Fergus County argus., 1901-08-21

IodrSdlneu lOr anu Wanteu 10 quit tue
business, but "Flopping Bill" point
ed out to them that they would bt
hanged by the civil law II their share
In the impromptu hanging was
known, and that, together with
other cogent reasons, prompted them
to remain.
The next bunch OF rustlers was To-
Gated along the Missouri. They pass
ed as woodchoppers, and n large
number OF them had rendezvous at
Long Johns Bottom on the Missouri,
n short ways below the mouth ofthe
Musselshell. "Flopping Bill's" posse
came upon the camp early one morn
ing and was discovered by the horse
herder, whom they promptly shot
and charged upon the camp. There
was block house with stable at
tached, belonging to the rustlers.
but most of them were sleeping In
tents, and when the shooting began
one of them was shot while getting
to the block house. Once there they
defied the posse, and 1t was only by
strategy that they were dislodged.
While the posse kept hail of bullets
against the house one Of the cowboys
sneaked up through the grass and
set fire to the stable, and 1t In turn
fired the block house. Just how many
rustlers were killed will never be
known, but there were at least eleven
in the house and six were taken
prisoners, while one escaped.
The one who got away was Dixey
Burroughs, u half breed, and well
known In northern Montana. Bur
roughs managed to get away from
the house aud was stopped by one OF
the outer guards, but dropped be-
hind log and at the fourth shot
managed to get his man and escaped.
Who the cowboy was that was shot
has never been divulged. He was
buried where he fell and hint given
that nothing was to be said aboutit.
That night "Flopping Bill" went
away and during the night a number
OF men rode up to the camp OF the
cowboys and, after a sham battle,
took the six prisoners, and In the
morning their bodies were decorat-
ing the woods on the east end
of Long Johns bottom. "Flopping
Bill' came back and said the men
who had taken the prisoners were "A
posse from Miles City, and nobody
inquired further.
When Dixey Burroughs escaped he
crossed the Missouri on IA raft, and
met old man James and his two sons,
Dick and jim, together with two
Others. This part OF the gang had
not been home when the cowboys
called, and when Dlxey told his story
| they saw that there was death In the
air and started down the river on n
raft. They knew the cowboys were
after them and that they would be
shown no mercy, and so when near
Poplar they surrendered to u SER
geant and detail OF seven United
States soldiers, and asked to be taken
to Fort Maginnis for trial. The SER
geant and his detail started with the
prisoners for MaginDis, and early the
third morning they awoke to find
themselves in the hands of n dozen
masked men.
"Hitch up your outfit and drive
straight on" said the leader Of the
party, "and we will not injure you
at all; refuse and we will kill you all.
The prisoners are ours"
The sergeant, whose name is not
recalled-the whole affair appears In
the records Of the post during this
year-hitched up and drove on as re-
quested, and the dozen masked men
were left behind. The prisoners were
never seen again, except that a couple
OF years ago an old timer told story
Of meeting Dixey Burroughs over the
Canadian line. and he said he had
been spared his life by promising to
leave the country.
After this the hangings were desul-
tory, but the aggregate for the two
months OF September and October is
believed to have amounted to about
thirty. The cowboys would be rid
Ing the roundup, and some night
word would go around and In the
morning twenty Of them would be
gone for "a day or week and no
questions asked.
That winter, 1t IL related. a crowd
OF men rode up to the place where
the cowboy vigilante crew were
quartered and served notice that
everyone Of them must leave the
country ordie. The majority Of them
left and have met death In one way
or another, but there are still two
or three OF the posse remaining In
northern Montana. hut they do not
boast OF having belonged to "Flop-
ping Bills avengers" in ~. "Flop-
ping Bill" alsU found Ii advisable to
leave the country many years ago,
and lrss thnn two months ago his
death was recorded Ia old Missouri
for Bill wGs u Missourian and had
ridden with QuaDtrell.
The 1885, episode of the rope and
gun bas not been written nbout very
much. but the advertising it got was
AtIslt ~. L..