davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18
Tragic Death of John Chinnick Occurred cit Miles City i'm 1885,;
Was Result of the Vigiunte Committee Ordering Him to Ienue
Toum After Hanging of Rigney, q Member of Tough Element

"They wouldn't kill me, would they?"
he asked of those of whom he assumed
he had a right to inquire. Death was
the thing he dreaded. But he felt that
he would rather die than to obey the
orders to depart. It was a hot Monday
forenoon. He went about in his shirt
sleeves. People would see he was not
toting any guns. Chinnick directed at
tention to the fact that he was unarm-
ed. Persons to whom he directed his
rather fatalistic inquiry gave him vague
answers. They could not vouch for
what the committee" might, or might
not, do. On that point most of them
were reticent. They had been witnesses
of an example of the wrath Of 1.-The
committee" in action.
The effect of this movement upon the
red skins was excellent, as there is
nothing an Indian respects so much
as physical force and nothing he so
much despises as physical weakness.
Deep concern was written in the
countenance of the man as he went
about the streets. The hours were
slipping by quickly. Chinnick derived
no direct satisfaction from his inquir-
les, for death was walking by his side.
It led him to an unexpected quarter
from which he least expected it to
strike. Perhaps it was fate. Death
took him beyond the precincts over
which the committee" assumed juris-
diction and smote him.
When the hour of high noon on that
Monday struck, Chinnick went home
to dinner. He had been over on East
Main street and roamed along Park
street, then beginning to give way to
the greater Importance as a business
venue to what is the main bus
mess thoroughfare of the modern city
of Miles City. He reached the inter-
section of Park and Main when he
paused for a moment to consider his
position. Diagonally across the inter-
section was located the Diamond R.
outfit, engaged in the transportation
business, in which inroads were being
made because of the coming of the
railroad. He must pass the Diamond
R. buildings and corral. No one would
be lurking there in wait for him, he
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

felt. Still his life depended on the ex-
ercise of caution. His more intimate
friends were not to be seen. The tough
ity was apparently in hiding. Not 50
with Chinnick. He had a right to live
in the town to which he had come
when it was in its formative period.
He had done nothing wrong. What did
it matter if those who patronized his
place %refrained from visiting the other
resorts, he argued with himself.
Reaching the bank of the Tongue
river where it curved in toward Main
street reaching to the property of the
Diamond R. outfit, Chinnick followed
along in a northeasterly direction to
the western outskirts of town where
his home was located. 1t was situated
wholly apart from other houses. He
pondered over this fact as he walked
along. The place where his house stood
was capable of being transformed into
a fortified position. There was some
comforting hope in hat thought. What
if he refused to obey the order of "the
committee!" Undoubtedly he would
find his friends there. These friends,
the toughest of the tough element ver
to walk the streets of this frontier
town, would stand by him. Hope was
pyramided upon a foundation of n
couragement. He would meet "the
committee" half way, and defy it. His
tory records that the gang of toughs
had taken up their quarters at the
Chinnick place on that memorable
Monday, July %, 1888, in Miles City.
The report was current that the men,
bers of the gang were well supplied
with arms and ammunition. 1t was
Chinnick's opportunity.
Members Of the committee" were
equally alert that day. Chinnick's
moves on the checkerboard of fate were
being watched with a keen appreciation
of what he was about to do. He had
given no indication that he intended
to depart. He might fight it out"
That much was surmised. A resident,
whether he was a member of "the COM
mittee" is not known, living within sight
of the Chinnick place was watching
through a spyglass at the same hour of
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18
NEGRO
DIES IN HELENA
MONTANA IN 1879; ORGANIZED
FIRST NEGRO CHURCH

