Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-02-26
TOO MUCH MONEY.
Troubles Of Two Brothers Who Had
$4,000 In Cash. About Them.


MY brother and I were buying cat
tie in the Gallitan valley, about ID
years ago." said Jack Harris, Of Fort
Fenton, recently, land as the farmers
in that section were partly Missourians
and had to be Showed" and partly
because they had been victimized so
often, they refused to take checks. AS
result we had to carry our money in
$40 and s2O-bills. We started out with
$4,000 in cash in a saddlebag hung
over the horn of my brothers saddle
Nothing ever worried my brother, but
was a nervous fellow, and felt that
all 1 had in the world was in that sad
dlebag, and I ought to lie awake nights
to watch it.
II remember one night we camped In
a deserted cabin in the mountains, and
my brother hung the bag on a big
wooden peg over the fireplace.
1.-The next morning the horses had
broken picket and were gone. I told
my brother to watch the money and I
would go out and trail down the horses.
Well, walked over one hill and then
another, and after several hours I
saw them away over on a distant
prairie. 1t was afternoon when over
took them and started back with them.
Five or six miles from camp I met my
brother, who had started out to find
me. I thought of the money the first
thing and asked him what he did with
it before I left. oh, nothing he re-
piled, 7 left it on the peg Now, re-
member that there are all kinds Of
men camped in that gulch. 1t seemed
like a thousand miles back to the cab
in, and when I reached there I was
almost afraid to go in for fear Of not
finding the bags. But sure enough,
there they were, and all Of my worry
was for nothing.
/ But this was only the beginning Of
my troubles. My brother and I divid-
ed, and I took about $4,000 with me.
The first day after I left my brother
out on the prairie I saw a runaway
horse attached to a light buggy. A
man in the buggy was so frightened
that he lost his nerve and jumped. His
head struck a rock, and he was uncon-
scious when found him. I was trying
to bring him back to life when I no
ticed two other men coming back with
the buggy. One Of these happened to
be the constable, and he was exceed
ingly officious, and I saw that they
suspected that was guilty Of foul
play in some way or other. The VIC
tim Of the runaway was q stranger to
them, and they thought I had robbed
him. AS bad luck would have 1t, they
asked me what I had in my possession
to establish my identity and also ask
ed me what I had in my saddlebags.
When I showed them the money, then
that did settle it. They knew that
had robbed him. The constable put his
hand out toward the bag to take the
money, and I took him by the collar
and told him that If he wanted to live
a few more minutes he must keep his
hands off from me and my property.
1 agreed to go to the next town and
wait developments, but 1 wouldn't
stand any monkey work. We were all
ready to start when the man came too
and explained himself. We all went
to town, and while there 1 met man
that l knew in Benton, and then we
all shook hands, and they advised me
not to carry so much money, and saw
me off.
But that Is not all by any means.
On the way back we had a big herd OF
cattle to cross at the ford of the Mis-
souri,, where Great Falls now stands.
That was the best ford for hundreds
of miles, and the only one that was
passabIe at that time of the year. My
brother had all that was left OF the
money, about thousand dollars In $40
bills. in the saddle pockets, and when
about half way across his horse step
ped on Il slippery rock. and down they
both went under the water.
THE saddlebag slipped off and went