davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

policy always followed was to bury
the act with it's victim. Thus much
of the history of the range wars has
never been written and never will
be.
In his trade the rustler had to be
the most expert sort of a cow hand
Ter, for he had to Outwit, Outride
and Outbrand, not to say OutshOOt,
the cOwman with whom he was at
wal if he expected. to survive in his
calling. In his branding operations
the rustler was quite likely to carry
with him a piece Of wire, which
could be carried easily in his pocket
and which could be twisted into al
most any design needed to alter a
brand. Another way Of easing down
a brand was by means Of branding
through a wet blanket. Other ways
were also in use.
'FIOpping Bills Expedition
While cattle stealing has been a
source of heavy loss and annoyance
to stockmen of Montana at various
times over a period of 40 years, it
never reached the proportions as an
organized industry" that horse steal
ing did back in the SOS. The stock
men of central Montana finally took
the law into their own hands and
started a war that resulted in many
a rustler stretching his neck at the
end Of a hempen rope. Granville
Stuart was the leading figure in the
campaign against the hOrsethieves,
but the real leader in the field was
"FlOpping BilI' Cantwell. There are
men in the state still living who
stand back of the statement that
more d~esperadoes fell before 'FlOp-
ping Bills" band of cowboys between
September and November, 1885, thar
were executed by the law and order
forces of the famed Vigilantes in the
western Montana gold fields in the
early COS.
"Flopping Bill" as he was called
was none too trustworthy a charac
ter himself, and some of his surviv
ing associates claim that he worked
against the rustlers only because h
found it paid better than to stanC
with them. But he was a natuFa
leader with no conjunction agains
direct action, and as a result of tn
activities of his band, thirty or NOR,
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

Ter and hOrsethief were known, and
a T g u r campaign W a begun
against them in a practical and thor
Ough manner. Some of the outlaws
were told to leave the country and
did So. Those who did not comply
were shot or hung when next found.
In n campaign, it was said, the
Montana vigilantes killed between
so and 80 rustlers. One morning
one bridge had Is cOrpses swing
ing from it. Between 1876 and 1885
the v~igilantes of the range killed or
hanged as many men in Montana,
Wyoming and Nebraska as were le-
gaIly executed by the law in any
dozen states during the n e 20
years.
The cattle men declared that cap
ital punishment was necessary that
jails were nonresident or useless
and that regular courts were wholly
inadequate among the sparse pOpula-
ton of the ranges. Thus these Op-
posing interests, both lawless and
strong, fought out their battles for
themselves. For the rustlers it was
a losing fight.
RuSClerS We're Gunner
In a sense the rUstler's back was
always to the wall. He was a mark
ed and hunted man and he was a
desperate One. Sometimes a posse OF
vigilantes would come upon a few
rustlers in the act of branding NAV
ericks, or C h a n g g beef or COW
brands. Then there was sure to be
a pitched battle with rifles at LONG
ranges. Sometimes the rustlers were
able to make a getaway, but more
often they were Outnumbered and
shot down. Not infrequently one OF
more of the Vigilantes pitched from
his horse with a bullet through him
A rUstler was seldom accused OF
putting up a ''slOw fight or not dy.
ing game. When he same to tow1
he often two guns and ''wort
'em low" as the saying went. Tha-
is to say, he carried two pistols
each swinging forward n vel
down so that a quick draw was ia
cilitated. Sometimes the scabbardI
were tied down with buckskin thong
to his boot tops, so that when a sud
den jerk was made for the gun i
came out smoothly and did not pul
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

