The Anaconda standard., 1899-09-29
IN DILLON.
Two Men Charged With Changing Brand.
on Horses.


Horses.
Special Correspondence OF the Standard.
Dillon, Sept 26-Yesterday occurred the
preliminary hearing of Russell Mcneil
and Frank Flanagan before Justice of
the Peace James. the men were
charged with changing brands on horses
and evidence was brought out sufficient
to convince the Judge that a case could
be made out against them and they were
bound over to await the action of the
district court. State Senator Hurd of
Valley county was the complaining wit
ness against the two men, and It is owing
to the good detective work shown by
Stock Inspector George Taylor that con-
vfcting evidence was secured.
These two men were of the same gang
to which Philip Carr and l. Cohn belong
ed, and it was for the same crime that
they are bound over for for which Carr
was being arrested when the accidental
shot was fired that ended his career OF
crime.
Messrs. Flanagan and Mcneil were by
| no means slow in the use Of firearm and
were good judges of horseflesh. They
were in the employ of Senator Hurd of
Valley county. and We're sent here to
round up the horses belonging to the
George M. Brown estate, which had been
purchased by the gentleman from VAL
ley. Immediately after their arrival they
IOlEltu lHe acquaintance OF Carr, conn,
French Pete, Murphy and one or two
more kindred spirits, and they began to
Systematically rob their employer They
would steal strays and re-brand horses,
run them off into Idaho, as was told in a
Standard of last week. and sell them as
best they could.
This year Mr.. Taylor made thorough
roundup of the horses of the county. and
soon "got onto" the methods of the gang
For some time he laid low and finally Sc
cured the evidence he wanted. Then he
procured warrant and went out to Med
fcine Lodge creek, where the men he was
after were camping.
1t was along towards evening when he
found them and telling a bystander Joe
Smith, that he wanted him to help, he
started to serve the warrant. Knowing
that Flanagan was a bad man, he re.
solved to take him first. At the time
Flanagan was standing by the corral
gate. When within ten feet of his man
Taylor commanded him to throw up his
hands: that he wanted him. Flanagan
turned around, and seeing that he was
covered, attempted to draw his own gun,
a wicked-looking 45. Taylor Is both
brave and cool and he did not care for
bloodshed. When he saw Flanagan reach
for his gun he made a jump for him ana
Just as Flanagan got hold of his gun he
felt the cold muzzle of Taylor's gun
against his forehead; he felt Taylor 8
breath against his cheeks and heard the
determined voice Of the stock inspector
saying:
Drop that gun or you are a dead
man."
Finding his master. and knowing II,
too. he wilted, dropped his gun and
gave up like lamb
Mcneil was arrested without difficulty
and the two men were brought to Dillon,
where they have since been detained in
the county Jail awaiting preliminary hear
ing. Saturday they were up before the
Justice, charged with running off horses.
This case would not stick. They were
discharged but Immediately rearrested
charged with changing brands, as above
stated.
Taking it all in all, the disposition shown
by Flanagan when arrested. the we'll
known hard character borne by Carr and
Cohn and the general toughness of MUIR
ply and French Pete, it is thought that
the killing of Carr and the arrest of three
others marks the beginning OF the break
ing up of one of the toughest gangs Of
rustlers that has ever operated in Mon
tana.