Glacier County chief., 1940-12-06
Bv T. ]. KERTULLA

dee william J. Galbraith
ID the tension in the crowd
h filled his Deer Lodge court
in the late summer of 1883.
icN the tremor which runs
lch L crowd tighten and grow
D r> he eyed the prisoners be-
huA. He knew, too, that the
,n,r he would pass at this
vs. more than a routine. 1t
# i mean The future of cs-
,Irl Law in Montana.
IN stood Marion Gamble,
WI icy and Thomas Shell
frd of rObbing the mails
.y) 4 Stagecoach. Out il
IN we're men who, for
Ken the law into their
The judge knew that
y .cnient, should he give
.v Nv allowed, the future
mput be severely injured
other judge than he,
n. might take control.
,,IibralLh looked down on
You have been found
m.t robbery OF the United
he told them sternly.
Zach of you to SO years
raj penitentlary."
.entcnCe there came an
"lzed stagecoaCh robberles
u-. Lodge Helena run. The
I'd prison and the public was
ut the newly installed
deal properly with Of
..W had come to Mon
sry. the last major ore
Montana. has had many
,bout it. However. I am
Pierce KOoken tell his
... own way. 1t is. I believe,
'cu"ate account OF a finale
- ol Montana criminal history
,lragCOuS efforts OF the law
g.. - officials who saw to the
ne criminals.
~ story
i3-aed on the afternoon OF
q 1893" KOoken said. AT the
49, tending toll gate for Cody
,4~, side of Mcdonald pass.
= ne bottom of the hill. The
.sriGe stage. which left Helena
.orenOon. stopped there Just a
,c'pre noon. Besides a full load
O., ..-"rs 1t was carrying mail and
and was supposed to have been
r. q rather large shipment of
nmr $4,000 worth as I remem-
.oV"ver. the gold was not on
.aEr but came through on 4
whose only passengers were
AOtgun guards. It was follow
t regular stage, an hour or so
li' at the rate It was travelling
n baby arrived in Deer Lodge
n" same time. There was some
lnE around about the gold ship
1U' | don't believe that anyone
about the extra stage until aft
aw the men who pulled the
several days before that and
acted peculiarly at the time,
were three of them, all tough
!, gentlemen. travelling in a light
loaded with camping equip
They stopped at my toll gate
fused to pay the toll. threaten
raise the bar and go on through.
ed them by threatening to ride
era for the sheriff Immediately
: did.
ally one of them asked If I
accept a rifle in place of cash,
ing that they were broke and
TO go prospecting back OF
7o' City. I agreed and he
/ =! the back OF the wagon and
out a SaWedoff shotgun. AS he
out to hama it to me the man.
as Gamble, grabbed
snarled, Don't give him that.
iced it" They finally Compro-
III a Ballard rifle which I ac-
and which I believe the Cody
III have AS they drove away
ed that one wheel of the wagon
t:ped and left a crooked track;
e that landed them behind the
They drove on and I did not
en- again until they we're in
"a LCIlltol Vic olaSC NaIllt
h the horses hoofs kicked up
y cloud of dust as they trotted
the hill into the valley Of the
Blackfoot. Following the course
river for some distance to 4
about four miles below Elliston
ID crossed the river and climbed
the west side of the valley on
to the top of the Dog Creek
up lost time the stage
red over the bridge and the
! dumps and hit the bottom of
Il at full gallop. When it
l the steepest grade, halfway
hill, the horses slowed to a
nd the driver relaxed his vigi-
and resumed his conversation
lie drummer who sat on the box
I'm.
Appears
nding a clump of quaking
almost at the top of the hill,
rises SHE'D as a masked man
Sawedoff shotgun jumped out
road in front of them. The
swore, threw on the brakes and
l for a fistful of stars. In
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.