ed they must be sleeping in the house
| Accordingly he signaled to his outposts
to come in, at the same time directing
| Sheriff Pyle to change his position so
as to command all points with his Win
chester Deputy Aware then started for
| the house.
| Not a soul about the ranch was stir
| ring, for it was too early to get up and
| the officers had worked so quietly no
| one had been aroused. AS Quay and
| white came in they passed an out
| building at the rear of which was "a
| small affair, half tent and half house
| which Quay, being familiar with the
| Mace. knew was used as sleeping
APARTMENT ordinarily by the ranch
| hands. He suggested to Sheriff Pyle
| and Deputy White that they had better
| look into the tent, as the men they
sought might be sleeping there, or If
| not, the hands would probably De aoie
| to give some information. Sheriff Pyle
| told Quay and White to go ahead ana
| look in and he would remain IN ms
position They did so, and as they
| pulled open the flap of the tent they
| saw Cohn and Carr lying in bed asleep.
white motioned to Sheriff Pyle to come
I'D and told him of the discovery: Inc
lp-f n