Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-07-29
"Flopping BW'
and MOntQna'S
Last Vigilantes

18th a scant two years after the
IA Founding of Billings in 1882, it
Wv found necessary as in the case
OF Virginia City to organize the
~vigilantes for dealing IN summary man
ner with horse thieves, operating along
the Musselshell n in the country as
far north as the Missouri.
In his movement, "Flopping Bill" a
character now almost forgotten, was in
the forefront.
Where "Flopping Bill" came from nom
can say; probably he was n OF many
attracted to Montana from the middle
west during the gold excitement.l 1t has
been written that his real name was
"Quantrell and that he participated
in war times. But this is probably q
yarn, and his true nam is believed to
have been William Cantrell.
How He Got His Name
The nickname "F1opping Bill" was
given to him when he was Q wood
chopper on the Missouri river. Bill was 9
hard worker and chopped n piled
many hundreds OF cords of wood for the
river boats. When asked how he sue
ceeded in getting out SO much wood be
once replied: THE tree Is froze and J
Just strike EN- once and they flop open"
So he was named %"Flopping Bill"
Bill lived along the Missouri river for
many years and knew every OF the
desperate characters who crossed and
recrossed the river with stolen horses and
made its banks their rendezvous. He
lived down there as long as it was con-
sidered healthful for one, not q member
OF the gang, n after that he went TO
Maiden and became o cowboy with b
ID, H. s." outfit. He was chosen leader
and guide OF the fearless men who un-
dertook to rid the country OF some OF
the worst thieves and desperadoes VINO
ever drove off q bunch OF stock.
W Rustlers Killed
The first appearance Of h vigilantes
was at Claggett, now Judith, on the Mis-
souri,, June 20, 1884. There one breed
was hot and another hanged. The name
OF the breed who was captured and
hanged was Narcisse Laverdure; his
uncle was wounded but got away A nan
by the name Of William T. Thompson
came upon the pair with so head OF
stolen horses. He was taking Laverdure
to Claggett when overtaken by a posse,
who relieved him of his prisoner, and
after securing the breeds confession,
hanged him to a convenient tree.
July 3 another breed, Sam Mckenzie.
was taken on the Fort Maginnis reserva-
ton and hanged, his body being left
suspended with a placard attached read
ing Horse Thief" The soldiers cut down
the body and inferred the remains.
Organization of the vigilantes had not
then been fully perfected, but a start
had been made.
Fourth of July Battle
On July 4 a party of men passed
through Maiden en- route to Spring creek
In quest of Charles Owens and Charles
FallOn much desired bad men. Arriving
at Lewistown hat night they found that
the good people Of the new town had
already taken good care of these two,
for 9th had been killed the same after
noon In a pitched battle with the citi-
zens.
It was then arranged that one party
should leave the following morning for
the mouth Of the Musselshell, where
they were to be Joined by another party.
which, taking a different route, was to
meet them at the rendezvous across the
Musselshell, but on this side of the Mis-
game to the cabin OF one. Downs, which
had been looked upon as q meeting
place of the horse thieves, and taking
Downs by surprise, secured Information
from him which greatly assisted them
in locating some OF the characters most
where there we're cached q bunch OF
horses which had recently been stolen
from stockmen OF the basin. One story
Is to the effect that Downs was
to a grindstone In the river, but be that
as it may, he was disposed OF and at the
same time q fellow known as California
Ed met his Just deserts.
But the smaller party had failed TO
make a junction with the rest of the
v~igilantes and to ascertain their where
abouts a wait occurred. Two days later
the parties were united and q start was
made dow the river. Crossing IL miles
below the mouth OF the Musselshell, the
men continued down the river, travelling
light and only by night, in order not to
flush their game.
Late In the afternoon OF July 10 they
came upon old man James and his gang.
The thieves had guards out to note the
approach OF intruders. but the v~igilantes
} succeeded In creeping in and not until
about sun-up were they discovered.
Here there was a ~blockhouse, or log
cabin provided with port holes an inn
provised tent made Of a wagon sheet
, hung over O pole, a corral and stables.
= One OF the guards, abandoning his
> mount, when he saw the vigilantes had
the camp surrounded, succeeded in
creeping in through the brush and
reaching the tent. where a part Of the
q dash for the b~lockhouse, 800 feet dis
tant, while others took to the brush. OF
the latter was Dixie Burroughs, a nephew
of Granville Stuart, blu one OF the worst
of the rustlers. He received a shot which
crippled him, but he found a cotton
wood well which gave him shelter and he
afterward escaped to meet his tate
within a month later. Old man James
attempted to reach the ~blockhouse, but
1t being made too hot for him he was
forced to let down the bars OF the
corral and turn loose six head of fine
horses, nearly all of which had been
stolen from the mounted police OF
Canada. The old man, however, sue
ceeding in reaching the house and par
ticipated in the battle, which lasted from
soon after sunrise to IL o'clock. In his
fight two Of the James boys were killed,
also a fellow known as Dutch" and
four were crippled, including urroughsB
and old man James whose given name
was never known.
Stolen Horses Recovered
Hundreds of shots were exchanged be-
tween the vigilantes, protected by the
brush and the men In the house. The
stable and corral we're fired but the
house did not catch, as some stories
of his fight have stated. Seeing that
they were baffled and hat the situation
was such that some of their own men
might be injured or killed. 1t was de-
cided to withdraw and wait a better OPP
portunity to deal out justice to the
remnants of the gang.
In this fight there were l6 v~igilantes
engaged and there we're supposed to be
10 OF the gang Of thieves. Seventy head
of horses were captured, sent back to
Fort Maginnis and restored TO their own-
ers as far as possible.
The party then went down the Mis-
souri, to the mouth of Bell creek, cross
ing the Big Muddy at the seme point
chosen by Chief Joseph when 10 the head
of his Nez Perez warriors he crossed to
the north, side to meet General Miles
in battle. On the ride up He'll creek TO
I4te hnod fuyn vpnxa had III hrnAIr Uxcya