Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-30
STOLE A IRAN LOAD.
An Organized Gang Of Horse thieves Oper-
ating in the North.

NsNI 1850 80 hfo WY W nv
by Junction, where he goes for the
purpose Of investigating further the
alleged stealing of five ear loads of
horses from Henry Raglin, of Teton
county. The deed was one OF the
boldest which has taken place In
northern Montana for some time
past and compares f~avorably with
the work of the men who stole the
Houk horses over the line n few
weeks ago. and sold them In this city.
John sullivan and John Temple
ton are the men who are accused Of
being the principals In this latest
wholesale stealing. and sullivan isat
pr, sent on his way to Montana in
the hands Of an officer; Tcmpletun is
still at large. The way the men did
their work was vi the bOldest. Last
Friday five ears were ordered from
the Great Northern for Baltic, apoint
ON the road about twenty-five miles
west of Shelby Junction, and Satur-
day Sullivan aud Temploton drove
Ia n band of horses and, loading the
five cars, we're whirled eastward ON
the next freight train which passed.
Baltic. the point of the loading, is
particularly well situated for shady
transactions. being only n side truck
with loading pens. All that IL neces-
sary il that ears he ordered from the
road To De on the side track at u GER
tain time and the stock can be load.
cd and billed with no inquisitive
parties to investigate or usk awk-
ward questions. Stock Inspector
Lund learned Of the loading Sunday
and the suspicious circumstancessur
rounding the case led him to takethc
matter up at once. Ilewas not long
in finding ont that the horses were
stolen. the majority Of them from
Itnglin, and that the carr had been
billed through To Chicago, two Of
them To the order of Sullivan and the
other three To the order OF Temple
ton.
The horses were heard from at Mi
not, where inquiry made the matter
more sure as t o the identity of the
horses aud men, and Mr.. Lund tele-
graphed Stock Inspector Burdette of
st. Paul. Tuesday Sullivan was ar
rested in the yards ut st. Paul, but
Templeton was not captured. Iund
was AT once notified and In turn not
flied the Sheriff III Tctoucounty, with
! the result that sullivan will be land
cd in ChOtcau today or tomorrow.
and his examination will take place
ut once. The horses are now held in
st. Paul and will probably be sold
there by their owners, as 1t would
hardly bc II paying proposition to
bring them back to Montana, cspec-
tally as the charges We're not prepaid
upon them by Messrs. sullivan and
Templeton, aud they are now being
held Tor shipping charges.
The theft Is Unc Of the holdcst that
has evCrtaken place in the state, and
the very boldness of it was its safe
guard: indeed it was by the merest
chance Inspector Lund learned vi the
matter, and the capture was by Il
hairs breadth.
"There is not the slightest doubtin
my mind but that there are several
gangs oi organized horse thieves
working in this end OF the state,'
said Inspector Lund last evening,
"and they hayescveral' underground
roads for getting away with and dis
posing of such stock AZ they may
steal. They receive aid from parties
along each line and ut differently points
are go.betweens who dispose of the
stolen stock. One OF the paths OF
their system leads through Great
Falls and across the country toward
Wyoming, but the trail most used Is
due east along the line OF the Great
Northern and through Dakota. The
stock are generally driven overland,
the present case being an exception,
the reason being that with friends
and coniederates all along the line
the thieves have much more chance
Of getting away safely when throver-
land route IL chosen. Shipping stolen
stock is IA very dangerous ploposi-
tion for the man who Is trying 10 do
the stealing, for the reason that II
record il kept and We are 10 keep line
on NIL stock which may be sent out
over the railways"
Iat Causes Mimi Alarm.