The Dolores star., 1916-05-12

arc lelI " -
will the wide ranges until the next
roundup.
Numbers OF these range horses are
often stolen. But not 80 frequently
as one might at first imagine. The
horseman's Protective association. q
very strong organization. with mem
beers scattered over all the range
states. and money to back it. is ever
active in attending to the matter OF
thefts of range stock. Besides the
standing reward of the association Of
five hundred dollars for the capture
If thieves. tho rancher whose stock
Is stolen always offers an additional
reward.
Sheriffs. stock inspectors, with fire.
quently q posse Of cattlemen. are the
thief hunters. The sheriffs are al
ways old-time cowboys. who know
the country and can shoot. ride, and
stand exposure with the best Of them.
and 1t is seldom that a thief gets
clean away with . bunch Of stock.
Horse thieves are still hated in the
West, but are not SO summarily dealt
with now as in earlier days when the
jails and courts of Jaw were few. Then
the thief generally made a swift exit
from earth at a ropes end. But law
has long ago found its way into Cat
iceland: telephones and telegraphs
carry swift messages and automobiles
make swift trips and the thieves gem
orally land in states prison.
However, there is one man who for
the last six years has not only stolen
almost when and where he pleased.
but sold stock back to the owners.
after the brands had been worked
over. at which art he Is a past master.
This man. William McCracken. a
Texan, has repeatedly eluded and de-
fed sheriffs and posses sent out to
capture him. He frs. came to Belle
Fourche, S. D.. in the Spring Of 1904.
Belle Fourche, at that time. was the
largest shipping point for beef cattle
in the world Shortly after his ar
rival McCracken got a Job punching
cows for the 3-V outfit, then the larg-
est in the West. He was a very quiet
young man. of good appearance and
education, a good COW hand; and we'll
liked by his bosses and the riders Of
the outfit.
Working for the outfit at this time
was Thomas TAFT. a young man since
elected sheriff of Campbell county,
Wyoming. From the time Of Nc
Cracken's arrival and until his arrest
by J. T. Farrell, then sheriff of Crook
county, Wyoming. on information
from Texas. TAFT and McCracken
were a good deal together as cow
boys in the same outfit. Since being
elected sheriff TAFT has led in the
chase after his once friend and COM
rade several times.
On q recent trip to Sturgis, s. D..
with stock inspector Chuck Fitch. OF
Gillette, and the sheriffs of Miles City.
Mont, and Sun Dance. Wyo.. to in
spect a bunch of horses in that dis
trict, the party arrested three men.
The horses belonged to H. J. Chassell
Of Gillette and T. w. Matthews of
Spearfish, S. D. The men arrested as
the thieves were members of Nc
Cracken's gang. and now await trial
at Sturgis.
After his arrest in 1907 by Sheriff
Farrell, McCracken was taken back to
Texas, where he was wanted for
thefts of stock, bank robbery, bond
jumping. and other crimes. He was
helped out Of these troubles by his
father and. soon after. returned to
Belle Fourche, accompanied by his
wife, a very intelligent woman, and
their little boy, and for a while, con-
Quoted a road house at Alzada. Mont,
but later took up a claim on the head
OF Thompson creek and started in the
stock business.
Soon after McCracken located the
ranch horses in the vicinity began to
disappear by ones, twos. threes. and