Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-04-09
THE KILLING OF ALLEN.
Charlie Perry Claims to Have Shot
Him in Self Defense.

Zig Warm Springs creek near the Co
burn ranch to protect Charlie Perry
who killed Allen last week." said Jas.
Harding, of Havre. at the Southern
to an Inter.Mountain reporter.
Il lived for number of years close
TO the Belknap reservation and know
all the parties in that affair well. Il
is an old feud.
ITO begin with. the killing of Allen
by Perry was justihable beyond any
doubt-but ! must go back and tell
you little Of the early history of the
affair.
ALLEN used to be head farmer on
the reservation and was later in
charge of the sub-agency at Lodge
Pole creek and he and Charlie Perry
married sisters. both daughters OF an
old-time sQuaw man, VIII Ball. and
Perry became in a small way rather
successful. This melted the envy OF
the half-breeds and squaw men about
the reservation and resulted in an at
tack on Perry about year ago In
which he was pretty badly hurt. His
father-in.law and several other half
breeds were mixed up in the affair.
Some nine years ago Allen. his
father. and squaw man named
Nosey" Clark. were tarred and feath.
cred by a party of indignant ranch
ers in the district. among whom Al
len suspected the Coburn boys, who
have quite a number of cattle in that
country and large ranch on the Big
Warm Springs creek near the eastern
end OF the Little Rockies.
ALLEN proposed to Perry at this
time that he should help him to stir
up the Indians to a raid on the Coburn
ranch, massacre the boys and men
employed around the ranch and prac-
tically wipe out the whole settlement.
while Perry refused to become 4
party to the scheme, he kept his own
counsel and beyond advising the In
dians, who have a great deal of con-
fidence In his Judgment. to keep
away from the place he said no more
about IL until last month when hav-
ing some further trouble with Allen
and that gang he confded the old
plot to Wallace and Will Coburn.
''Thc Coburns arranged for a meet
ing at their ranch between the Allen
gang and Perry. intending to have
Allen arrested for his part in the ter
rible conspiracy.
Sunday, n week ago, was the day
arranged for the conference and sew
eral OF those interested In their af-
fairs met at the ranch anticipating
trouble.
Perry, Will Coburn and another
young fellow were sitting In a room at
the ranch which had been liked for
the meeting when Allen. Wallace Co
burn and an Indian came in.
"As soon as Allen set his eyes on
Perry. he reached for his gun with
an oath, but before he could get the
drop on him, Perry drew his gun, 4
Al Colts. and shot him twice.
The first shot passed through his
breast Just above the heart and the
second through the throat breaking
his neck.
"The news spread through the az
ency and that's where we were afraid
the trouble would start. The Indians
In general took sides with Perry and
the breeds and squaw men with the
Allen gang.
III the Allen outfit ever starts any.
thing down there you will see the
worst cleanup that has taken place
in Montana for many year.
Charlie Perry has won the good
will OF those Gros Ventres and Assini'
BONES by being a good, square. young
fellow and the man who lays his hand
on him, or on one of his people, will
lose more than his scalp before the
day will be much older.
Perry is at Fort Benton just now,
charged with murder in the second
degree. but his bond has been fixed
at $1,000 and his friends will soon
have him back there again.
There is no doubt In my mind but
that he will ultimately be acquitted,
for IL he hadn't killed Allen the lat,
ter would have killed him."