The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-09-01

years ago during the time of the Null
Ian expedition. The arrest, that o
a couple of strangers in the terri
tory was made for horsestealing ant
took place in what is now the south
ern part of Powell county, and 1t wa
not until after suggestions of hang
ing had been made that the prison
ers were brought into the presence
of Mullan, who sentenced them t.
Imprisonment and hard labor for sew
eral months.
The story of the arrest is told il
the February 10, 1880, issue of the
Benton Weekly Record, then edited
and published by w. H. Buck, {
copy of which is on file in the Mon
tana historical library at Helena. i
is related in a communication to the
Record signed "a. A." presumably
the initials of the writer, who had
been commissioned by Mullan, to ar
rest the thieves. His story is repro
duced as follows:
The first arrest within the limits
of this territory, made under shadow
of legal authority, seems to have
been made in December, 1861. The
subject was slightly alluded to in the
New Years number of the Benton
Record under the head of "Reminis-
cences of the Mullan expedition" Up
on invitation, the writer of that art
icle sends in the following particu-
lars:
In the winter of 1861-62 1 was
clerk in the store of William ]. Terry,
sutler to the celebrated "War expedi-
ton" then camped near the mouth
of the Big Blackfoot river in Mis-
soula county. One day. about the
middle of December, l was called up
on by two strangers, who stated that
they had just arrived from Colville
and were en- route to Salt Lake City.
They gave their names as Butler and
Williams, and requested two or three
days accommodation with board and
lodging. AS they threw some money
in sight, l readily agreed to let them
have a share in the use of the frying
pan and layout upon the floor. In
the course of time their purses be-
came exhausted and I had a station
cry whisky bill against them amount
ing to S14.25.
Said Williams to me one night:
You're a pretty good fellow and
we don't want to blk you. We have
got two horses and need but one to
pack our bedding. 1t is hard mat
ter to take care of two animals with
the prevailing depth Of snow. We
will make you present of one if you
will call the bill square,"
1 readily agreed to the proposition
and a cayuse was transferred to me
and branded with the mark of the
firm represented. On the following
morning my two travellers were mis-
sing, as also we're my horse and sew
eral other things.
Investigation revealed the fact that
the strangers were two horse thieves
and had departed for Deer Lodge.
There was no sheriff on hand to send
in quest of the fellows, because west
ern Montana in those days was as yet
but an unorganized portion of Wash
ington territory.
/ applied to Lieutenant Mullan for
relief, and that gentleman authorized
me to go after the offenders, arrest
them and bring them to him for pun
ishment Three of us, Louis Grand
maison (since killed., William Row.
Adnu kolhNC anu lhJ oClAA
tiny not yet accomplished) started |
out to make the arrest.
We left the Big Blackfoot at the |
hour of midnight and preceding De- |
cember 81, 1851, and our departure |
was thus made within the shadows of |
night to assure success to the enter
prise. We deemed it necessary to |
overtake and get ahead of a party |
of traders civilian Kiplinger C. f.
Eaton) that had started out the pre-
vious day on a "whoop up" trip to |
supply the early settlers of Deer
Lodge valley with some encourage
ment" for the approaching holidays. |
1t wouldn't do to allow rumor to get |
ahead of our intentions.
The young dawn of December % |
revealed the presence of the traders
at the foot of the Big Grade on the
banks of the He'll Gate and we slid |
down to their camp for breakfast.
OF course they Hopened out" and we
agreed to travel in company. 1t was
a very cold day, this 22nd one of |
December, and we stopped frequent
ly to warm up" After we had eros
sed the Medicine Hill, the mind COM
menced blowing furiously and Bill !
Rowland and myself concluded to
ride ahead and if possible reach /
Dempsey's on Flint creek for the
night. 1t being deemed impossible
for the whole crowd to advance that
far, we took our pack horse along
with us. Cat this point it may be ne
cessary to state that this sketch
would not be drawn out to its length |
were it for for the fact that most of
RE characters concerned are old
residents of Montana and the sketch
may be credited with some interest
on account of old times.)
Bill Rowland was a desperate fell
low who had gained notoriety on the
overland route. Whisky and the cold
air worked upon his temper and when
in the Flint creek hills the pack be-
came loosened on the lead horse he
dismounted and, drawing Bowie
knife, ripped open the horses belly.
The poor animal staggered and fell
down dead and we hurried on, leav-
ing the traps to be taken care of by
the fellows behind. 1t was almost a
ride for life that night. 1t was in
taneaIv oo1d ond mhpn finally NV |