The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-03-17
NO MANS LAND.
The Outlaws of the West Have. New
Home Carefully Guarded

The Outlaws of the West Have. a New
Home Carefully Guarded.
In pretty valley, 40 miles long by
20 miles wide, in northern Wyoming
the outlaw bands of the middle North
west have found a new refuge, where
they are safe from pursuit, and can
find an easy living when they care to
rest after a plundering expedition.
The new paradise Of .'rustlers." train
robbers and all-round bad men" is
known as the Dry Head country or No
Mans Land. Surrounded by deep can
yons and impossible mountains, it is
splendidly protected from intrusion.
The only entrance to the valley is so
narrow and rocky that 1t could easily
be defended by three or four men
against small army Of would-be in
yaders. 1t is an ideal retreat for per-
sons who desire to avoid embarrass-
ing attentions from the agents of the
law. The famous Hole in the Wall
Country Of northern Wyoming supplied
the first settlers for No Mans Land.
Cattle thieves and bandits who infest-
ed the former locality had grown so
much that the leaders feared a posi-
Bile attack from a sheriffs posse or
perhaps state troops. The depreda-
tons of the gangs making their head
quarters in the Hole were many and
daring. The place became known as
the refuge for the most desperate
criminals in the West-too we'll known
to suit the men who controlled the
crooked destinies of the colony.
Accordingly another retreat was
sought. 1t was found In the Dry Head
basin, lying between the Grow Indi-
an reservation and the boundary line
| Of Wyoming. Thirty or 40 desperadoes
moved to the valley, constructed COM
Portable houses. and stocked their
ranges with cattle and horses, procured
after the usual fashion Of the ''rusters. +"
There they have been for year now,
with their number somewhat enlarged.
1t is only recently that news of their
presence reached the rstockmen of the
Wyoming ranges, and incidentally the
officials of the border counties of three
states. The outlaws are safe, however,
so long as they remain In the valley
they have taken for their own.
Two of the gang were captured a
few days ago III Red Lodge BY the
sheriff of Carbon county. They hap
pened to have in their possession sew
eral horses belonging to ranchman.
The sheriff took them in charge and
sent them to Basin for trial, and thith-
er rapidly went reinforcements for the
outlaws. Headed by Link Harmon,
king of the rustlers,' dozen tough
4 Innktno s,,tr mn.
were armed and ready for any sort of
trouble. There are few fighting men
in Basin, and there was no trouble.
The prisoners were brought before a
justice Of the peace, who fixed their
bonds at $4,000 each. The money was
quickly forthcoming. Harmon produc-
| ing it in gold from sack which he
carried strapped to his saddle horn.
Then the party, including the prison
ers, galloped away. There is small
chance that the ball money will ever
be reclaimed.
| More than one rapchman has covet
ed the sweet, fat producing grass OF
No Mans Land, but it is a closed
| country to all who have out the pass
port of crime stained hands to admit
them. The robbery of trains and
stages and the stealing of cattle ano
horses in large numbers furnish en-
ployment for the bandit residents wher
they care to work" After a dob
has been perpetrated the bandits
make all possible haste to reach the
friendly seclusion of the valley, where
sheriffs dare not enter. Two or three
persons who have tried to penetrate
into the outlaws retreat have beer
found dead near the entrance to the
trail leading into the valley. FRANK
Strong, q ranchman of Lowell wy.
sen three herders with 100 head Of
stock. under instructions to get tn,
cattle into forbidden territory. The
herders were never seen afterward
When Strong and his cowboys looked
for the cattle the latter also had dis
appeared. Investigation resulted il
finding the earcasses of the stock float
ing in the Big Horn river Soon after
ward Strong received note saying
that his stock had become bewilderet
In the fog and had fallen over cliff
The note added Significantly: ''Al
other cattle driven into the Dry Heat
will be likely to fall over the cliff also.
There has been no attempt since tina
time to drive cattle into No Mans
Land. The ranchers avoid that par
Of the country as they would a small
poX hospital. There are several wo
men in the valley, including the wives
tanned by roundabout method, ever,
precaution being taken to avoid obser
walton when near the entrance.
Among the bandits supposed to hav,
taken refuge in this valley are kid
Curry, RED" Young, Jack" McClos
ky and others known in half dozei
states for desperate crimes.-Salt LAX
City Letter to the Chicago Inter- Ocean
CRUSADE AGAINST NARCOTICS.
AT the last session Of the Illinois AS
sembly a law was passed prohibiting
the sale of cocaine in any form, ex
cept on phsycian's prescription. an,
the State Board of Pharmacy is nov
engaged in putting it into effect. A
about the same time Georgia, Pennsyl
wanna and Texas also passed antico
eaine or anti-narcotic laws, and twelv
~ Aftaen of fhn States all fold l,ax,