Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-07-23

2 and laugh when Watson would fail 81
) would trip Watson TO see him stagze
: and he bought the drinks for WaEEuz
2 and himself frequently, so Watson wa
) satisfied. Finally Denman seized Wat.
son by the shoulders. whiTled han
! about and gave him q shove. Watson
staggered and fell, striking his fac
on the edge Of one Of the few barrcon
! chairs, cutting quite cash across hi
forehead. Denman laughed and threw
a glass Of whisky in the mans facg
, saying, There, cowboy, that win stoE
I the bleeding. Get up and we viii have
a drink" Watson let out q below oa
pain as the whisky entered his eyes
; and the cut on his forehead, and Long
Henry, who was standing at the bar
talking to some friends walked over to
where Watson lay and pi sSed him up
I and placing him on chair, wiped the
blood and whisky from his face, and
! then turning TO Denman he said quiet
/ ", Il guess this will be enough Of this
! sort Of fun with this man, George.
! "Who in the hi are you butting into
my affairs" demanded Denman bristl-
| ing up, at the same time making a
motion as though reaching for gun
All those in the saloon held their
breath and q majority Of them felt
sure that they would be looking at q
dead niger In minute, but Thomp-
son never moved a finger and replied
Never mind who I am. / guess you
know anyhow. I'm Just telling you to
lay off this man." then he walked to
the bar, took drink, and went out,
passing within three feet of Denman
Denman did let up bothering Wat
son and soon left the place and went
from one saloon to another taking
drinks at each one and getting very
drunk. He got to talking loud and max
ing all manner of threats against
Thompson, who had gone to room
ing house and to bed.
Early next morning, Denman, who
had gotten partly sobered up, got his
horse. Riding to Dynamite's, he dis
mounted and went in and got couple
of drinks and a quart bottle. Then he |
mounted his horse and rode back down
the one street of the town, asking IN
q loud voice as to the whereabouts OF
got near the lower end of the street, /
he saw Long Henry coming out OF the 1
lodging house and said very loudly.
There Is the breed now. I'll Just
get him and pull for camp" and rode
toward Thompson, who never paused
but kept on his way straight toward
Denman. When they were about 20
feet apart, Denman pulled his horse to
a standstill Thompson also stopped.
Denman said, Il guess I've got you
lust where I want you, Thompson, and
I am going to let your insides out" at
the same time reaching for the VIM
chester that was slung under his le1D
leg. He had 1t fully half drawn from
the scabbard when Henry graSped the
butt of his six shooter forcing 1t down
and elevating the muzzle and fired.
Denman let 90 of his rifle and straight
ened up with q jerk, then made another
effort to get hold Of 1t and thompson
fired again, and Denman fell from his
horse. He was dead by the time ne
struck the ground. One bullet had
struck him a little above the heart,
the other passed through his throat
lust at the Adams apple.
Thompson walked to Dynamites
saloon and went in and said, Some
one of you men send word to the
sheriff at Miles City have just killed
George Denman, the Nm cook.
Self Defense Plea
The deputy sheriff at Fallon, who
was in Miles City at the time, came on
he next train and arrested ThompSonk
Who was taken to Miles City and
cleared by the coroner's jury on the
yround Of self defense.
Denman was buried on the railroad
light of way only q few feet from
where he fell and fence Of poles was
JliIt around his grave. A short time
afterward, one of the outfits that were
ihipping, killed steer for beef. lCs
lair was black and a ha1-drunken
bartender named Du Point hung tne .
tide on this fence, and for q long time e e
{ was the only grave marker George i.
)enman had at his grave.
An amusing incident occurred In con- :
lection with the killing OF Denman. :
We driver OF RUPEES bed wagon, who :
vas also a darby and known as
Deacon" saw the shooting and tore
0 the stable where he had his horse
nd saddled it and rode out 70 the 7
amp. He rode into camp as fast as !;
Dis horse could run. Inc COWBOYS were :
ating breakfast when he rode IN ana =
le literally fell off his horse and gasped I
ut. 'Fore God. Long Henry has just :
filed George, and he has gone wild 2
nd is lust shootin' FAallon town all 70
Il" CThere were only two shots
red). One Of the cowboys asked him, 4
How did you get across the river so z
arly. Deke?" Deacon looked at him 2
nd said. What riverP .1,,S didn't cross :
cared he never remembered of rout- q
40 the ferryman out Of bed. Nor Of G
aving crossed the Yellowstone river.
One Of the cowboys said that when =
beacon, who was very black, rode up s.
D camp, his eyes looked Ike two fried 2
ggs. =
Long Henry Thompson was shot and /,
illed in Saco, Mont, by q saloon :, :,
eeper named Ed Shufelt on the morn =
lg of March IS, 1902. The shooting was =.
ne result Of q row between Thompson =
nd Shufelt over woman who was
nown as George Grant" She was
nown In Sac0 as "Shufelt'S woman"
About the tenth OF March 1902,
thompson came to Saco after an abb