Great Falls tribune. [volume], April 09, 1887, Image 7

About Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
THE !NCEPTION OF THE VIG:LAN
TES OF MONTANA.
ATrue Account, Hitherto Unpubhlshed.
During the latter part of November or
the first part of December, 163, I was liv
ing with my partner. Joseplh Bell, in the
town of Nevada, following the occupation
of a miner. About the first of December,
Winm. Clark came from Summit, at the
head of Alder Gulch, to our claim and
asked me to accompany him to the Stink
ing Water and help him hunt up Nicholas
Debolt, whom he had sent to Long John's
ranch, on the Sth.kinig Water,for a span of
mules-stating that he was afraid the road
agents had got him. He said he had rid
den Black Bess,--a mule which I had rid
den from California Gulch in Colorado to
Alder Gulch. She was an anim:dal that I
thought a great deal of, as -he had saved
my life in Colorado from two Mexican
despe-radoes, and if there is such a place
as a mule heaven I know she got there.
She was a sI-lendid saddle animal and the
road agents would not hesitate to kill a
man to secure her.
Clark also went to X. ieidler and asked
hihm to go along', but X. was unable to go
and stated as his opinion that Nick had
been foully dealt with. I asked Clark to
come to the cabin and during dinner we
would contider what was bet to be done.
1 had been in his emldoy nearly two years
in Colorado, packing to diffierent mining
camps and a portion of the timle mnerchan
(l-;ing. i ae w as a n who!lm I e:teemed
very highly, -od I could not refue to ac
comnpany him in search of poor Nick, who
was ever an honest, nuprihlt and faithful
man, although I would rather have given
500 than:m to have gone. After dinner I
prepared miyself with a saddle horse and
a six--hooter, and proposed t,, (lark that
we should take a couple of shot guns, but
hte said they would be unnecessary as he
had a six-shooter, which he thought was
su-ticeient.
Nothing of importance transpired until
we reached Bob DemItey's ranch,on Stink
ing Water, where we wdismounted and went
in. ('lark inquired of D)empsey if he had
peen Nick. describing him and telling his
errand. Dempsey-said he had seen noth
ing of him, and told us the p1lace where
the mules were, kelpt was three or four
miles further dow:" the creek. There
were several tment, aod freight teams at
DeItpsey's and - iof the party, a good
lhookin_ youte..g mani, well dressed, stepped
S, (.lark n s..id: "Don't you think
:::tt it-;u:., of yours has skipped to
: Lake a... taken the mules with
: ij . d fire (for it was none
Sti renowned road agent,
:. . -i had thus accused Nick
S!- .:..- , on. t), and hle replied: "That
; iI honest man and some of
- --- rod agents have killed him,
, . ! :11 an-.v. e him..
i:.- i ,to draw his six-shooter and
('.: it any behind him, when
Wi. i 11 .il, one of I-es' confederates,
st--pl:e- between them and stopped- the
-ow. (lark knew they were both road
agents, and he would have shot had I not
caught his six-sh:oter as he drew it.
As we started for Long John's ranch.
Ires and whiskey Bill mounted their
horses and went in the same direction.
About two and a half miles down the creek
the trail followed close to the b:ik. Cahrk
was riding ahead of me. a few feet in ad
v:-10e. when I noticed :somethlin red and
cailed to lark to to stop. On invetigation
it pro-ved to be a spot of blood about the
size of half a dollar. It had no-wed, and
the wind blowing tihe snow of tihe ict", we
could discover no tracks that would lead
to poor jNicik. whose life blood we had
.-_e:n on the ice, although he lay in tilhe
cold umbrace of death not a hundred vards
dista:nt.
After re;otunti,., two men rode across
o1I t hrail, about three hlundred yards in .d
va:cie. I told (lark we had better keep
to the ri:m:t and out of range of their guns
' Ives annd Whisk:,y IBill had gone to
Long John's after their short shot guns.
intendin to (kill us if we found Nick.
On re'achig 1the ranch Clark went into
the wicky-up or Indian tepee and asked
for Geo. ililderman. A tall, gaunt and
awkward human being arose from a pile
of blankets and shot guns and said, "that
is my name." .Clark then told him he was
the owner of a span of mules, which lihe
(Iiilderman) was working. HIe relilied
that a Dutchman came to get them about
a week back; that he was riding a black
mule and tha. that the last time seen he
was leading the two mules about half a
mile above, at the bend in the creek.
