The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-12
TT ENDOWED
WITH SPEECH
THIS PISTOL COULD TELL THRILL
LING TALE.
RELIC Of FORMER DAYS
Remarkable Pistol Is to Be Presented
to State Historical
Society.

There is a wealth of mystery and
romance surrounding a gift which
George F. Ingram expects to make to
the State Historical society, to be add
ed to the curios in the museum at the
capitol. This object, which will SOC
be placed beside others which al
ways incline the beholder to give
rein to the imagination in recalling
stirring scenes of early border days,
is an antiquated style of pistol, al
most ancient enough to have been
brought over in the ark"
This almost prehistoric firearm was
found by j. G. Grubb on the big bend
of the Marias river, about 35 miles
below Fort Benton, in a locality which
is replete with traditions of early
days, says the Great Falls Tribune.
Mr.. Grubb made MI. Ingram a present
of the pistol and the latter immedi-
ately concluded that it should be pre-
served in the historical museum.
The spot where it was found is also
close to the old Kennerly trading post.
it was at first s~upposed~to have been.
lost at some time by some employee of
the old Hudson Bay company, but,
when the bleaching bones of a human
being were found not far away, an
other theory was conceived at once,
and it. seems very probable that the
ancient pistol vas dropped there by
some Indian brave as the death dew
spread over his features and he ex-
pired with a last c%onvulsive shudder.
It vas found with the hammer drawn
back, as if Its owner had been in the
act of taking aim at his fortu-
nate enemy, when death came to him.
The construction of the pistol is
most peculiar. Few that have seel it
recall ever seeing one before, or hav-
ing heard one described. It must have
been comparatively harmless. and for
this reason, it is believed to have been
manufactured for the sole purpose of
trade with the Indians; it gave the
redskin a weapon which he greedily
bartered for, but which he was power
less to use against his white foes.
The weapon is made Awith .ao ham,
mers and two cap nipples, as if for a
double-barreled pistol, but it has only
one muzzle. 1t is a muzzle-loading
affair, too. The wood parts of the
stock have rotted away with the pass
ing of many winters and summers,
but the heavy brass mountings of the
grip still remain, though badly rusted.
All the circumstances of the find
ing of the pistol give opportunity for
the imagining of an interesting train
of circumstances. Russell, the Cow
boy artist" might make the find the
basis of a picture of The Last Stand
of the Chieftain." Or some novelist
could weave out of it a story of sur
passing interest.
Mr.. Ingram recalls that it was near
the place where this pistol was picked
up that "Froggie" wrote his famous
letter. "Floggie" is a Frenchman;
he is still living down near the old
post somewhere. 1t was III the early
7Os that he wrote the letter which
made him famous, and which was re-
copied in hundreds of newspapers.
1t seems that Henry Kennerly had
left "Froggie" in charge Of the trad
ing post during the summer. Bust
ness was dull at those times, for only
in winter was there much trading
done. So the Frenchman looked after
the property and cultivated a little
patch of garden truck taking particu-
lar pride and pleasure in his potatoes.
The letter told, in the most inconse-
quential manner, Of the passing of
one of the most troublesome char
acters of that part of the country.
1t ran:
"Kennerly Post, -, 1877.
"Mr. Kennerly:
Dear Sir-Nigger Bill came down
here drunk and declared he was chief.
| told him not to come into the post.
He said he was chief and would come
in. l shot him; he's dead. The pota-
toes look we'll. Yours,
"FROGGIE."
That was how "Nigger Bill bit the
dust, and a coroner's inquest was not
considered necessary.
Avoid serious results of kidney or
bladder disorder by taking Foley's
Kidney Cure. Sold by Holmes & Rixon
Picked Up on the Range.