Glacier County chief., 1939-03-03

situation and elected the bad man
from the plains.
Cowboy Thrown Off
A slight scuffle ensued, but the con-
ductor was master of the situation.
Breaking himself loose for a moment
from the grip which was fastened upon
him, the cowboy quickly turned loose
his gun and fired at the trains pilot.
but without effect Finally succeeding
he was held until the sheriff arrived.
to tell his side of the story to the
court.
1t was not that the cowboys we're
really bad for it was recognized by
and among the authorities that some
OF them simply had to have an outlet
for fun at sometime or other in their
careers 1t was the real Offender who
made away with horses and steers
which aroused the ire of the cattleren
more than the fun enjoyed by the range
riders.
Five months previous. between the
10th and 18th of May. the Wveth-
Brown Cattle Co. lost two brown horses
by the theft route. This outfit inserted
an advertisement directing attention
to the loss. and offered a reward.
"a Cheeky Thief-Reward" an-
nounced the advertisement which ap-
peared in the Miles City Stockgrownrs'
Journal. Stolen from the Wveth-
Mont. between the 10th and 18th Of
May, two brown horses branded Circle
g. on left hips. one set double har~oee
and double-seated blackboard. with
rear seat off: has red wheels A'~o
one breech-loading double b7rralad
shotgun. will give 500 reward fn~ .''p
capture of the thief and inform7ti0r
tn hn oF
"CSigned) E. R. Brown. Bi-ney
Mont"
A year later. in December 1888 vii
liam L. Austin was exonerated on the
ground of self-defenSe for killing
man at Stoneville. near the present
site of Alzada in southeastern Mon
tana.
"On the night of the 11th," reads
the account in the Journal. "at Stone
Vile in this county. a man named NJ.
B. Thomas. alias Tom johnson, was
! killed by william L. Austin. The trag-
edy occurred at the saloon kept by
Messrs. Ripley and Austin. The circum-
stances as related by Austin, who came
in yesterday on the stage and gave
himself up, tend to show that the kill
ing was done in lf-defense Austin
ing to capture the place, and that
Thomas fired five shots at him before
he fired the fatal shot The pistol used
by Austin was a As caliber Colt re-
! volver.
I Verdict Is Seif-Defense
The citizens instituted a coroner's
inquest and found that the killing was
done in self-defense. This being en-
tirely informal, there being no one
/ qualified to act as coroner at Stone
| vile, it will be necessary to exhume
the body and hold an inquest in ac-
cordance with the law. Coroner Redd
went out Immediately to hold the in
| quest. He was accompanied by Judge
Edmond Butler Gather of Tom Butler
present postmaster at Miles City,
Deputy Sheriff Hood went with the
| prisoner"
A week later the journal recorded
the result Of the action taken by the
officers from Miles City.
Coroner Redd returned from Stone
vile on Friday. William L. Austin.
who killed M. B. Thomas, alias Tom
johnson, last week, was completely ex-
onerated by the coroner's jury. 1t was
only question of whether Austin
should stand still and be killed by a
bad man whom he had not provoked,
or that he should defend himself. Mag
istrate Edmond Butler, who was pres
emit at the time Of inquest, considered
the case 20 plainly one Of tWtifiable