Having learned that Nick got the mules
we started for home, stoppihg at Demp
sey's, where we again met Ives and Whis
key Bill, their horses being hitched and
covered with foam, the dreaded shot guns
on the pommels of their saddles. Ives
asked Clark if he had found his Dutch
man yet? Clark replied, "I guess you
know where that Dutchman is," but no
difficulty occurred.
We then started for Nevada. Reaching
Pete Dailey's, Clark proposed to stop for
supper. For my part I had seen enough
that evening to put me in somewhat of a
hurry. I was satisfied that Ires would
follow us, and the sight of these guns was
not much of an appetizer. Chlark carried
his print anrid we dismounted. After
hitchinrg the horses, while Clark was or
dering supper, I went in and found Clark
warming his hands, as unconcerned as if
there was no danger whatever. I asked
him how long before supper would be
ready and he replied, "in a few minutes."
But a short time elapsed when our friends,
Ives and W\hiskey Bill arrived, carrying
the same short shot guns. I thought I had
seen those illns often enough for one day,
and after a lapse of 23 years they are still
vividly impressed on my mind. Ives and
Bill came into the bar-room and went into
where supper was being prepared. I call
ed Clark outside and told him that those
fellows were following us and intended to
kill us before we reached Nevada; and
finally persuaded him to leave without
supper. Clark was not in much of a hur
ry, neither was I, but I made good
use of my spurs, leaving Clark a little in
the rear, but continually urging him to
keep up. When we reached the point
where the Brai:n's Gulch trail left the
road, it was pitch dark. I proposed to take
the trail, thinking that our friends would
think we took the road on account of the
darkness, and thus we would throw them
off.
When within a mile of Nevada we felt
more secure and slackened our speed.
Clark who had been in California in '49,
said: "Those road agents have killed
Nick. and I'll tell you what I propose to
do. I helped organize the vigilance com
mittee in California and I am going to do
the same here. and I will make it hot for
them before I die."
The lights of Nevada were now in sight
and like the guns, I will never forget
them, for they locked as bright as they
were welcome that night.
My supposition was correct: Ives and
Bill took the road and reached Nevada
ahead of us. A few days after someone
came to nmy cabin and told me there was a
dead man in a wagon on the street, who
had been found on the Stinking Water.
On going to see him 1 recognized him as
poor Nick, with a bullet hole in the back
of his hea:t. X. Beidler came up and also
recognized him, taking a pocket knife
from his pocket that he had riven him a
year previous in Colorado. Ite hadl been
shot in the back,.-two road agents flipping
a half dollar to see who should commit
the bloody deed. and all for the paltry
sum of $200, which Nick ihad with him,
and the three mules.
I went in search of ( la:., whol came
back with me. As he stood watchin;m the
lifeless body of poI:' Nick, e 'it' t,;s in
his eyes, he said: ".:: v. I t e.! i-u they
had killed him, and he ,ll e avenged."
Then it was that X. (kI;lerh, jicinnatus
like, dropped ..e implenclnt- of mining
and shoulden ri hi i slot ut,, which he
never laid d-. i intil . 01 .-t of this ne
farious ':_ 1:01 bee :ro 'ght to justice.
('lark ' : brave ,ma as ever breath
ed; and nriay a mile i, has followed the
road a;fent, tlrou"h cold and snow,-
braving the severest weather, with but a
few saddle blankets for a bed and his sad
dle for a pillow for his old gray head, in
verifying his words to Ives at I)empsey's
ranch. that he would avenge Nick's death.
Cod bless himn, is the prayer of an old
timer, for what he did in ridding the
country of the worst gang of cut-throats
that ever lired.
The night before Ives was hung, I was
in the store where he was being guarded,
and bhought a can of oysters and asked 1dm
to help ine eat them. lIe replied that his
appetite vwis not good. I answered that
it wa': probably as good as mine the night
I left Pete D)aily's without my supper -
I Jc. lHere", 0: !;r.'nt Co(rier.
She was a Wall Flower'.
"I see,'' said a young woman p;asseneer
from Toledo, throwing down a morning
paper, "that there are 490,000 unmarried
me in in aris,against only 38'0,000 married
men. t ji:st wish I was Emperor of France
for a few days."