Col. M. o. J. Arnett, SO, colored
gentleman who, since 1879, had .
sided in Helena and whose character
istic dress-a black or green ascot tie,
the frock coat, broad trimmed hat
that cOunterbalanced his taperins
white beard and high stiff collar, be-
came almost a landmark Of the city,
died recently at Warm Springs.
Arnett came to Montana in 1879 On
the river boat, Montana" docking at
Fort Benton. He came overland to
Helena by stage coach. In a remi-
niscent mood, he would recall the times
his father, a slave before the Civil wax,
played marbles with James G. Blaine,
American statesman.
He came to Montana after the death
of his wife and settled at Helena. BE
left later for Miles City, where he OPEN
ed a barber shop, but returned to Hell
ena the same year. While in Miles City
he met Sam Russell, who claimed to
be the original Powder River Kid.
When Theodore Roosevelt was in
Helena, he, with the Rev. Watson, pre-
sented him with a silver trowel on be-
half of the colored people of Helena.
Upon the trowel was inscribed, Spread
the cement of human kindness to an
mankind" In an old Helena newspaper
article, which told of the presentation,
Colonel Roosevelt was reported to have
replied, II have fought side by side with
colored soldiers. I thank you"
Arnett organized the first negro Sab
bath school in Helena on State street.
out of which has grown two negro
churches. At one time he was head
waiter at the famous Broadwater hotel.
For 30 years he was doorkeeper and
attendant at every state dental clinic
at Helena. It was at one of the clinics
he was given the honorary title ok
Colonel" He wa also employed by the
Rocky Mountain club and the Mon
tana club.
When he was a small boy he sold
papers at Pittsburg. The business grew
and he opened a newsstand on the
Monongahela river front. He delivered
papers to merchants down the river and
sold the New York Clipper, the Demo-
crat magazine, Godney's magazine and
others.
For several years the aristocratic old
negro gentleman had been in ailing
health. He was cared for at the Lewis
and Clark county hospital for a time
but later wa taken to Warm Springs,
where there were better accommoda-
tionS. Although still mentally alert, he
wa frail and needed considerable care.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

sirable elements, was laid at Chinnick's
door. The big fire that destroyed a
number of business buildings on the
Sunday following Rigney's death, did
not serve to contribute an encouraging
answer to Chinnick's query regarding
his physical demise. He was due 10
make his departure on the following
Monday night. Forces were operating
even at that moment which prevented
his immediate departure, and within
a few days his funeral services were
held.
The demise of Chinnick was dra-
matte, besides being tragic. Monday
morning dawned after a night of
watchful waiting for further possible
developments growing out of the Rig
ney hanging. Previous to this time,
Chinnick enjoyed the reputation of be-
ing a good fellow. Society Stunned
him, however, because of the character
of his patrons. Before the coming of
the Northern Pacific railway he con-
Quoted his saloon business in a man.
ner not to attract the serious atten-
ton of the village authorities. It was
known, on the other hand, that he was
not to be fully trusted. Following the
eICry OIL CIle TdluOdU llLO Ll1e ClIy IL
began to be visited by the tougher ele-
ment which so lowered his standing in
the community that he was one of the
first to be waited upon by "the com
mittee.'
The order to leave Miles City was
responsible for the keenest discourage
ment ever experienced by Chinnick.
Back of the orders was the firm de-
termination of a group of citizens who
had decided that they or the tough
element were to conduct a hegira. 1.-THE
committee" decided to stay. That much
was indicated in the tone" of the Or
ders to depart. Chinnick realized this
situation. He became bold. He would
defy "the committee" Just to show
that he was a good fellow, after all,
Chinnick went about the streets visit
ing one resort after another. There
was no in his conversation. He
exhibited a bravado that indicated that
he did not intend to take any orders
from those who had issued them.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18
Drunk Plea Fails to
Save Man From Pen

Charles v. Vance, alias Pat Finne-
gan, "a, recently was sentenced by Judge
Asa L. Duncan to serve one year in the
state prison at hard labor for the bur-
glary of a grocery store at Missoula last
month.
Vance was recently released from q
hospital, where he had been near death
for several weeks with a bullet wound
received when he was shot down by an
officer who saw him running down an
alley following the burglary. He plead
ed guilty, saying he was drunk at the
time of the burglary.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18
Frank Prouett, Judith Basin Pioneer, Came to Montana
More Than Half Century Ago; Brought in Early Cattle

