Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-21
HISTORY OF
FLOPPING BILL
Character Of Early Days In Montana
Who Was Known Well by Old.
Timers in Fergus County.
LED COWBOYS AGAINST HUSTLER
Judith Basin Was the Scene Of Some
Of His Daring Deeds in Kidding
Country of Thieves.

1T is a story of which little has
been told. Most of those who rode with
'Flopping Bill's' ~vigilantes have left
the state or crossed the great divide.
Those who have remained arc reti'
rent said an ~eX-cowboy the other
day. AS To the 80 or nor desperate
morse thieves and cattle rustlers who
operated in northern Montana in the
carly So's-well, bleaching bones on
The wind-swept prairies tell no tales.
In 1855 the cattle and horse bust.
ness in northern Montana was be-
coming unprofitaDle, for the reason
mat there we're organized bands of
horse thieves, who had stopping places
nom the Canadian line TO Mexico,
and who made more money in the
business of stealing horses and live.
stock than the real owners could in
raising them. OF course, more horses
Than cattle were stolen. because they
were easier to get away with, and in
those days were worth a good deal
more money. The stealing became 20
serious that cattlemcn Of northern
Montana were forced to do some.
thing, and in the fall Of 1885 they did
Il. When the cattlemen start to do
anything they do it up brown, and it
was so in this case.
Tales Of Hanging.
THE tale of hanging of the road
agents of lS63-64 by the v~igitantes of
Alder 2ulch has been told SO often
that II has become known from one
end Of the world to the other. and Is
looked upon as the biggest thing OF its
Kind which was ever pulled of In
Montana. This is a mistake, and the
cowboys of northern Montana, during
the year of 1885. from September TO
November. hanged and shot nor
men than the y~igilantes Of Alder sulch
ever dscanled of. This may een like
& fair. tale at this time. but il is d
fact. and there are men IN northern
Montana at the present day WHO have
the papers to prove the assertion.
During the fall round NJ OF the
Judith, in the fall of 1855. il vas dc
cided 10 do some hanging. Who pro-
posed the matter. OF by whom meet.
irgs were held, ii is not necessary
to state. as n II OF the leaders al
the cowboy yigilanies Is COW a pros.
| Ferrous ytockman within . few miles
of old Fort Maginnis. Another rs d
prosperous sheepman living nea UbC,
and mother lives in Butte, after has.
ing sEant a number of years abroad.
And tEerG are others, but the matter
Of the real determination Of the rust
l,rs was carried on under The direc-
ton of 'FIopping Bill ,antrell.
A Desperate Character.
~"'F1opping Bill was a desperate
character himself. and worked against
the rustlers because II paid better than
To work with them. From Septem,
Der. 1885 until the weather became
too cold 10 ride. 'Floppins Bill and
his band of horse thief exterminators
worked, and when they had finished
there was no count of the men whose
candles had been snuffed. but there
are men in Great Falls today who can
name at least &c of them, and 1t has
always been estimated that about ~
people were hanged or shot by Flop
ping Ellis band during that fall.
The First Performer.
The first performer in the bloor,
drama Of determination was a nall
breed near Fort Maginnis. Some one
believed he had stolen a steer anil
bdichcrCd il, and one night during
august, 1855. he was taken near the
ranch of Reese Anderson and strung
up 10 a cottonwood tree without a
chance to say his prayers. if he knew
any. That was the beginning and
shortly afterward '%FloppinG Bill call
cd Tor volunteers To search for horses
which had been stolen from the herds
q several well known stockmen. Tie
rcIuis;tion was made upon In, round
up. which was camped upon the Mus
ctlHlfll, duohA Wv "iito "b''' h'
mouth and reckless riders and dcs
DeTate men only were chosen.
The posse made a hard ride that
day. md by night they came To the
cabin of a man named Downs, neal
the mouth of The Musselshell. Downs
kept n sort of trading post. and Was
suspected of being in league with tht
thieves. II was early daylight When
The posse surrounded the cabin, am
when Downs came out II was hands
no A search of the corral and VI
entity discovered % ID. ii. S. horses
and Downs was asked TO explain. li'
saw that he was up AGAINST 1t IN,
a y A full list of all the mel on
nected with the 'rustlinS' business
and indicated where they had Iheil
rendezvous. The Missouri ruEs swll'
and deep where the waters OF tn
Nusselsholl enter il, and the bank.
are high and steep. A rope was plas
ca about the neck of Downs ana !
convenient tree was looked for. Some
one spied a large grindstone whlc'
stood alongside of the cabin.
Tied to G%rindstone.
Tie il TO his neck and drop hi.
in The river a the suggestion. an,
IL was carried out literally. Toda.
the big round grindstone, with IN
hole III The center. lies in the bottom
Of the Missouri. near the mouth o
The Musselshell. and if time and Wi
Ter have not proven too much Tor III