Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-10-28
HUNTING DOWN
EDSPERADOES
Large Body Of Heavily Armed Fort
Peck Indian Police Go to VIII
low Bunch Country.
WILL BE HAZARDOUS WORK
Many Of the Most Desperate crimi-
nails in the West Thought to be
Among the Men in Hiding.

Great Falls. Oct. 26.-Plans have
been formed for the determination of
a gang of outlaws who have, for the
past 10 years, held undisputed sway
In the Willow Bunch country, north Of
Culbertson, in northeastern Montana
and across the international boundary.
Major C. r. A. Scobey, agent of the
Fort Peck Indian reservation has Sc
cured warrants for the arrest of a
number of men known to belong to
the gang and has ordered a large force
OF Indian police to arrest those men
aud their associates, and to bring
them to the agency, dead or alive. Ev-
cry member OF his posse is heavily
armed and each one understands per.
fectly his rights and what is expected
OF him. They have been informed
that they have a legal right to go into
Canada, If resisted by those whom
they are after. and it is expected that
the entire gang will be captured, dead
or alive, and that some of the most
notorious desperadOes of the north
west will be run to over.
Among the members of the gang
are known TO be Nelson and Jones,
murderers, who escaped from the
Glasgow jail several years ago;
Dutch Henry" a notorious horse
thief. burner of ranch houses, and e
man who has been accused of attempt
ing several times To kill men who had
offended him: several ordinary horse
thieves and a renegade from the Ca
madam mounted police who is accus-
ed of having led several gangs of
thieves against Canadian cattle.
Nelson is accused of at least three
murders. including that OF q boy who
assisted him to escape from jail. and
be is said to have gathered about him
equally desperate men. For the past
ten years. every fugitive from justice
in the country between Minot and
Malta has e~ndeavured to reach the
rendezvous of the Nelson gang aud
the outlaws have become so powerful
that the ranchers for miles around
have been in abiect terror for many
years. Many OF those living in the
vicinity have sought immunity from
the gangs depredations by aiding
them in every possible way, and those
who have not been active in assisting
the outlaws have been in such fear
that they have refused to assist the
officers of the county and have even
thrown the officers of the track by
making false statements.
1t was this gang that a few weeks
ago, kidnapped Frank l.. King.
young rancher. who had accused one
member of the gang of horse stealing
held King for thirteen days until at
ter the date set for the trial.. strip
ped him ald set him afoot on tn,
prairie, clad i'm rags. King was 81
~terrorized that he has left the state
feeling that the officers were unable
/ to cope with the outlaws.
The same gang has stolen man.
horses from the Fort Peck reserva
ton. and recently a possee. directed
by Major Seobey. made an attack up
r on the gang. exchanging many shot
with them and recovering many of tn
horses. On that raid. the posse learn
{ ed how to reach the rendezvous o
S the outlaws, and the posse that ha
a now been started out has orders I
go to that rendezvous, ready to fighI
and to keep on fighting until all men
bers of the gang shall have bee
checked In or out.