Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-06-29
UNDER COVER
OF DARKNESS
VIM. Gordon and Jos. o'NeiII, With
Two Assistants, Change the Flow
Of Spring Creek.
WILL GO HARD WITH THEM
Motive Almost unkonwn-cut Foul
Feet Wide Soon Becomes Forty
Feet Wide by Gazing.

tNhAh ~ sthhAh NRullhtu IVY
Watson and Pine streets and Third
and Fifth n Spring creek has
previous to Saturday nights work.
made a big bend to The southwest
and return, the distance across the
neck of the bend being but about
twenty feet. Saturday night Vim.
Gordon and Joseph o'Ncill. with the
assistance of two hired men. Sam
Evans and VIM. fomeroy by name,
cut through this narrow neck OF land
and now there is a roaring torrent
through the gap. the fall being fully
five feet within the cut.
The result has been to deprive much
residence property Of the beauty of
the rapidly flowing spring water. 10
cause several wells TO run dry, stop
the use of the high school sewer and
several private sewers and leave a
considerable amount Of stagnant wa.
ter in holes Throughout the length of
the half mile or more where the
creek formerly ran.
What may have been the motive
of the lei has not YET appeared, but
may possibly come to light when they
are given their preliminary examina-
ton in Justice Netherlands court this
afternoon. O'Neill and the two hired
men were captured about midnight
Saturday. but Gordon had cached him.
self. The three were lodged in Jail,
where the two most innocent parties
remain, O'Neill and Gordon giving
bonds Monday morning.
The discovery of the work was
made by Rudolf Won Tobel. Mr.. Won
Tobel and his son Carl had been
sleeping In a tent opposite the Won
Tobel house and not far from where
the cut was made. When the boy
went to the tent Saturday evening he
heard strange noises which sounded
like muffled voices and returned to
the house. When Mr.. Won Tobel came
home he was Informed and upon max
ing an investigation found the men
at work-in fact the deed was already
done, the water having such a flow
that a very narrow trench soon be.
came a river bed. Mr.. Won Tobel at
once caused the arrest of the men
and with two assistants, his brother.
in-law, Mr.. Zilisch. and neighbor,
Maurice Sloan. attempted to stop the
flow, but without avail.
Some of those at the rear of whose
homes the creek formerly ran are
unquestionably pleased with the
change. as they think they can obtain
greater depth to their lots, but there
are others who selected their homes
as they did especially because of the
location on the creek and to these
the change Is a severe blow. The
Watson home on Fifth avenue and
Watson street. and the Won Tobel
home further down the same street,
have always been admired as two of
the prettiest places In Lewistown and
much money has been expended to
make them so. Both owners are ex-
ceedingly angry. feeling that great
damage has been done them and that,
iHstcdu VI u Uedutilul btTcdIu Vi bpTinS
water they have barren beds Of rock
and stencil holes where mosquitoes
and disease germs will breed.
The creek bed certainly could not
be left in its present condition. and
whether the cost Of filling up should
fall upon the abutting property own
ers or upon the city, the expense
would necessarily be great. On this
account. entirely ignoring the mar.
ring Of the landscape, II is quite likely
that an effort will be made to turn the
water back to its old course by the
damming of the cut made.
Gordon and his midnight co-work-
ers are charged with malicious mis-
chief and as the crime is not denied,
they will doubtless be made to suf-
fer. The penalty may be as heavy
as two years in jail and considering
that these parties we're so enamored
of Work as to select a midnight hour
for the expenditure OF the overflow
of their energies, il might be well II
they were put to pounding stone for
the city for three or four months and
in addition required to repair the dam
age they have wrought.