for W. B. Edgar on the present Belden
ranch at Utica. 1t va his job to bring
in the horses mornings and rake hay.
One morning as he was hunting the
horses he thought he saw them at the
top of a hill. He rode up there and
ran into three Indians with a band of
strange horses. One Indian stuck a
gun in his face and "the muzzle looked
as big as a cannon" He stammered
out an explanation that he was hunt
ing his boss's horses and pointed them
out to the Indians. He was allowed to
go and told his story as he passed
through Utica with his teeth still chat
tering. He ran the horses in and be-
gan his days work. That afternoon
Al Harrison of Sweet Grass came
through Utica hunting horses, and the
storekeeper recalled the boys story.
Harrison rode out to where he was rak-
ing and questioned him. The boy re-
membered having seen Harrison in the
Boulder country and quickly related
the incident of the morning.
Can you describe any of the
h%orses?" asked Harrison.
Il was too scared to remember any
thing except a white spot on the rump
of a big bay"
That's my saddle horse! Much oblig-
ed boy. Let's 60"
In the evening Harrison returned
with the horses, saying they had chas-
ed the Indians away. When, in the fall,
three Indian bodies were found on the
present Hughes place above Lehigh,
folks recalled there was a story to the
effect that Harrison's mother, two Sis
tiers and a brother had been massacred
by Indians in Minnesota and he was
said to have vowed never to let one eS-
cape if he caught him off the reserva-
ton. Whether that was true or not,
the young boy always had an intense
admiration for Harrison and the man
remembers him as a sterling character
and friend.
Mr.. Prouett has a good memory for
faces and names and never forgetS any,
he meets. He reads with much in
terest articles written by Judge Lew.
l.. Galloway on the vigilantes, as he
knew by sight many of the men men,
toned. In 1873, when not yet 10 years
old, he earned so cents keeping a bon
fire while Colonel Sanders and Martin
Maginnis had a political debate in JET
ferson City. He once owned a bow and
arrow given him by x. Beidler, who got
it when Indians attempted to hold up
a ~stagecoach, and he remembers seeing
John Lott and Paris Pfouts many times.
Did you know Press Lewis?" asked
someone after reading a certain article
about him in the Great Falls Sunday
Tribune.
Il sure did. First I knew of him, he
was freighting for the Diamond R be-
tween Corinne and Helena. He freight
ed here in the Judith with a 14-mule
team. He hauled the first load in for
the big store at Utica.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

ihey scattered in all directions during
the friendly cover of darkness that
Monday night, and the next day af-
fairs turned into the ever tenor that
they have ever since pursued. Think
ing it over after the lapse of MANY
years the old-timer can see even plain
er than he could then; that the town
and people were on the verge of an
event; h a had it eliminated as Z
pected, would have furnished quite a
cnapter IN the history of this COM
munity. Providence averted the cal
amity, and, with the majority who were
actors in it and still live in Miles City,
this recital of it will probably bring
the events to mind, for the first time
IN many years; so impossible does It
now seem that this peaceful and Or
derly community could have been the
scene OF such a disorder"
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18
Girl Claims Estate of
Dead Montana Soldier

Inc Montana supreme court was
called on recently to rule on the valid
lty OF the claim Of Dorothy E. Adams
to the estate of William Adams, who
died in France during the war.
Claiming to be the Legitimate daugh-
ter OF Adams, born to a woman of mix-
ed Blackfeet and Gros Ventre blood.
n girl is resisting efforts of Adams
brothers and sisters to share his estate
While in Camp Lewis in training for
service overseas, the girls attorney told
n court, Adams made a written &C.
knoWledgment of Dorothy's ~parentaee.
The girl was born Aug. IA, 1917. at
Birch creek.
The trial court ruled adversely to her
claim.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

