The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-07-25

llll Jun 1NlNOl LSdNuiSo ototiOitj
: and Just beyond was Frozen Hill.
The hill was given that name be
/ cause a number of years ago ter
! rible blizzard struck some COM
panies of infantry while on it, and
, before they could get to the valley
below, or to a place of shelter, one
half of the men were more or less
frozen-some losing legs some
arms. They had been marching in
thin clothing that was more or less
damp from perspiration, as the
day had been excessively hot. These
| billiards are so fierce and wholly
binding that it is unsafe to move a
step if caught out in one on the
plains, and the troops probably
lost their bearings as soon as the
storm struck them"
These frozen men were taken to
the Leavings, where Mrs. Arm
strong did all in her power to make
them comfortable At that time,
for some unexplained reason, there
was no love lost between civilianse
and soldiers in this locality, and
while Mrs. Armstrong might have
been forced to give the blizzard vic
Tins shelter, nothing but her innate /
goodness could have made her
their nurse, for she doubtless
shared the common prejudice
against the soldiers. This cir
cumstance is cited to illustrate the
character of the woman, and to
show why she was universally /
liked.
From the Leavings she went to
Canada, where she conducted a
dairy. together with a man by the
name of Morrison. Mrs. Arm
strong must have been successful
for time at this new business, TN
til the Indians stole her cattle and
burned her buildings. She and her
two little girls escaped uninjured,
and returned to Montana, where she l.
located a ranch on.the Teton, at a I
point where the railroad now !
crosses the river, near the west r
side of the bridge. Here she was 7
once more among old friends. :
One of her employees, either at d
the Leavings or in Canada, or on h
the Teton, was certain Jack Stu s
art, who is described as a big. r
blonde, good-1ooking fellow. There t
was never hint of trouble between g
hem, and they were said to have I
parted on good terms, but later this a
Jack Stuart killed Mrs. Armstrong. O
The deed was probably commit p
ed at night, and the woman must :
have Offered considerable resist se
ance, for, during the fracas," as n,
one informant stated, the girls es- re
,aped from the house and hid them :
selves. The deed accomplished,
Stuart sought to cover his crime by !
citing fire to the house, not being ,
ware that the girls had left it.
The time for the roundup was
lear and the cowboys from all
bout were journeying toward the
endezvous. Some of these, pass
ng the Armstrong ranch, instead
f receiving the hospitable welcome
hey expected, found a heap of
Wondering logs, and no one in
light to explain the cause of the
ire.
What had become of Mrs. Arm
trong and her children-were they
urned with the house? While they
ERE searching for some clue to the
lystery, two girls almost dead
ON fright and exposure to cold.
-ept out from their hiding place. ,
hese, Intercepted, haltingly told
lie story of that nights fearful ,
did you know the man." they !
ere asked. q
ooh yes, we know hint was -
lex Stuart" the girls instantly, re- r.
led.
Not much more was said, but II
ounting their horses the men con-
lued their journey to the round
}, taking the girls with them. On
cir arrival at the rendezvous, the
ws of the murder rapidly spread.
rs. Armstrong had been robbed
ID murdered, her house burned,
d the murderer still lived. What
IS to be done about it?
But one opinion was advanced by
e croud, and that was that the
1rderer should be found without
lay. He could not have gone far
any event, the crime was too
cent. Then, too, he must think
suspicion could attach to him
had seen to that. II