The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-31
TWENTY YEARS AGO
AN INCIDENT OF EARLY DAY
LIFE IN LEWISTOWN.


Curry gang was heard Of, that Little
Rocky country was the hiding place for
horse thieves and desperadoes," said
John Berkin of Boulder at the Thornton
The little group that sat smoking in
the other evening.
the lobby drew their chairs close as Mr..
Berkin continued.
II helped to send two Of them across
the divide myself, and you won't blame
me when you hear the story.
ut was the Fourth of July, 1873. I had
a little ranch on Cottonwood, few miles
out of Lewistown in Fergus county, and
had come in to town to celebrate.
I'm those days no Fourth of July was
properly celebrated without horse race.
Sam Jackson was marshal of the day,
and along in the afternoon, about the
time the race was scheduled to come off
and while he was arranging for it two
men rode up with a led horse which they
wished to enter.
Two Notorious Desperadoes.
Someone in the crowd recognized them
snake Jack and Charlie Owen, members
of a band Of horse thieves which had
been pretty busy at that time in the
Little Rocky region.
"On learning this, Jackson refused to
allow them to enter, whereupon Rattle
ssnake Jack, who was a tall, raw-boned
half-breed and an ugly customer, attack
ed the marshal and dubbed him over the
head with his gun.
jackson tried to defend himself, but
the two overpowered him and after beat
ing him severely, compelled him to pillow
up the ground with his face, which was
bruised and lacerated in a terrible man.
ner.
"Then, mounting their horses, they gal.
loped up the Main street of the little
town. and made demonstration. shoot
ing Unfortunately as they rode.
Dan Crowley was sheriff in those days
and ran a saloon as a side line right OPP
posite T. c. Powers store.
Here Rattlesnake pulled up and stalk
ing into the saloon flung down hundred
dollar bill on the bar and called for the
drinks for the crowd.
His partner continued on down the
street.
meanwhile a number of us got guns
and took a position right across the
street near the Power store, intending
to revenge the beating given to jackson.
"Pretty soon the breed came out Of
the saloon carrying his rifle across his
arm. AS he reached the little platform
in front of the saloon he recognized that
the crowd was after him.
Kills for Fun.
''Somebody shouted, Wen kill you or
take you jack He smiled, laid his rifle
against the wall and after rolling and
lighting a cigarette, picked up his gun,
saying with the utmost nonchalance:
'I guess I'll just kill a man for fun
''He leveled his rifle at the crowd and
deliberately shot one Of the men through
the heart.
Twenty shots rang out in return. and
as the murderer fell pierced by bullets
he continued to pump his rifle. Even as
he lay in the dust he shot till he rolled
over dead.
"Just then his comrade, Owen, came
riding back and when within a hundred
yards of the posse he dismounted and
turning to man. who was taking no
part in the affair and didn't even know
of the tragedy that had just been enact
ed, shot him between the eyes and scat
tered his brains over the sidewalk.
Immediately we cut loose on him with
our rifles and he dropped dead in his
tracks.
"A year later the gang was completely
cleared out. Among those who suffered
the penalty for their crimes was the
notorious bandit Reese Anderson"