Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-05
KELLY EVADES
THE OFFICERS
Escaped Convict From Fergus Coun.
ty Evidently Has Close Call From
Being Captured at Sioux City.
HIS BROTHER Is ARRESTED
Ambrose Kelly Charged With KILLING
Cows and Branding Their
Calvee-A Bad Pair.

man, who escaped from Sheriff l.. p.
Slater in July, 1904, while the officer
was taking him to the penitentiary,
and repeated the performance some
weeks ago by escaping from Stock In
spector Millsap, who had captured
him in the bad lands country, has
played another star engagement with
the officers, and is still at large.
It will be remembered that shortly
after his escape from Inspector Mill
sap, he took the trouble to send a
message to Undersheriff Martin, stat.
ing that if that officer came out after
him, he would tie Martin to a tree and
starve him to death. He thought bet.
ter of it later on, though, for when
Martin reached the section where KEEL
~ had his rendezvous, the desperate
had skipped out.
Located Again.
Sheriff Slater did not drop the case
there, however, and later on succeed
cd In striking Kelly's trail. It was
learned that he had left the state with
his brother, Ambrose, and that the
two were working east. Sheriff Slat-
er learned that they intended to make
Sioux City, Iowa, and believing them
to be there early last month, sent a
message to the chief of police of Sioux
City Nov. 9 asking him to arrest the
men.
Receiving no reply to this, Mr.. Sla-
ter later wired to the sheriff there
and that officer lost no time in get
ting after the men, who were there
together. He succeeded in capturing
Ambrose, but the much sought for
Guilford again made his escape, and
at last accounts was still at large.
Charge Against Ambrose.
There is a charge of grand larceny
against Ambrose Kelly, it being alleg-
ed that both rren killed .snne COWS and
branded the calves in the section
along the Missouri some months ago.
However, as it is considered certain
Ambrose, while his brother is at large,
would make the defense that Guilford
committed the crime, it is not likely
that he will be brought back to Mon
tana alone, and unless the other man
is rounded up, he will probably be or
dered released. The chief interest of
the Fergus officers is in the arrest of
Guilford.
Story Of His First Escape.
On June 80, 1904, Guilford Kelly
was sentenced by Judge Cheadle to
two years in the penitentiary for kill
ing a horse belonging to Charles
Stroud, of Ruby Gulch. On the Fri
day following, the prisoner was mar
ried to Dolpha Plaunt, and soon after
ward, the bridegroom left for Deer
Lodge in custody of the sheriff. The
manner in which Kelly made his es-
cape shows the mans desperate char
acter. AS the Northern Pacific train
was nearing Bernice, and running at
good rate, Kelly went to the toilet.
wearing handouts, and under the cir
cumstances, the sheriff had no sus.
picion that his prisoner would try to
get away. Kelly raised the window
ir the toilet and leaped out into the
darkness, planning. apparently to
catch the handrail at the end of the
car. In this he was successful, al
though it came near costing him his
life, as he was violently thrown
against the railing of a bridge the
train was about to cross. He dropped
from the car and made his way up the
mOuntainside, which was densely COW
cred with underbrush.
Posse In Pursuit.
Sheriff Slater at once organized a
small posse and the pursuit was kept
up for some time. but no trace coull
be found of the man. He was next
heard of in the bad lands country, and
it is thought his depredations have
been rather extensive during the past
wear.