~tenderfeet o n t e range. They
were all new at this sort of business
and we're not fit to lead such an eX-
petition. They employed 20 fight
ing cowpUnchers from the
range to go with them. Altogether
there were 43 men with three wagons
cooks and most complete range
outfit.
Starting out at daybreak early in
April, they travelled overland, and
their first encounter with the rustlers
was at the KC ranch, where Nate
Champion and Nick Ray, two we'll
known rustlers, held forth. Ray
stepped to the door and was shot
fatally. The house was then set on
fire and Champion was shot full of
bullets as he ran for a gully nearby.
While the fight vas in progress an
other rustler, Jack Flagg, came along
with a companion, but was allowed
to escape. He notified every rustler
between the KC ranch and Buffalo,
and the clans gathered in fury to
fight the vigilantes. In a few days
the rustlers had the vigilantes on the
run. At the ia ranch the cOwmen
were brought to bay and besieged
by 319 rustlers. The v~igilantes for
titled the ranch with rifle pits, bar
ricaded the buildings with logs and
prepared thoroughly for a siege, Fir
ing was kept up at long range on
both sides. Twenty-six horses were
killed in the ranch corral by the
rustlers in one day.
The siege lasted three days, when
a troop of cavalry from Fort Nc
! K4nnnrr ownfunH ~, Aho Coc1n ND Aa1Hr
the cattlemen prisoners. Two of them
had been fatally wounded by the ac-
cidental discharge of their own fire
arms.
For three months the cattle men
were held in jail at Cheyenne. Then
they were each charged with the muir
der of Champion and Ray and re-
leased upon their W personal re-
cOgnizance. Each Offense was made
bailable in a large sum of money, the
total for the 40 men amounting to
millions of dollars. The Texas fight
2 ing men lit out for the south without
! giving bond, and when the cattle men
: were brought to trial a jury could not
: be secured, so the case was nOlle
= pressed and that ended the matter.
: News of the war and it's aftermath
= had much publicity in the press of
= the nation, but it has gradually been
forgotten.
The end Of rustling cattle came
: with the end of the open range in
I many parts Of the west. w h {
there is still open range the grow
u ing strength Of law and order has
l. done much to put an end to it. But
g even now in some portions of the
a old cattle states there are stretches
of more or less unsettled country
n and in these parts there is invaria
bly, more or less rustling. But nov
a the courts of justice deal with rust
lers, and there are no penitentiarie
a without a quota Of this class, al
though they are a very different typ
n from the rustlers of old.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21
The "RuStler'' Last 5 s G4 1s%6:s s 63 2D:35 aensS Ds's st to o s5sa5s5

times, having saved a little money,
would buy a few COWS and start rus
thing for themselves. This Was some
times done while in the pay of a
former employer and sometimes af-
ter they had quit their jobs and start
ed on their own hook. The cowboy
had his brand registered and grad
ually built a herd. Some gOOd-sized
outfits were started in this way by
perfectly legitimate means. AS a
steer that sold for $50 could be
raised on the range for So under IA
vOrabIe conditions this offered a
quick way to fortune that many am
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

ance to the rUstlers whenever they
could.
War on the RustIers
AS the rustlers grew in strength
and their depredatiOns began to be
felt % and more by the cattle
barOns, the latter began to band to-
gether to crush the outlaws by means
of Vigilante work, which had been
practised so successfully in the SOS
by gold miners in discriminating the
road agents. The range vigilantes
Of Montana and Wyoming went to
work Systematically. The description
and ''hangOut" of nearly every rust
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

the scabbard up. Others simply fas-
tened their scabbards to their trOus-
ers. If a rustler was recognized by
a member Of the vigilantes in town
there was often a gunfight. Usual
ly the rustler was killed, for the Wig
ilantes did not believe in taking un-
necessary chances and nearly always
OUtnumbered their quarry.
Some Buried Secrets
1t is very seldom that a man who
has taken part in a lynching will
speak of it to anyone, even years
afterward or to a man who has been
in the same party with him. The
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21
(BY Dan n. CONWAYl

n ECENT newspaper articles have
served to emphasize the fact
~ that the cattle rustler and the
horse thief are today something far
mOr material than historical record
portrayed through the medium of the
silver screen of motion pictures.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

We are informed
that during the past
few weeks, cattle
men in different Sec
tiOns of Montana,
Idaho and Oregon
have banded them
selves together into
newly formed or
CARNATIONS. insti-
tuted for the sole
r p of waging
effective war upon
"rustlers," whose
activities are said
to have reached
o1a rminp OTOnOT-
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

Thus, we may say, one Of the first brands to appear
on the upper ranges bitter the first Southern drives was
the old 10 brand. Numbers Of cattle men bought
cattle Of that brand to stock their ranges, and, Of
course, needed to rebrand the cattle. It was an easy
thing to think Of the IOl brand, and this was one Of
the largest QUILTS on the range. But let rs suppose q
Ustler wanted 70 brand one Of the q COWS for his
own private purposes He simply took his little iron
or wire, and put q little top to the figure 1, making Il
into . Z. It then appeared thus: 2O-quite q dh-
fsEsnt thingl S6l more different was It written with
3 letter S after it, thus: 7O8. The owner would
not recognise his own COW thus disguised. Neither
could the owner Of a lOl COW very well prove his
property when he found it wearing q brand which said
YOg. The matter would Be still more difficult By the
time TIE next ustler had made it 7OLs and the orig
in1 % COW would Be very difficult to recognise under
the evolved brand HOB It should Be borne in
mind that the brand mark as it actually shows upon
the aide is not 80 sharp and clearly defined as it looks
upon paper.
There was 3 brand known upon the range as the
Wrench brand, thus: &c. By the time the ruatler
was done with It it appeared thuss 90. Or It
might assume this form, 0-o and be called the
Brdlebit brand. The brand g was easily made 70
read 90. Without much trouble 890 could appear
quite differently, as $50. The hair Of tie COW would
cover up any little defects Of psomanahip.
A brand which was q simple " was easily altered,
Is thms but the sklful ruslsr would have been
wi'o enough to put q straight line ssou il thw:
covering up the Junction max Of the tvs branda Of
The old brand With the curious name Of Ae WaIlop.
there might possibly hare bosn oonszuctsd The
brand spp@1hz 8.
copysight By me hampton soeiei
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21
Montana chi on So