took the land as pre-emptlOn n deed
ed it to his mother. The parents lived
there until they died, he in 1890 and
she in 1892. The log house, which is
still standing, was originally the prop
erty Of Jake Hoover, who built it in
Yogo at the time of the gold rush.
Mr.. Winter bought it and the stepson
and w. S. Corwin brought it to the
present site. Corwin "a a neighbor
who had taken a presumption on the
land now owned by Mrs. William Creel.
In 1884, Prouett, who was 20 years
old, Joined an outfit that was moving
cattle from Billings to Blackfoot agency,
this side of Browning. They were pill
grim cattle from Iowa, had been bought
by Dan Samples of Fort Benton and
numbered about 500. They were Of var
ious breeds, most of them being Dur
ham, and were designed as breeding
outfit was Jim Cabler and others were
Joe and Jim Thompson, a man named
Snyder, Biddle, the night herder and
Prouett.
After the cattle were delivered,
Prouett and Joe Thompson went to
Fort Benton and quit the outfit to join
a doc" Freels, who was a bull-whack-
err. Freels was moving some cattle a
Canadian had bought from the Sweet
ranch in Chestnut valley.
They had to be branded before they
were driven, as it was a rule that NOV
ing cattle must be distinguished by
some brand, the owners, a road brand
or something else. They took this herd
to the Walden ranch company at the
head of Old Mans river in the Por-
cupine hills, about 40 miles west of Fort
Macleod. When they were crossing
Pincher creek, Prouett's horse fell with
him and he broke his arm. After being
in bed for several weeks, he mounted
his horse in the middle of December
and headed back for what he still calls
Gods country.
The journey was none too comfort
able, although he had shelter every
night but one A stretch of 100 miles
without a stopping place necessitated
camping on Milk river and the ice was
quite thick. He had as a camping
outfit, two blankets, a small canvas
and no picket pin. He tied his horse
to the horn of the saddle, which he used
as a pillow, and found it necessary to
move frequently, as the horse sought
new grazing ground. He had canned
oysters, salmon and other food, but it
was frozen, so he rode SIS miles into
Blackfoot agency for breakfast.
After a short visit with his mother,
he went to Boulder and broke horses
for his uncle. The next summer he was
employed at the same work on the I. B.
Cutler ranch six miles from Helena.
In the fall of 1885 he went To Town.
send and joined Hobson's outfit of Fly
ing w cattle that had been brought
from Walla Walla, Wash. From Town.
send to the Judith basin, G. O. Ray was
the cattle boss. Then the outfit was
turned over to Jack Smith. An argu-
ment over a bucking horse led to Prou-
ett's quitting and going to work On the
Hobson ranch. A week later Hobson's
crew took 1000 cattle to the bad lands
near the mouth of the Judith and turn
ed them loose for the winter. As they
were taking a second herd over, a bliz-
zard struck them near Louise creek,
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

fCdWIllQe fLdWllIS, anu CIlS CdCGle
drifted all ove the country and were
left until the spring roundup.
It wa the custom in those days to
leave the cattle on the range, and it
is said a surprisingly large number of
them pulled through. Prouett says he
has seen willows an inch through gnaw-
ed down to the snow line but was never
convinced cattle thrived on such a diet.
He worked here and there and for
several years was employed on the G.
M. Goodell ranch. In 1886 he went to
Helena with MI. Goodell and Theodore
Gray to bring back cattle. Goodell
bought his cattle at Helena but Gray
went to the Irish settlement on Boulder
river and purchased his from a man
named Con Smith.
In the summer of 1891 he started
freighting out of Harlowton, Fort Ben
ton, and Great Falls, but chiefly from
Fort Benton. He used from six to IA
horses, driving with a jerk line. Ques-
toned as to the amount of time re-
quired to are for the teams, he ex-
planned the horses were tied by their
! halters to a chain running between
them and by releasing two buckles the
driver could strip back the harness and
drop it on the ground. Once when he
was on Surprise Creek hill near STAN
ford a hailstorm struck and he unhar-
messed seven teams in two minutes. It
was well that he did, as the stones cut
through 16-ounce canvas When the
driver wished to harness up, he filled
the nosebags, put them on the horses,
led the horses to their places beside
the chain and had them ready for their
brides by the time they had finished
eating.
In 1891 he married Mrs. Alice Oates,
a widow, who lived near his mothers
home. He continued freighting until
1900 and in 1908 they moved to Hobson,
erecting the first home and the first
business house after the townsite was
opened. The home is the one they now
occupy and the business house was the
blacksmith shop he operated for II
years before selling it to AL Ahrendt,
the present owner.
Mr.. Prouett recalls many interesting
incidents of freighting and other days.
One time in Fort Benton he was driving
IA horses, part of them poor pullers
and part of them cayuses. They stalled
on the main street. A lady and her
three daughters watched the proceed
ings, which, out of respect for their
presence, were so mild the team re-
manned stuck. Presently a portly man
stopped on the edge of the sidewalk and
remarked:
"You seem to be having trouble"
Looks that way" was the response.
wish I had this outfit a half mile out
of town. These nags can move it. They
just don't want to-"
"You 60 ahead. That is my wife and
those are my daughters and if they
don't like the proceedings they can go
into the house and shut the door,"
II took a chain," said Prouett, "and
I went down n side and up the other
and I yelled, Now you so-and-sos. Pull!'
And they did pull and we went right
out Of town. The fat man followed me
to the edge Of town and laughed all
the way. I found out afterward he was
the mayor"
Asked If he encountered hostile In
dams, he told of when he wa working
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18
Rv CAssANDRA O. PHELPS

