Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-07-27
SHOOTING AT
ROCKY POINT
Indians and Half Breeds Get Into a
Row Over a Poker Game and All
Being Drunk Trouble Results.
THREE KILLED IN FIRST REPORT
Investigation by Deputy Lund Of Ian.
dusky Shows Account to Have
Been Much Exaggerated.

Harlem, July 24.-Word was brought
to the Fort Belknap agency this af-
ternoon that there hau been a gen.
eral shooting scrape at Rocky Point
Friday in which three men, all In
dians, were killed over a row started
by a half breed Indian by the name
of Billy Brown.
From what could be learned at the
agency it seemed that Brown and sew.
eral Indians were on their way to
the Crow reservation and that they
stopped at Rocky Point. where they
began to drink freely.
A poker game was started and
trouble arose between Brown and a
cowboy. whose name could not be
learned.
Brown wounded his man in a bad
manner and several other cowboys
took the matter up in a free-for-ali
fight which lasted several minutes.
When the smoke OF battle cleared it
was found that Brown, Alaysus
Chandler and an Arapahoe Indian
were killed, each of them being liter
ally filled with revolver and rife
shots.
News of the shooting scrape was
brought to the agency as 500 as
possible and a general investigation
will be made at once by the officers
there, as Chandler was of a Gros
Ventres mixture.
The Arapahoe Indian killed was on
his way home 10 the Shoshone. Wyo.,
reservation and the other two were
going to the Crow reservation to Wis.
it friends.
Rocky Point is 80 miles south Of
here on the Missouri river and vum
munication with that place is impos'
sible unless by a carrier. The first
wounded cowboy was still alive on
Friday evening, but is now supposed
to be dead.
Brown is well known In this coun'
ty and his folks live at the Lodge
Pole sub-agency and are prosperous
farmers. He always bore a good rep
utation, except when drinking.
It is not known here whether any
of the cowboys, who wer in the
scrape. were arrested or not as a
messenger left the scene of the shoot
ing Immediately after, but is generally
supposed that they are still at liberty
as the country there is very rough
with Missouri river brakes on one
side and the bad lands on the other
Several of the cowboys were badly
wounded, but zone fatally.
The matter will be thoroughly in
vestigated by the Chouteau county of
ficers and also by Major Logan of the
reservation, who will go there in the
morning. It is not known what dis
position was made of the bodies
Harlem, July 25.-More authentic
reports from Rocky Point reached
here today in regard to the shooting
there Friday, as exclusively reported
in the Tribune of yesterday.
From the latest advices received, il
seems that Billy Brown, the half-breet
Indian. who was reported as shot, is
still in the land of the living and that
a cowboy, whose name could not be
learned. was shot through the stom
ach and his chances for recovery were
doubtful.
Brown and several cowboys wer,
In a poker game, when the cowpunch
er got angry at something and tool
a shot at him. Brown drew his guI
and shot the unfortunate mar once
through the stomach. Bystanders ther
then interfered and Brown raj placed
under arrest by Deputy Sheriff Harry
Lund, of Landusky, but he claims thai
he shot In self-defense.
The report sent out yesterday wa;
brought in to the Fort Belknap agenc,
by Indians, and while it was confirm
ed there Sunday night. enough hal
since been learned, Of an official ma
ture, to show that the first report
in regard to the killing of three In
dians. was not so.
(Although Rocky Point is in Fergus
county, being on the south bank o
the Missouri river eighty miles nortl
of Lewistown, communication Is b!
way of Malta and the Lewistown Off
GERS have heard nothing thai
/ IN 90 -. HOO