Press notices published in Los AM
geles announce that Miss Gladys
Heaney, daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. A.
P. Heaney, formerly of Great Falls,
will be one Of the principals in the
cast OF Charm "a comedy shortly
to be staged at the Egan theatre, Les
Angeles. The play viii succeed
white Collars" which has been the
attraction at the Egan for the past
two years.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

HOW THE HUSTLER
CHANGED
was an easy matter, ac-
cOFding to EN-
HOugh in his story, "The
Cowboy" for the rustIer
to alter certain brands to
suit his own purpose, in
developing a herd Of his
own. The accompanying
Illustration is a reproduce
ton of a page from this
publication by Mr.. HOugh.
This shows how brands
were easily worked over.
The author explains that
''it is not alleged that any
or all Of the brands Civ
en- herein are actual or
genuine, or that the alter
atiOns shown were ever
actually made BY any per-
sons" They are merely
set forth to illustrate the
manner in which these
alterations were possible.
Thus we can see the pro-
cess Of evolution Of some
81 the rustleEs' brands.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

Most modern girls prefer an heir
in q castle to a castle in the air.
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21
A General Raid Planned

A &@-aA4A AAA4AA n N4AAAAlA
The new cattle laws put in effect
greatly offended the rustlers, who be-
gan to sOlidify their factions and
made Of Johnson county a rustler set
Element, where the cattle men had no
voice. In four years c0Wmen brought
$50 suits against rustlers for steal
ing beef in Johnson county, but Sc
cured only me conviction, the de-
fendant being fined S18.
Early in 1892 a meeting Of cattle
men was held at Cheyenne and 1t
was decided that a general raid
against the rustlers should be MADE.
the names Of 125 alleged rustlers
were compiled, OF whom they deter
mined to XIII or drive out Of the
country 3b. Included ga this move
meut were several prominent men
Of affairs in the state and a major.
ity Of the leaders Of the posse on.
ganl1ed were e~asternerB who owned
cattle, but who were classified 81
The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-21

Some cOwpunchers in those early
Evening star., 1926-03-27
BISHOP FREEMAN
TO VISIT EPIPHANY
Confirms Mixed Class To-
morrow Morning and Also
Will Preach Sermon.

Bishop James E. Freeman will pay
his annual visit to Epiphany Church
tomorrow morning to administer the
apostolic rite of confirmation to a class
of children and adults. He will also
preach the sermon.
will be occupied by Rev. DIR. Il. +. Phil.
lips, who will take for the subject of
his sermon, Maeterllnck's Blue
Bird" Preceding the sermon, the an
nual admission service OF the Girls
Friendly Society of Epiphany Will be
held, conducted by DR.. Phillips.
There will be a celebration OF the
holy communion at am. The churcn
schools assemble at $3.50 am. and 3
pm. and at 6 o'clock. the weekly
meeting of the Young Peoples Society
will be held.
DR.. Phillips will preach 1T the
MONDAY services next week. Mon
day to Thursday, inclusive. He and
the other members of his clergy start
will deliver the addresses at the 4:4o
pm services. Thursday evening at
s o'clock DR.. Phillips will conduct a
preparation service for the Easter
communion. when all the cOmmuni-
cant members of Epiphany. espe-
cially those recently confirmed, are
expected to be present. Good Fri
day he will conduct the three hour
service and give the meditations on
the Last Seven Words"
Announcement is made from the
church office that amplifiers have
been installed in the parish hall for
the convenience of some Of those
who are unable to gain admittance
to the church tomorrow morning and
also on Good Friday and Easter.
Evening star., 1926-03-27
PALM SUNDAY SERVICES.
Communion in Program at St.
Marks Episcopal Church.

