Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-03-02

Although more than 40 years
have uassed since the redoubsabie
Kid Curry ended his career Of ban
ditrv in Montana by fleeing from
Great Falls with satchel fun Of
currency stolen from railway
mail car at Laramie, WyO-, the
mystery that surrounded the Md
and his loot has remained until
this day. Fred A. Tintinger, com
stable Of Great FAILS township,
heIieves that Curry concealed his
loot In Saw Mil gulch In the BIRD
TaiI-Riebeling district.
The saga of Kid Curry is as great
an epic OF the west as those OF Billy
the Kid and other western badmen
bIIt unlike most such tales, that of
Curry has no apparent ending. what
became of Curry remains a mystery.
only a few years ago j. Y. lKiO
Vance, cowboy, proSpector ana adven-
turer, came to Great Falls from Ne
old friend, Charles M. Russell, the
cowboy artist. He did not know tnat
Russell was dead
Vance said that he had seen Curry
sig wears previously in Seattle. Curry
recognized Vance and then admitted
his identity. Vance had been cowboy
companion Of Curry at Landusky IN
Murdered Pike LandusAxy
There in 1891, Curry murdered Pike
I,andusky in a saloon. He fled TO the
Montana outlaw stronghold, the Look
ont and soon headed the Kid Curry
gang. Train robbing became speciality
and wholesale killings resulted when
the gang was pursued by posses. After
that at Laramie, Is persons were
killed.
Curry came to Great Falls after the
robbery and showed a satchel fun OF
new currency to friends. That was IN
1898, and Curry was seen here no
more. Six years later ne Killed two
policemen In Knoxville, Tenn, was
captured and sentenced to serve 131
years In the Tennessee state prison. He
escaped within a few months and Is
said to have gone TO South America.
other versions of the saga are that
Curry was killed somewhere IN the
Between $4,000 and $4,000 is said
to have been obtained by Curry In the
Laramie train robbery, Tintinger says,
and not only express cars were looted
bllt every passenger was stripped of
his or her valuables. SO far as Is
known none of the loot was ever
found, although many Of the new bank
notes had not been signed.
Two Strangers Arrive
In the spring of 1903, T1ntinger
claims. he was In charge of the Cas-
cade hotel at Cascade and one morn
ing two distinguished gentlemen APP
peared and entered the barroom. They
said they had come from Helena on
the late train. Both men we're tall,
probably feet 2 inches. and weighed
100 pounds. They wore white Stetson
hats, riding britches and riding boots.
After several hours playing cards,
lettering and a little drinking, says
Tintinger, the two silent strangers
conversed with him at about midnight
and after all others were gone.
"As soon as the doors were fastened
they walked over to the pool table
and unfolded a map, and this map was
supposed to have been sent TO them
from the Missouri penitentiary by the
last Of the Curry gang that was doing
a life sentence" said Ttnttnger i was
told that this convict had made the
map and got In touch with them and
offered to split the proceeds $3.50 with
them as that would be the only way
he could ever get any benefit Of 1t.
Requested ~Stake"
The strangers said they were short
of cash to carry on" and requested
Tintinger to stake" them. He refused
but told them they could get $40 worth
Of groceries on his account at grocery
store This was satisfactory to the
strangers.
'sThe map they had with them" de-
clared Tintinger, showed the route
taken by the Curry gang from Malta |
to where the loot was cached. They |
kept north Of the main line the /
Great Northern to a point north of |
then crossed the main line |
and came through Genou to the cross
ing of the Teton river, then they went |
west about 30 miles, then south to |
where they crossed Sun river at Rebel |
ing. They then dropped back to the |
Bird Tail divide and finally crossed l
over IN what Is known as Saw Mil /
gulch. They camped at the old Saw /
Mil cabin and buried the loot 10 feet |
from the base Of large fir tree that /
stood out by itself about 100 feet
northeast Of the cabin"
left Cascade in a livery team, equipped 4
with tent. shovels, picks and other |
implements. They were left at the /
Saw Mill gJIlch cabin by the driver
and were seen no more.
Eleven years later, according to Tin /
finger, he leased the George Overose
ranch for pasture and this was within /
q few miles of the cabin referred to. /
Out of curiosity he examined the /
area near the fir tree and found much
evidence of digging, at least five pits
being found. Whether the loot was re-
covered and who the two men were
remain a mystery, Tintinger says.
He declares that his statements can 4
be verified by several residents OF Il
Cascade.