The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-02-13
STOCK RUSTlERS
seem TO THRIVE
NUMBER OF ARRESTS TOTAL 1872
IN 1919, CHIEF DEPUTY STOCK
INSPECTOR LAvIcNE SAYS
NEWS OF THE CAPITAL CITY
Some Dangerous Characters included
Among Thieves CauQht-TWo Kill
ed and Another Shot While
Resisting Arrest

Helena.-ln spite Of additional up.
preparations, more trained men in the
field and continued and persistent eff
forts to stop stock rustling. Frank U.
Lavigne, chief deputy state stock in
spectOr for the Montana livestock COM
mission, said in his annual report the
number of arrests for felony charges
do mot seem to decrease"
During the past year 1872 arrests
were made in all parts of the state
against men charged with stealing all
manner of stock which walks, includ-
ing poultry thieves, who were classed
AS ''rustlers'' of livestock in letters
received by the board. OF these cases
l35 convictions were secured and AZ
cases are pending.
Sheep stealing cases also formed Il
new phase of the work of the de-
partment. according to the report,
which said:
During 1919 we had number of
sheep stealing cases OF goodly proper
lions. in one instance J62 head were
stolen. The money value Of these
sheep was recovered for the owner.
At another time 475 head were stolen.
These sheep were recovered and re-
stored to the owner Convictions re-
suited from both cases.
I'VE had two noted trials for cattle
,hefts and horse stealing. The cases
were bitterly contested. the defend
ants being either men OF Influence or
wealth and position in this state. They
resulted in one conviction and one ;lc-
QuittaI. An appeal in the horse steal
ing case is pending in The supreme
court.
I'm the list Of animals stolen were
cattle. horses. mules. burros. sheep
and hogs. In one instance the theft
Of big flock Of chickens was re-
ported and a demand for investigation
was made, on the ground that chickens
should be clas>ed as livestock We
had several cases wherein the 'ruStlers'
eluded arrest for the time being. go
ing to Wyoming. Mexico. Oregon and
Minnesota. One man was 400 miles in
the interior OF Alaska. while another
went to the Philippine islands. All
were returned or prosecuted or are
awaiting trial. Several were taken out
Of the army.
"A number Of the horse and cattle
thieves arrested were dangerous char
acters. or what is commonly termed
hard boiled One man was shot re.
sisting arrest, but later recovered
while two were killed outright.
During the past year several large
organized bands of rustlers. operating
in Montana and adjoining states. were
broken up by the arrest of several OF
their members. One feature of this
work is the tendency Of juries to fix
the minimum time of one year for
the majority of cases, no matter on
how large scale the depredations
were carried on. On other occasions
trial judges fix the penalty and imme
diately give suspended sentence
These acts, while humane, have a ten
dency to remove the respect and TEA,
Of the law. Another thing is the fire.
Quency of stOckmen furnishing bali
bond for stock thieves and in some
instances assisting in their defense.
I'm regular and systematic inspec
ton of bounty claims. it has been as
certained that occasionally the hide.
Of predatory animals have beer
shipped into the state from adjoining
states and the bounty has been col
lected in both states. The stock in
spectOrs have received much aid from
sheriffs and their deputies. The coun
ty attorneys have conducted prosecu
tons in manner deserving Of h.gt
praise
+ 4 +