The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-01
TAME ANIMAL KILLED WHILE
COMMITTING DEPRECIATION.
BOYS LOST BOUNTY. MONEY
Tame Timber Wolf Killed in Great
Falls While Owner Is on
a Spree.

EsHHEa. LEsN
Great Falls, June 26.-Several days
ago j. Mathey. a man who makes his
living by hunting wolves and coyotes,
appeared in the city in company with
a large timber wolf, which he had
raised from a pup and which follow
ed him about like a dog. The animal
was quartered over on the West side,
attached to a freighter's outfit, where
he was admired and petted by all who
happened to pass that way. The AMI
NAL was a mammoth specimen of his
kind and several persons in the city
offered to purchase him for a good
round sum. But Mr.. Mathey did not
want to sell his pet, which slept with
him every night for the past year.
But he will sleep with him no more,
unless Mr.. Mathey takes up quarters
on the river bank near the site OF
the old saw mill.
Tuesday night Mr.. Mathey came
ever to the east side Of the river with
his wolf. He had him attached to. a
long chain and there was no M more
proud in all the city than was the
owner Of the animal. Everybody
stopped, looked at the beast, asked
il it would bite, petted him and then
asked Mathey in to have a drink. The
result was that about midnight, or a
little after, Mr.. Mathey fell by the
wayside.
At least he loosened his hold he had
On the wolf and that was the last
| seen Of him. The police were inform
ed of the escape and were requested
to look after the sderelict. Hunt as
they might, however, he was nowhere
to be found.
About 3 o'clock yesterday morning,
two boys by. the name of Galbraith,
residing on the river bank near the
old saw mill, heard a racket in the
COW barn. They hurriedly dressed
themselves and ono arming himself
with a shotgun, loaded with buckshot,
they began an investigation
In the gray of the morning they
could discern something tackling a
can which was struggling to make
his escape.
AS the Galbraith boy with the gun
drew near he recognized the intruder
as a large timber wolf and prepared
to do execution. And it is just as
well that he did, for about the same
time he saw the wolf, the wolf saw
him and started in his direction.
Young Galbraith's nerve was cool
and his aim true. He pulled the trig
ger and Mr.. Wolf fell to the ground
a shot in his right eye and another
in his head.
The body was left there until latel
in the morning, when it was but the
work of a few minutes to jerk OF its
hide. Armed with this, at noon the
two boys appeared at the office o
County Clerk and Recorder Vincen'
Fortune and demanded the IS bount.
on the hide. Unfortunate it was TO
, them, in taking off the hide they for
got to- leave on the head and there
fore could not collect the bounty unde
; the law.
It was late in the afternoon whel
Mi. Mathey awoke and learned Of tn
7 assassination. At first he's felt Xix
crying, for the animal was as dear t
him as was a shepherd, dog to hi
master. However, he could not an
did not blame the boys and therefor
all that remains is to write an ep
taph for a little board which will b
d erected on the river bank, where lie
the body of an indiscreet wolf VIII
lost his life for not doing what he ha
heen told to do.