Palm Sunday will be appropriately
observed at St. Marks Church. Third
and A streets southeast. tomorrow.
Holy communion will be celebrated at
7:30 am. and at II am. The rector,
Rev. William Henry Pettus. will
preach at the II am. and pm. serv-
ices. Holy baptism will be admins
tered at 12:45 pm. Confirmation In
struction will be given in the parish
hall by the rector at Z pm. for adults
and girls; for boys, Thursdays at 4:4o
pm.
Bishop Freeman will visit the parish
for confirmation April % at 1890 am,
when he will lay the corner stone for
the new parish hall and preach Holy
communion will be celebrated Monday.
Tuesday and Wednesday during Holy
week at II am. and Maundy
Thursday at both am. and IL am.
The rector will preach at special
Holy week services Tuesday and
Maundy Thursday at pm. The serv-
ice of the three hours will be held
Good Friday from IL m. to pm,
when the rector will deliver addresses
on "The Seven Last Words From the
Cross" There will be a service good
Friday evening at O'Clock. Holy
baptism will be administered Easter
even at 4 o'clock.
Evening star., 1926-03-27
BISHOP TO PREACH
AT LENT SERVICES
MONDAY Rites to Be Held Un-
til Thursday, With Big
Crowds Expected.

The MONDAY Lenten services which
for the last five weeks have been held
daily in Keith $ Theater under the
auspices OF the Laymen's Service As
sociation of the Episcopal Church will
be held IS usual at 1890 o'clock
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday of next week. Right Rev
James +. Freeman, Bishop OF Wash
iugton. will be the speaker at each Of
these services.
To accommodate the large audi
ences which are expected at attend
the services during Hol.s week, the
doors of the theater will be opened at
1880. The services will begin at 1890
and close at ] pm In addition to
the address by Bishop Freeman, there
will be devotional music and an invo-
cation. The invocation will be de-
livered eacn day by one Of the out
standing ministers OF the city.
The following laymen will preside
at these meetings: Monday. George
Ross of the Washington Radio Cor
poration; Tuesday, John Poole of the
Federal-American Bank; Wednesday.
Charles j. Bell. president of the
Am erican Security and Trust CO.:
Thursday. DR.. l.. w. Glazebrook,
chairman of the committee in charge
OF the services.
All persons are invited TO attend.
There is 10 collection. The Holy
week services will conclude the eighth
consecutive year during which these
week day meetings have been held
during Lent. Although the increase
in attendance is not large, it is esti.
mated that on the whole the services
of 1926 have been the most successful
in the history of the Laymen's Sery-
ice Association
Evening star., 1926-03-27
FULL GOSPEL ASSEMBLY
HAS SPECIAL PROGRAM

Rev. Harry l.. Collier. pastor of
tho Full Gospel Assembly. $40 Penn
sylvania avenue, will conduct special
services from Palm Sunday to Easter
Sunday. inclusive. commemorative of
the last week.
Ten passion week messages will be
given, as follows: Palm Sunday at 3
pm. "Hosanna to the King, and 7:45
pm, in the Balances; Monday eve
ming, PARALLELS OF Destiny: Tuesday
evening, Panorama of the Age
Wednesday evening, IAN Alabaster
Bog; Thursday evening, Three
Cups" Communion will be given);
Friday evening. Loves Sacrifice
Saturday evening, THE Worlds Dark
est Day; Easter Sunday. There Was
a Garden; Sunday evening, "Uplifted
Gates
A group of new members will be
received Easter Sunday. \ children s
Easter program will be rendered pre-.
ceding the afternoon service.
Evening star., 1926-03-27
PROGRAM OF SERVICES.
Holy Communion Special Feature
at st. Margaret's Church.

Rev DR.. Herbert Scott Smith. rec
tor of st. Margaret's Church, an
nounces there will be one celebration
of the holy communion tomorrow at
$50 am. At IL am. there will be
morning prayer with sermon by the
rector. AT $50 pm. the members of
the Junior class of the recently con-
firmed will meet for final instruction
in preparation for their Easter com
munion.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
there will be a celebration of the holy
communion at II am. and Thursday
at T:30 am, and a Maundy Thursday
celebration at pm. Rev. Canon
Stokes will deliver the last OF his Sc
ries of addresses Monday on "The
Basic Teachings Of Jesus" The rec
tor will speak at 4:45 pm. Tuesday
and Wednesday, concluding his series
on THE Influence Of the Bible on the
Lives of Men"
Good Friday there will be morning
prayer and ante-communion at 1880
am and the three hours devotion
from noon until 3 pm. Saturday
there will be baptism at pm.
Evening star., 1926-03-27

