Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1901-01-04
TROUBLE IS BREWING
Wholesale Slaughter Of Sheep On Tooney
Greek Causes Bad
Blood.
RANGEWAR THREATENED
Feeling Runs So High That Bloodshed
May Result At Any
Time.

\ Miles City dispatch to the Helena
Daily Record says that last week
masked and mounted raiders killed two
thousand sheep on the range of Tooney
Creek, a tributary 10 Tongue river, near
the Wyoming line, ut daybrealS yestcr
day morning.
Ehe sheep belong 70 Daupt \ Selway,
who are ranging 300 head in the Otter
creek country. The details Of the affair
arc somewhat mcagcr the first news Of
the trouble coming over the long dis+
tance telephone from Bulls store 1T
Otter. Word was sent from the sheep
camp to Otter by messenger, with
i request to have Sheriff Cato ~ at
once to Iooney creek armed with
Warrants III blank The sheriff and
deputy started this morning on their
lOO-milc trip overland
The Record correspondent obtained
further particulars of the affair by tce-
phone from Bulls ranch. According to
the report one Of Danpt 4 Sclway herd
ers had his flock of 2,OOO sheep ut the
upper corral On Tooncy creek and was
awakened before daybrcak by shooting
and yelling. Eleven men mounted On
horseback were riding around the band
of sheep and shooting into them.
There arc conflicting reports us to the
methods employed by the raiders. One
statement Is to the effect that the sheep
were driven in to a cut and piled up in a
struggling mass, those not being killed
by the fall being dispatched by clubs.
Another story says they were milled to
death that is, driven IN circles, piling
up until those beneath were smothered.
The raiders wore gunnysacks over
their heads and shoulders that effect,
ually concealed their identity. Tho
news Of the raid created great scnsa-
tion in Miles City, which is the residence
place and trading point Of nearly all the
large sheep men and cattle owners in
Custer county.
Mr.. Selway the principal owner Of the
band, lived near here until recently, and
is now resident OF Sheridan Wyoming.
He has been notified of the destruction
OF his property by telegraph. He is one
Of the largest wool growers in the state,
ranging over 10000 sheep on the public
domain in Montana and Wyoming. He
has Il dozen partners. who operate with
him on shares. and has incurred tho en-
nifty of both big and small cattle owners
BY herding his sheep over the range
right Of long and undisputed possession.
Range boundaries in this county, 50 far
;ts the government land is concerned, are
defined by courtesy, and the old settlers
resent the intrusion of the wandering
sheep men, who range their bands over
their pastures.
The feeling il tho Otter creek and
Powder river country has been quite
bitter against these new outfits and yes
tcrdayts raid IS the result Of this feeling.
It is believed that the ranchers Of Pow
der river and all the small settlers near
the Wyoming line have united 70 des
per;ltelN oppose the encrOachmcnts Of
the sheep men. and they intend to pre-
cipitatc q range war.
Rumors oi protective associations re
Gently organized have been circulated,
and while the avoWcd object Of these
ness, it is limited that the real intention
IS to hamper and harass the flock mast.
ers. Stockmen here hope that the out
break will not become serious and have
no wish to engage IN any difficulty over
the right to the range community by the
action of tho Tooncy creek raiders.
j G.. Ramsey. editor Of the Miles City
News gave the following version Of the
trouble:
'srWo cattlcmcn.. he said, had taken
up the land along the waterway down in
and they supposed that they had
scripped il all along the creek, SO that
they would Shut out anyone else. As Il
matter Of fact they had overlooked /,
strip forty acres wide and the sheepmen
took possession of that.
They were notified some time ago
that they would be severely dealt with
il they tried to take their sheep in there.