Frank Prouett is a pioneer OF Mon
tana and of the Judith basin. The
som of a blacksmith, born at Quincy,
H.. MAY 20, 1864, he had little prom
Use of n other than a quiet, un-
eventful life. However, when he was
Young, his father died, leaving the
mother with the one child. Apparent
" the mother had pioneer spirit, for
she moved to Percival, Ia. A sister
of hers had married C. A. Douglass,
a farmer and stockraiser, n had
come to Virginia City a short time
hefroe. Flour was $50 a sack the first
winter Douglass was in Virginia City
but, to offset that, wages were SIS a
day, so he stayed.
Mrs. Douglass persuaded her sister
to come west, and, with her 3-year-olo
son, she boarded the first through pas
senger train, the Union Paclflc, SEM
from Omaha to Corrinne, now Odgen'
Utah. Her sister sent Ed F'arnum 10
meet them with a four-horse team n
wagon. They camped all the a 10
Virginia City and had no Win
Indians. The boy was too young to re-
member incidents of the journey other
than the novelty of camping.
They made their home in Boulder
valley with Mrs. Douglass a half mile
from Boulder hot springs and nVeo
there until 1872, when Mrs. Prouett
married John Wesley Winter Inc NOV
ed to his homestead in Prickly Pear
valley, one and one-half miles from
Boulder hot springs. The place is now
owned by a family named Winslow.
While living at Boulder, the boy mao
as a playmate Albert Gibbon, son OF
Gen. John Gibbon, and received at flrst
hand the account of the Battle of the
Big Hole, He remembered the general
as a tall, square-shouldered man with
a big mustache. The son, Albert, was
killed in the Spanish-American war.
The family lived on the Winter home
stead three years and then sold 1t and
went into the sawmill business at the
head of Dutchman's creek, where they
remained about a year and sold out to
G. G. Winslow.
In 1880, about April 1, five men, Mr..
Winter, Theodore Gray, Dan Corcoran,
Dial Gray, who was a neighbor, n
Silas Gray, a pilgrim at that time,
drove in a wagon across by White Sui
phur Springs, through Judith gap to the
Judith river, about six miles west OF
the present town of Hobson Mr.. Win
ter returned and brought his family
into the basin, arriving May Is. In Sep
TENDER the stepson, then 16 years old,
brought the cattle, branded wv. MI.
and Mrs. Winter returned to Prickly
Pear valley for a short visit when
Theodore Gray drove I'VE to get his
widowed mother, Mrs. Tirzah Gray,
and his sister, Mrs. Carrie Payne of
Elsinore, Calf, and his brother, Will
Gray.
MI. Winter had built a cabin for his
family in the first bend of the river
above the old S. S. Hobson ranch, now
owned by A. L. Clendenan. In March,
1881, he built a new cabin near a spring
one-half mile north of what is known
as the William Newton ranch now oc-
cupied by Hugh Slauson.
In that fall Of 1881 the father took
up what is now known Is the Won Ber-
gan place on the Hobson-U Utica road.
He took this as a tree claim, but al
most all the trees died and he came
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

a S among n e
earliest settlers OF
old Milestown. En-
gagged in the saloor:
business, it wa s
recognized that he
operated a "tougl
joint" It became
the rendezvous o.
the rough element
The citizens toll.
Grated Chinnick':
place so long as hi
exercised an In
fluence over those
who pa t G
L;~ Tho acro ra nj
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

Latest figures give the strength of
the Royal Air force of Great Britain
as $4,000, including 1900 pilots, and o.
Ooo OF other ranks, and list 1884 first
line airplanes and 1900 of other yarie-
ties. ~
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

The annual opening of schools in
costa Rlca recently caused an unusual
Jump in the buying OF materials for
uniforms for pupils.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

Passes Bad Check at Livingston
Sheriff's officers are looking for a
man who spent several days building
up a 'front.'" then cashed a worthless
check for $100 at a Livingston business
establishment.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

The Alps are believed to have risen
from a seaway four to seven times their
present width.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-18

JOE F. RINGLAND
MI. Ringland, formerly assistant
cashier of the United States Ma
tional bank of Omaha, Neb., ar
rived in Great Falls April 26, and
on May l assumed his new duties
as vice president of the Great
Falls National bank, succeeding
Frank M. Burks, who is now pres
ident of the First National bank
of Kalispell. Mr.. Ringland will
be Joined shortly by his wife and
child, now in Omaha.