need for authority exists. Let every
doctor begin practicing medicine ac-
cordtng to his own whim and impulse,
and the undertaken and the manufac-
turer Of tombstones would become
speedily the most prosperous citizens
in the community.
The fundamental axioms OF the
law-the aXioms of justice, equity
and righteousness in the relationships
between man and his fellows---are ir-
REPUTABLE and Interchangeable. The con-
seriousness of the individual does not
create these authoritative standards
and principles. The individual con-
sciousness merely recognizes them as
true when theye are presented and
must act upon them in obedience un-
less disaster is to follow.
Dare any one say, then, that in the
field OF religion, where mans most
vital interests for both time and eter-
nifty lie, there is no dependable author,
ity no infallible guide? Shall the
highest interests Of our natures be left
to caprice and chance? A man who
becomes a law unto himself and de-
clares that he will do only what he
thinks Is right and what he wishes to
do we call an anarchist. II the con
sciousness Of the individual Is the seat
OIL anu tIl6 OI Hiidl
appeal. as the modernists tell US. then
we have anarchy in the religious
world. Every man will be a law unto
himself.
In the home, paternal authority
has waned, and the result is the wreck
and ruin which is falling already upon
the younger generation, which is the
theme Of magazine writer's the world
over. and the distress of thoughtful
minds everywhere. In society the old
fashioned authority OF decent stand
ards Of dress and conduct has been
partly rejected and the result is Il
reign of sensuality and the clogging
Of our divorce courts with the tragic
tales Of violated marriage vows, the
setting adrift of little children with no
hand TO guide them upon the storm
tossed seas of human life, and the
utter disruption of multitudes OF
American homes. And all OF this has
come about because of loss OF faith In
the Bible as Gods infallible and au-
thoritative word, and our merely call
ing Jesus Lord. Lord" without doing
what He has said.
{Copyright, 1880
Evening star., 1926-03-27

TO do anything for the words of the
creeds which have been written.
They have done everything except go
to Jesus Himself.
Jesus said, Love your enemies. His
followers responded by dressing Him
up in uniform, and giving Him a
generals commission, and sending
Him out to fight their enemies. They
have jammed q helmet on the head
where the crown of thorns once rested.
They have showed a gun into His
hands, and have cried, Shoot, kill.
They have strapped an ammunition
belt about the waist where the knotted
cord once held the purple robe. They
have given Him n flag to carry--a
French flag, a German, a British.
1t is easy to shout, Lord, Lord. 1t
IS easy to pass resolutions, and 70
make speeches about service and
brotherhood and what not. There
has been a deal too much of shout
ing. Jesus said great deal about the
value of a human life. He illustrated
it by taking a child. He said that 1t
is better for a man to have 500
pound stone tied around his neck
and to be dropped into the sea than
that he should cause one child TO
stumble.
The disciples said. Lord, Lord.
Great Britain forced China to allow
the importation of opium. Opium is
good business. Opium also wrecks
Chinamen. and Chinese children pay
for the wreckage. Children always
pay for the sins of the rest of us.
One Of the men who represented
Great Britain in that opium war was
Sir John Bowring. He helped to
force opium on China He also wrote
"a hymn, 'In the Cross of Christ !
Glory
Why call We Me. Lord, Lord?
The question is not answered.
Evening star., 1926-03-27
THE TWO-WAY PULPIT
Vie,cs of Opposing Religious Leaders
on Bible Questions.
BY JOHN ROACH STRATON, d. d,
TODAY'S TEXT:
T c. HERRING,

ye Lord Lord things achtch sdy'
Evening star., 1926-03-27
FOUNDRY M. {. CHURCH
SERVICES ANNOUNCED

Rev. DR.. Frederick Brown Harris,
pastor of Foundry Methodist Epis-
copal Church, will preach tomorrow
morning on the theme, "A Triple
Cowl," and in the evening his sub
ject will be Palms for the Con-
queror's Way"
Wednesday evening a pageant.
Immortality of Love and Service, "
will be presented by a group of
Foundry young people.
Friday evening "The Seven Last
Words From the Cross" will be
given by seven ministers associated
with Foundry Church, Dr. Harris.
Rev. John G. MILAN, Rev. DIR. Frank
". Collier, Rev. DR.. w. a. Haggerty,
Rev. r. V. Johnson, Rev. DR.. Norris
e Swartz and Rev. DR.. Harry f.
Woolever.
At 3:45 each Friday afternoon a
weekday school Of religion is con-
Quoted by Rev. John G. MILAN, d.
rector Of religious education.