Glacier County chief., 1939-04-28

here At any rate Alex and some man
are holed up near the head of O'Brien
creek. Fred ran across them the other
day when he and Al Bronson were
grouse hunting. Fred didn't say it was
Where did Fred go? Can he take
us to this Campo" the officers asked
"Fred'S in Neihart by now but you
can catch him. his father said. That
spot is plenty hard to find so he'd bet
ter guide you"
Wen catch Fred and start at
dawn Williams said.
Yes" answered Williams 1--WE be-
lieve the Dutchman is killer.
Then Arthur said, draw first.
That gent shot the heads from 10 tur-
keys in row at so yards the time I
saw him."
It was bitterly cold when. crossing a
small hogback Undersheriff George
Williams. Major James Keown and
Jack Payne. guided by Fred Walker.
came on the hideout at the head OF
OBrien creek near the divide in the
Little Belts.
They discovered two cabins about 100
yards apart After carefully scouting
them they decided no one was in either
of them and investigated. They found
the upper cabin had been occupied
and found tracks OF two horses lead
ing from the cabin TO the woods. After
following the tracks for a short dis
tance they found they separated. The
officers then decided to wait for their
quarry to return.
Until p. m. Williams and McKeovr
sat in the unheated cabin while Payne
and Walker kept watch in the lower
cabin. This precautiOn was taken to
prevent the wanted men. should they
take alarm. from using either place for
refuge and fort.
Il was shortly after 3 o'clock that
the sound OF 4 horses steps Were heard
Williams and McKeown ducked be-
hind a canvas stretched across the rels
of the cabin. Sounds told them the mai
was stabing his horse in an adn2":E'
leanto Then. they heard his approach
Get en- Up!" The crisp command If
Williams checked the man cCM.-IE
through the door dead in his tracks
'DOnt shoot" he cried.
Drop that gun and tell us who YOU
are."
Yes sir, I'm Alex Oriet"
Taking Oriet's gun and a hatChet
away from him the officers built
welcome fire and then questioned the
young man.
Whose 3O-3O is that?"
Mine. My partner gave it to me just
after THANKSGIVING. He traded for
new one. 30-4O."
How long have you been here?"
"A week today"
Where were YOU last week."
On the other side of the divide !"
Dead Mans gulch."
That near WoolSey'S?"
Six miles above his place"
Did your partner get his new gun
while you we're there?"
Yes. The gun and lot of other
stuff. A fur coat, some harness. some
groceries and lot of odds and ends he
traded for"
Where is your partner?"
The sound of approaching footsteps
cut short the reply; Williams leaped
against the wall beside the door
Keown hid behind the canvas
stocky man wearing an old Stetson.
blanket coat, pacs, blanket pants
and carrying a rifle at the ready
Drop that gum Williams. always
unwilling to shoot first, did not have
his siXgun raised.
Like flash the smaller man twisted
toward Williams elevating the muzz!e
of his gun.
Crash! Keown. sensing the move.
dove on the man carrying the canvas
with him. Enveloped in its folds the
man struggled only briefly before he
was disarmed Disheveled. he rose to
his feet and eyed his captors.
Williams had brought the campaign
hat along, Now he thrust it toward the
prisoner. Ever see this?"
The prisoner hesitated then exam
ined the hat. Never saw it before" he
said coolly
Just the slight hesitation was enough
to betray him. Iron him. Jim. We've
got our man." Williams ordered
And so was captured the engmatic
person who called himself Herbert H.
MetZger, 80. of German descent. a
worldwanderer, an ex-soldier. an edu-
Gated man and. a murderer. If Metz
ger was not his name, no one knew
otherwise for he went to his potters
grave without communicating with
anyone.
Metzger never did admit the killing,
being convicted on circumstantial evi-
dence. Although all the Ward property
was found in the cabin on O'Brien
creek, and he was wearing Roy's Stet-
son and carrying Roy's rifle when cap
tured, he maintained he had traded
with man named Tony Balchesto
or something like that" for the goods.