The Hardin tribune-herald., 1937-07-23
Smuggling Whisky Into Canada
from Montana Was Lucrative
Enterprise Half Century Ago

But he believed that his horse was
faster than any of those of his captors,
and he determined to make break
for freedom if the opportunity offered.
Break for Freedom
Mile after mile he rode with the
cavalcade, his mead down, apparently
thoroughly disheartened. But all the
time he was watching his chance. There
came came a time when there was no one
ment, he dug his spurs into his horse,
and the animal bolted. The police
swung into pursuit, but he outdistanced
all OF them but one, Darkness was ap-
preaching, and the policeman, fearing
that he would escape, finally opened
IN the thigh and he tumbled from his
horse.
The other policemen came up and
Ormon was taken on to Fort Mcleod.
The wound proved not serious. Ormon,
however, was weak from loss of blood,
and was placed III the hospital, where
he remained for three weeks. In few
days he was able to sit up, and he fire.
quently saw, when looking from the
window, his horse being led to water
from the stable just across the street.
One evening when the police were at
supper, Ormon'S horse, Saddled and
bridled, was brought to the hospital
door and OrmOn came down from his
room upstairs and mounted and rode.
The escape was mystery which was
never explained.
Made Good His Escape
Members Of the police force, alarmed
rived in the open just in time to see
the half-clad rider disappearing in the
dusk. It was some time before it was
ascertained just what had happened
and in the meantime Ormon had
gained several miles start.
At daylight the next morning Ormon
rode up to a trapper's cabin seven
miles south of the Montana line and
tumbled from his horse in dead
faint. For several years thereafter he
wide berth.
He finally decided, however, to make
one more trip into Canada with whisky.
the line and the crossing was not the
simple night ride it had been in for
mer years. Furthermore, Ormon was
known to the police in the Mcleod dis
trict, and he therefore kept away from
that territory and headed for Leth-
bridge On this trip he took four
horse team and wagon, with 20 kegs
200 gallons some of whisky and some
of brandy. He hired a man to drive the
team and he himself rode ahead as
scout and guide.
The outfit crossed the line at II
O'Clock in the morning six miles east
of the old Sun river and Fort Mcleod
road and wound their way through the
hills down to st. Mary's river, passing
within a few miles Of police station
which was located on that stream
At o'clock in the evening they
drove the wagon into coulee, unloaded
and cached the liquor in the high
grass and drove on a short distance
to the ranch house of one of Ormon's
friends, for feed and short rest.
The ranchman invited them to un-
hitch, and they had just done so when
several mounted policemen rode in.
None Of them, however, knew Ormon
and after stopping for short time
and drinking some milk, they went on
again.
Ormon and his driver remained there
until the moon came up, about 10
O'Clock that night, then reloaded and
hole coulee the road forked, and the
branches came together again several
miles farther on. Ormon took the right
hand road and had intended the wag-
on behind should also. He was out Of
sight Of the driver, however, when he
reached the forks, and the latter swung
into the left hand fork.
Presuming that his driver was fol-
lowing him, Ormon kept on until he
came to the brink of Pothole coulee and
saw dozen police tents in the bot
tom. He backtracked without attract
ing their attention, found that his
driver had taken the other road, and
finally overlook him. They thus dodged
the police camp and by Sunup next
morning pulled in at the ranch of one
OF Ormon's friends only seven miles
from Lethbridge, and buried the load Of
liquor in the ranchman's garden.
The ranchman went into Lethbridge
to hunt market for the liquor and
Two concerns willing to buy at $11 a
gallon, the liquor to be delivered In
their cellars
/ Ormon moved into town. Each night
the teamster hauled four kegs to town
and dumped them into a deep ditch
That ran alongside the railroad and
from there Ormon shouldered and de-
livered them.
After Ormon had left Lethbridge with
his outfit and just before crossing the
line into Montana, he mailed a letter
back to the commanding officer Of the
police barracks at Lethbridge It said !:
eSir--1 have just sold 200 gallons Of
lquor In your pretty little town. There
drop of water in it and advise YOU to
sample it. It's really good stuff. 1 leave
this morning for free Montana with
$4,000 worth of your pale-green cur
rency. Please catch me-if you can.
"1signed) oRMoN:"
Judge A. L. Duncan