"What would you do--have a law passed
placing a heavy tax on bachelors, as has
been surgested?"
"No; I'd give 'em 00 daysto get married
and if they couldn't then show u'p a certi
ficate I'd hang 'em."-C/iicago Herald.
RESERVED FOR
PHIL GIBSON, REAL ESTATE AND
INSURANCE.
Great Falls, Mont.
BEDDING, MIRROR .,
CHRO YIOS. OAB NETWARE. &C
Complete Stock, Low Prices,
MAILORDERSSOLCOITD,
18841851S1884 1881-1884 1.881 1886 1886:1886 1886 1886 1886
188411881 8 4 188 1884 1884 l88 186 1886186 1886 1886 86
1881 1885 ' 1 86 1886
188P 18si IRA MYERS. 1886
s18848 .,. 1886
:8s 1-5 E. G, MACLAY. " ýc ::6
1884 1884 1884 1884 1 8848 188- 18t8 86 188 6 188 6 1886 1886
1884 1884 1884 18 1884 1881 186 1886 186 1886 1 88 6 1886
Great Falls umr l G o j a[ v
MATNUFACTURE AND kEEP IN STOCK ALL RINDS (
Rough AND DRESSED Lumber,
DRESSED FINISHING LUMBER
AND MATCHED FLOORING LATH AND SHINGLES.
All Kinds of lolding. Orders Filled Direct Fro the Saw if Desied.
188 Great Falls Planing Mill 1880
Windows, Doors, & Hardware,
Eumber, Lath, Shingles, Flooriny and Siding,
Lime, Cement and Building Materials.
Cls.a Wagner, - - .agent
Thcs. Rose, Agt. for Yard at Sun River Crossing.
GO EAST First Natnal Bank,.
The Northemi. Pacia Railroad. OF HELENA, MONT.
The Dini n Ca- Route -
And Grea Sort Line to dl Eastern Ciies Paid-Up Capital - 8500,000 Surpus and Profits - 8300,000
45 MILES THE THORTEST ROUTE Individual Deposits 82,300,000 1 overnment Deposits 100,000
To3 1'1k chicaro and l 11 Points Ea-lt -
i S. T. HAUSER, President, A. J. DAVIS, Vice-President
E- . W. KNIGhIT, Ca-hier. T. H. KLEINSCHMIDT, A.st-Cash.
ONLY THROUGH CAR LINE. i BANKS:
LOW RATES! FIRST NATIONAL. Fort IBenton, Montana,
QUICK T ME! MISSOULA NATIONAL. Missoula. Montana.
FIRST NATIONAL, Butte, Montana.
PALACE CARS!
TIMETA.LEFROMhELENA. A General Banking Business Transacted.
Train arrives from ea.st, Paci.e Ex,'re; r.=n :S ' 1 ISHED 1877
Wes t, Atlantics ESTABLISHED 1877.
departs for" c P.. 5o JAS. McMILA.t N & CO.,
P OPR 'IETORI OF TnE
For full information address O*. O Ti
c. s E, . L. sOKES, imneapolis Sheepskin Tannery,
AND DEALER- IN
a.Pass, Aat. t Pal Aft Heaa IDES, SHEEPP ELTS, 3TU , WOOL, TA.LLOW
Ginseng and Seneca Root.
Ed. Mathews. SHEEP PELTS & FU~RS A SPECIALTY.
101, 103 & 105 Second Zt. North. MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
Shirn aent Sn icit.: \ Write for Circular,.
tVent sameA as brand
oa : ftshos GREAT FALLS
P. O. Address-SE
Rier__MEAT MARKEET
ST. PETER'S MISSION C. N. DICKINSON, Proprietor.
Boarding - School - for - Boys. To..O1e ~ e. - a.d. Retail )eale.e9
Under the Directions of the Fathers of the IN BEEF, PORK, MUTTON,
Society of easus. SAUSAGE, ETC., ETC.
Will Rea0e Wedieslay SeDtember 1, 1886. YOUR PATRONAGE SOLICITED.
Th ob t of this instittion is to afford means Carries a comletan tock
Trl rhe. Boooard $1 a-r ronth. For farw (m u
thrPalrtiOlg oalYtbWNI T 8.o , ndardgL ;adJ aru
ICatlad smple thm rst Fals.