Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-06-18
STORY OF
CHAS. PERRY
Says the Shooting Of William Allen
at the coburn Ranch Last March
Was Unavoidable.
RELATES HISTORY OF CRIME
States That William Allen Hand Long
Cherished an Intense Hatred,
Which Was Cause Of Trouble.

Charles Perry. post trader at the
Fort Belknap Indian reservation and
a large stockman on Peoples creek.
will answer to the district court at
Fort Benton in July for trial on a
charge of killing William Allen at the
Coburn ranch on March 23rd. While
III Great Falls a short time ago the
particulars OF the killing were related
to a Tribune reporter by Perry him.
self, and as many stockmen in this
vicinity are acquainted with him the
narration will no doubt prove inter.
esting.
Perry is an Indian and has every
appearance of an athlete. He is a
graduate of the Santee Normal Train
ing school at Santee, Neb., and is a
man whose every feature indicates
a cheerful and generous disposition.
In manner he is quiet and reserved,
and in no feature is there any trace
of cruelty or thirst for excitement, so
often depicted on the faces of his race.
He speaks English as fiuently as a
white man.
When seen and asked for the story
of the killing of Allen, which caused
so much excitement, he was perfectly
willing to go into details, expressing
sorrow for the fact that the man was
dead, but confidence that had he not
fired the fatal shot he would himself
now be occupying the grave. The
story is the first account ever given
by Perry:
1T is quite a long story leading up
to the killing of Allen" he said in an
interview. There are many Of the
details you would not care to hear.
In the first place, Allen had tried to
kill me three or four times. He had
told me he would to my face and said
the same to many other persons, so
when | fired the two shots which kill
ed him, it was in self-defense, as you
will see when | recite the circum-
!, stances.
Related by Marriage.
!, ALLEN and | married two sisters.
My wife died in 1896 and for two years
1 afterward Allen and | had been the
t best of friends. Some time in 1898
Allen got into a fight with the brother
: of our wives. a man by the anne OF
Ball, in which he tried to kill Ball.
was present and interfered. and in
doing SO was forced to give Allen some
punishment. This made Allen mad at
r me, and he then swore he would have
: my life.
, About six years before that time
Allen and our fatherin-law, old man
Ball, who was a white man. married
to an Indian woman. were tarred and
feathered for an offense. Allen got q
S notion into his head that William and
Wallace Coburn were In the crowd thai
q did the job. For several years he did
not say anything about his suspicious
but In 1898 he told me he blamed
them for 1t and said he was going Il
3 kill them. He came to me last fal
with q proposition that we get the In
dams together and 60 down to tn,
:. Coburn ranch. kill the two boys ant
. burn up their place. | told him
would have nothing to do with 1t. ant
" this served to increase his hatred 70
d me.
D., up to that time | had never seeI
the Coburn boys. However. a littl
later I happened to meet them, an
fearing that Allen would carry hi
threat into execution. I told them q
what he had proposed to me. 30 as :
put them on their guard. though
- was doing right in this.
Some time afterward the Cobur
boys met Allen and took him to tas
for what I had told them. He denie
Lever having said 1t to me and aske
n them that they call me In their pre-
Id ence and see who 1t was that was |,
r. ing.
is Meeting Arranged.
; ITO settle the truth of the stor
had told the Coburns this was tn
occasion of the meeting at the Cobur
IL ranch on March %. last.
Id II was the first to arrive there an
took a seat In the orner OF the offic
room. | had placed a chair close I
mine, to be occupied by Allen whe
he came in. The reason for placin
it there was so that in case he a
tempted to pull his gun. I would
. close to him and disarm him.
-. "A short time afterward Allen erte
ed from the south door, and as he d
so. instead of taking the seat whio
m. had been provided for him. he FIR
looked about the room and then a
vanced a few steps toward me. II
m. placed his hand on his hip pocket,
which there was a gun. and cried on
Now, o - -, I have z
m. you and will kill you or words
that effect. AS he said these Wort
M | knew he was going to try to kill n