Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-28

stolen from the mounted police OF
Lanada. The old man. however. sue
ceeded in reaching the house and par
ticipated In the battle. which lasted
from soon after sunrise to IL o'clock.
In this fight two of the James boys
wre killed, also a fellow known as
Dutch" and four were crippled, in.
cluding Burroughs and old man
James. his given name was never
known.
Hundreds of shots were exchanged
between the vigilantes, protected by
the brush. and the men in the house.
The stable and corral were fired but
the house did not catch fire, as some
stories Of this fight have stated. See-
Ing that they were banled and thai
the situation was such that some of
their own men might be injured or
killed, 1t was decided to withdraw and
walt better opportunity to deal out
justice to the remnants of the gang.
In this fight there were sixteen Wig
ilantes engaged and there were sup
posed TO be thirteen of the gang OF
thieves. Seventy head of horses were
captured. sent back to Fort Magin-
mis-, advertised in the Argus and re-
stored to their owners as far as pos
sible.
The party then went down the Mis-
souri, to the mouth of He'll creek,
crossing the Big Muddy at the same
point chosen by Chief Joseph when
at the head of his Nez Perce warriors
he crossed to the north side TO meet
Gen. Miles In battle. On the ride up
He'll creek to its head two more bad
half breeds were overtaken, but both
were turned loose. after being reliev-
ed Of some information and the horses
which they were riding.
From Walker and Donovan's point
120 head of cattle were driven out
and turned back toward their range.
These had been stolen from stockmen
on the Musselshell and driven in there
for butchering
This completed the biggest job Of
that summer and the vigilantes re-
turned to their ordinary vocations.
About the middle of August word
was received at Fort Maginnis that
soldiers from Fort Shaw, camped on
Poplar river had captured five of the
desperadoes which had successfully
stood off the vigilantes at the James
stockade and the authorities were ad.
vlsed that il deputy United States
marshal were sent the captives would
be turned over to him.
Sam Fishel, deputy then stationed
at Fort Maginnis, was started, accom-
panied by a posse. He received the
prisoners on Poplar river and turned
back. but about 3 a. m. OF August goth
he was relieved of his charges by four
men who had their plans well laid,
and had secured leave of absence of
two or three days from the Judith
roundup and the next morning five
bodies. including that of Dixie Bur
roughs, were laid in a shallow trench
alongside the waters of the Missouri
and there weren't any nooses left
dangling from the trees either, for
these five were suspended from sim
gle rope, thrown over a branch, with
a sufficient force at one end to lift the
burden tied to the other end for the
brief time required. These five went
across the great divide in one, two,
three order.
This was the last of the vigilantes
in this part of Montana. for during
the six or eight weeks preceding this
last episode raft building had been
popular and many man had saved
his neck by floating away toward st.
Louis.
"Flopping Bill afterward acted as
guide for party of stockmen which
made a similar cleanup on the lower
Yellowstone and crossing its mouth.
followed up Mouse creek to the Can
adian line, having occasion to dig sew.
eral long and narrow graves while en-
route. 1t was reported that sixty
were summarily disposed of on this
expedition, but neither the writer nor
his friend, the old-timer, are conver.
SAINT with the facts except as they re.
late to the work of the vigilantes in
the Judith country and along the Mis-.
souri,.
Cantrell continued to be identified
with the stockmen Of this section for
number of years: he lived in Lew
istown for some years and property
which he then purchased is still In
his name, the taxes each year appear
ing in the delinquent list. Leaving
Fergus county he located in the south
western part of the state and upon an
expedition to Kansas City several
years after. he was run over by q
train, his feet catching in the rails
as he attempted to cross the track
ahead of locomotive.
Though there may be some inaccu
racies in this recital, the number o
desperadoes killed, when and where