Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-03-26

hands and face. Prompt action by the
fire department put out the fire with
but little property loss.
he might be able to clear him on the
charges pending against him that he
might start off anew and thereafter
fashion his life after a different pat
tern. He was properly advised that
even though the Montana law VIOLA
tons were expiated by The serving of
the moderate sentences usually i'm
posed under the liberal ideals prevail
ing in those days, the 99-year penalty
in North Dakota for robbery with a
deadly weapon would still hang over
him and result in his ~extradition to
North Dakota, and trial on the robbery
charge. Ryan stated that he would be
willing and was able to pay almost any
price within reason to secure the re-
moval of the hanging over
his head and was told that if he want
ed to surrender of his own vOlitiOn,
with full knowledge of the probable
consequences, the attorney would make
every effort to secure the lightest pun
ishment possible. During the con-
versation, Ryan stood at the head of
his saddle horse and toyed with the
handsome animal, which, the lawyer
has stated, was the finest piece of
horsef1esh he has ever seen, either be-
fore or since. Late that night, the
attorney was called from the hotel
lobby to the outside and as he ap-
preached the open door, in the light
falling outside on the boardwalk, stood
Ryan. His superb saddle horse stood
nearby, fully a%ccoutered, and OF a pack
horse Ryan had his bed-roll and equip
ment tied. Ryan thanked the lawyer
: for his advice, and said he had con
Guided he would never give himself
up to serve a single second on any
charge and he was at that moment on
his way ito drop out of sight for all
time" Thus did Ryan pass from the
pages of Montana history.
Long Henry Thompson was vari-
ously known as big Foot" Wallace
and as stated was a member of Billy
the Kids gang, in the Southwest. 1t
is known that he had killed four men
in shooting ARRAYS before he, too, died
at the hands of Ed Shoefelt in the lat
ter's saloon in Saco in March, 1902
Long Henry" had come up the trail
with Texas cattle on the drive" into
southeastern Montana after the paci-
fication of the Sioux. He killed 8
mulatto roundup cook at Fallon ir
1894 under circumstances wholly JUS
tifiable and was acquitted on the
ground of self-defense.
Plaz Price, who settled on the Rocky
Crossing" on Beaver creek, west O.
Hinsdale, in 1886, still makes his home
on his little ranch. This crossing wa
used by emigrants en- route to the golc
fields in the SOS; later it was known
as the Fort Browning Trail" cross
ing, and within q few months tht
Montana Highway commission viii
erect a steel span across Beaver creek
near this ancient ford.
Refugees from the johnson County
war in wyoming. in 1891 and 1892
headed for Canada in considerable
numbers, and following old trails ur
through the Musselshell, crossed the
Missouri at Cow Island, following Tim
Der creek and Larb creek to the Bea-
yer Greek crossing at the camp of Plas
Price, where it was their practice tx
lay up for q time to rest themselve.
and their saddle horses. Long Henry
was one of these migrating cowboy:
from Wyoming, blacklisted either by
the rustlers or by the ranchers. He
however, moved no further north thar
Milk river and occasionally stayee
overnight at Prices ranch. Mr. Price
tells of an occurrence in which Long
Henry" was the central figure, he hav-
ing stopped for the night with Price
A heavy rain and thunderstorm arose
during the night, accompanied by
vivid electrical display. Thompson hao
spread his roundup bed on the flool
of the small log cabin then the home
Of Mr.. Price. A bolt Of lightning
struck the cabin, following around the
entire cabin on the chinking between
the ground log and the first log above
it, and entered the cabin just at the
point where ThOmpSons bed wa
spread out. The bolt set off his six
gun which he had placed under his
pillow upon retiring for the night, and
discharged all the cartridges in the
chamber. The bed was set afire and
Long Henry" partly paralyzed and
stunned by the stroke, was unable to
help himself from the burning bed
The noise of the discharge of the six
gun was unheard owing to the din of
the storm, but in a lull, Price heard
Henry's cries for help, and smelling
the burning blankets, arose and
dragged the victim from his fiery
couch. Looking Long Henry" over it
was seen that the bolt of lightning
had run from his head to his feet,
knocking the high heels off of his
cowboy boots, which he had not dotted.
His body was only slightly burned.
However, he was a remarkably tall
man, powerful although not heavy
bodied. He was quite dark, and as
often occurs in such yirile specimens
Of manhood, his breast, body and legs
were quite hairy. All of this was
| singed off his torso and legs as Clearly
as though performed by some human
agency. The lightning also melted the
brass knobs off the ends of his heavy
knife.
Henry had killed three men previous
IN tbic incident hoI honp q no rfv IN