The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-17
TELLS eALLATIN COUNTY PEG
PIE HE KILLED elckFouRp.
Is NOT KNOWN HERE
sher,ff's Office Receives Letter 81 IL
CURRY Regarding Man Named Ma
thiney-Georae Mott Knew Murder
er Eight Years Ago.
From. Thursdays Daily.

0A0y . DoA4ys EH#| 1@a2 .TH
According to a letter received by
the local sheriff's office from Bozeman
a man named Mathipey is taking for
himself all Of the glory OF killing Viii
liam g. Bickfourd. the murderer OF
Sheriff Webb, by telling In and around.
Bozeman that he was In Billings when
the news OF the murder reached here
and that he was with the posse that
killed the murderer. The letter states
that the nan claims that he not only
killed Bickfourdt but also killed the.
murderer's horse.
Under Sheriff Hubbard says that
no man named Mathiney was a mem
Der Of any Of the posses sent out from
Billings at any time during the man
hunt, and Sheriff Herford was Sur
prised to note that Bickfourd had a.
horse. He thinks It very fortunate
that Mathiney killed the horse. as
the murderer might have made his es-
cape otherwise.
No Claim for Reward.
It Is q well known and ~undisputed
fact that the posse which ran Bick-
fourd to earth was composed Of sher-
III Jack Herford, Deputy sherif Billy
Taylor Of Musselshell, Joe Ashbridge
Of Lavina, and two we'll known men OF
Roundup whose names Sheriff Herford
believes are Guy and Bracken.
Although the Bozeman man claims
that he shot Bickfourd, SO far he has
not put in his claim for a share Of the
reward offered by the county commits
sioners for the capture of the murder
er, dead or alive. No one in Billings
seems.to know Mathiney and members
Of the posses sent out from this city
say they have never heard Of the
man.
Officer Makes Inquiry.
The writer Of the letter. from Boze-
man Is an officer Of Gallatins county
, and wrote the local sheriff's ONCE to
ind out II possible II Mathiney really
did kill Bickfourd or II he is an i'm
poster who is seeking to cover him
self with glory by c~oncocting a story
out Of whole cloth. .
Knew Bickfourd Well.
George Mott, the cowboy poet and
one Of the best known cowboys in this
section OF the state was in Billings
recently while en- route home from
Helena and he is positive that the
murderer Of Sheriff Webb was the
man who worked under him for the
L. o. Cattle company around Wibaux
and the Powder river about eight
years ago.
He states that. the man not only
went under the name Of Bickfourd,
but fits the description Of the MUIR
derer in every detail.
He says that he picked Bickfourd
up near Iron Junction, Wyo., a short
distance from Rawlins, where Bick-
fourd was wanted for cattle stealing
previous to the killing Of Sheriff
Webb. He also says that Bickfourd
worked as a horse wrangler under
him for several months and during
: that time he became very well &C
) quainted with him.
Was Haif-Witted.
Mr.. Molt declares that Bickfourd
was considered to be a half-witted fel-
low and that at times he acted crazy.
He a Bickfourd claimed to have
come to Wyoming from the Panhan.
die country in Texas with another
man, who Is engaged in ranching in
Wyoming, but the rancher always de
MED that he aver saw Bickfourd until
after he came to Wyoming.
b Mr.. Mott declares that when Bick.
fourd worked under him, It was re
ported that the man was implicated In
h a stage holdup in Colorado or western
Texas.