The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1909-01-21
A Band of Outlaws

confessions alleged to have been
secured from the leaders, follow
ing the arrest of nine prominent
stockmen in Crook county, Wyo.,
just owe: the South Dakota line,
one of the biggest sensations in
this part Of the country for some
years, is expected to result.
The men under arrest are Ike,
And y and sam Mexican, d. w.
Mosbargcr, George Nprtin, Stan
ley Baugh, J. G. HulhoIland,
Terry Ximmerschcd and A. O..
>quires. 1t is alleged that they
are members of a secret band Of
stoCkmen who organized and opcr-
ated solely to drive out the
Guthrie Sheep company. large
concern ranging in Crook county.
The confessions Of three of the
men declare that the members of
She gang were forced to take Il
VOW that death would..be the pen
atty for revealing any of the
secret operations of the ten.
The arrest of the men. most Of
whom are we'll to do and Of con-
siderable prominence in this sec
ton, was the first public intima-
ton that there had been wrong do
ing in that section. For months,
il is declared by the detectives a
series Of fires and outragcs have
been inflicted upon the various
properties owned by the Guthrie
but SO influential were
the members Of the gang. that no
word of it leaked beyond the bor-
lens of -thc county. Driven to
desperation, the sheep company
sought not only the aid of the
county officials, but decided to 20
further They employed Joe
Lafors, famous through his con-
nection with the Tom Horn case
at Cheyenne. For two months
Lafors hired out rs a cattle-punch-
er and there it is alleged he OBJ
tanned the evidence that. is expect
eel to send the men to states pri-
son. Lafors is said to have
himself into the conf
dence Of the men and to have had
several thrilling adventures in
gathering evidence which resulted
IN the confessions of Squires and
Martin.
Parts of Lafors's evidence
against the accused men are inter-
estlng He declares that by spy
ing upon them, he witnessed a
meeting Of the secret ten, and
heard some Of their compacts, wit
Messing the application of the
leath oath to member. The men
are declared to have met in the
Mosbarger schoolhouse, their only
light being that which filtered
from the thinks in a stove. The
men talked in whispers, wore
black masks in case of surprise
and used we'll defined code of
signals. He says further that
they chose by lot two members of
the company for each raid that
was planned. the death vow to en-
force secrecy, being given before
each raid.
After Lafors had secured his
evidence. he sent word to Sheriff
Joe Farrell of Sundance, that oil
was ready for the arrest. Sheriff
Farrell lost no time and with
sufficient deputies, rounded up and
raided the ranches of each of the
accused men. having no difficulty
in making the arrests. The men
were taken at once to Sundance
and placed in Jail. Bail was fixed
at s.. 900 each, and on this amount
each was released. but Squires,
who declares that for his confes.
sion he will meet death if allowed
his freedom and prefers to re.
main in Jail. The cases will b<
called at the May term of the dis
trict court at Sundance.
\ list of the crimes charg o.
against the defendants and Il
which it is alleged three of th,
men have confessed are: