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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1916)
to Hoese THier cosiness ISACOOTOEAO . .„ WHITE EAGLE OF WYO MING TELLS HOW THE LAW MAKES LIFE UNHAPPY FOR THE MEN WHO i FOLLOW DIS HONEST CALL INQ IN THE GREAT HORSE AND CATTLE STATES * * * JCATTERED over the ranges of Montana. Wyo ming and the Dakotas are more than six million horses. These are round ed up once a year by their owners and those in shape are sold. The rest of the r 7 herds are left to roam at will the wide ranges until the next round-up. Numbers of these range borse? are often stolen. But not so frequently d is one might at first imagine. The Horseman's Protective association, a • ery strong organization, with mem oers scattered over all the range 3tates, and money to back it, is ever active in attending to the matter of thefts of range stock. Besides the standing reward of the association of five hundred dollars for the capture of thieve3, the rancher whose stock ;s stolen always offers an additional reward. Sheriffs, stock inspectors, with fre quently a posse of cattlemen, are the thief hunters. The sheriffs are al ways old-time cowboys, who know the country and can shoot, ride, and stand exposure with the best of them, and it is seldom that a thief gets clean away with a bunch of stock. Horse thieves are still hated in the West, but are net so summarily dealt with now as in earlier days when the jails and courts of iaw were few. Then the thief generally made a swift exit from earth at a rope's end. But law has lcr.g ago found its way into Cat tleland; telephones and telegraphs carry swift messages and automobiles make swift trips and the thieves gen erally land in state'e prison. However, there is one man who for the last six years has not only stolen almost wLen and where he pleased, but sold stock back to the owners after the brands had been worked ♦ over, at which art he is a past master. This man, William McCracken, a Texan, has repeatedly eluded and de fied sheriffs and posses sent out to capture him. He firs came to Belle "ourche. S. D.. in the Spring cf 1904. Belle Fourche, at that time, was the largest shipping point for beef cattle in the world. Shortly after his ar rival McCracken got a job punching cows for the 3-V outfit, then the larg est in the West. He was a very quiet young man, of good appearance and education, a good cow hand, ar.d well liked by his bosses and the riders of the outfit. Working for the outfit at this time was Thomas „Tait, a young man since elected sheriff of Campbell county, Wyoming. From the time of Mc Cracken's arrival and until his arrest by J. T. Farrell, then sheriff of Crook county. Wyoming, on information from Texas, Tait and McCracken were a good deal together as cow boys in the same outfit. Since being elected sheriff Tait has led in the chase after his once friend and com rade several times. On a recent trip to Sturgis, S. D„ with stock inspector Chuck Fitch, ol Gillette, and the sheriffs of Miles City Mont., and Sun Dance, Wyo.. to in spect a bunch of horses in that dis trict, the party arrested three men The horses belonged to H. J. Chassell of Gillette and T. W. Matthews ol Spearfish, S. D. The men arrested as the thieves were members of Mc Cracken's gang, and now await trial at Sturgis. After his arrest in 1907 by Sheriff Farrell, McCracken was taken back tc Texas, where he was wanted for ihefts of stock, bank robbery, bond (l jumping, and other crimes. He was helped out of these troubles by his f father and, soon after, returned to Belle Fourche. accompanied by his wife, a very intelligent woman, and their little boy. and for a while, con ducted a road house at Alzada, Mont.. but later took up a claim on the head of Thompson creek and started in the stock business. Soon after McCracken located the ranch horses in the vicinity began to disappear by ones, twos, threes, and GATHERED FACTS In times of peace London contains 16 embassies and legations represent ative of foreign countries. The stilted plover is so named be cause of its long, stiltlike legs. Only one species is found in England. In the calendar year 1915, in which the United States made such marked advances industrially and in trade, the trade of the territory of Alaska showed an increase of more than $12, 000,000 over the preceding year. A globular lifeboat which can carry 16 persons safely through the rough est water has been invented by a Dane who once saw an iron water tank Boat ing several weeks after a wreck. Tc protect a person’s shoes from *-ear when walking over rough ground is the purpose of auxiliary soles to be strapped upon them that have been 4 Invented by an Australian. Sun glasses have been invented for y baseball players, so hinged to a cap 7 that a touch will drop them into posi tion for a man to see a ball coming toward him white looking directly at the sun t in wnoie Duncnes, ana ne was susiwu ed at once. He had gathered around him a bunch of old cowboys whose reputations were as unsavory as his own. They were Bobby Shorthandle. Babe Ellis. "Poker Jim” Roberts, and Garfield McCoy. Two deputy sheriffs, after skulking about among the hills and brush near j the McCracken ranch, by the use of strong spy glasses, saw McCracken take a bunch of horses from a pasture and drive them to a corral that was hid in a washout. The officers fol lowed and just as McCracken was about to run the brand on a horse which he had just roped from the bunch and thrown, they rode up and covered him with their guns. The outlaw hesitated a little when ordered to put his hands up. as if he was measuring chances, but as ■ both guns were leveled at him. he obeyed. The officers then disarmed him, and as he seemed to be perfectly willing to go with them, they did not handcuff him or restrain him in any way. As it was almost night the officers decided to go to the McCracken ' ranch and remain until morning. On : their arrival Mrs. McCracken, who kept perfectly cool and seemed not : at all worried over her husband's ar ! rest, cooked a bountiful supper and all 1 sat down in apparent friendship to eat. The officers' skulking about in the ! hiiis so long on short rations had left ; them half famished, they ate prodig iously, after which they moved t’aeir chairs back from the tabie and lit their pipes. That was the last they remembered until morning, when they awoke, rubbed their eyes and looked ( about stupidly. Their prisoner was ; gone. They looked at Mrs. McCracken inquiringly and that lady laughingly told them that she had placed some sleep medicine in their coffee so that her husband might make his escape without having to resort to shooting. The officers had to acknowledge them selves beaten and went away empty | handed. Soon after this word was received that McCracken was still around in | the Thompson creek country, and : staying with his family most of the time. Then Sheriffs John Thom, of Crook county, Wyoming, and Hy Hance, of Butte county. South Dakota, rode out to investigate. They kept watch on the place for several days by means of spy glasses when they saw, one morning, Mc Cracken come out, walk around, and then re-enter the house. They then rode up to the place and the Little boy came odt to speak with them. “Say, sonny," said Thorn. “Go iell your dad to come out here and give himself up. We know he is in there and have come to take him. dead or alive.” Thorn then rode to the top of a hill just in front of the house, while Hance rode to the rear and took up his position between the house and bam. The officers had hardly reached their positions after sending the little boy in with their message when the door opened directly in front of Thorn. Mrs. McCracken stood in the door way, while behind her was her hus band, with a Winchester rifle laid across her shoulder. A patent has been granted for a handcuff that cannot be accidentally locked, therefore always is ready for use. The tower of a tall church in Swit zerland has been equipped to receive the time signals sent out by wireless telegraphy from the Eiffel tower in Paris. An induction balance has been de vised for the purpose of finding bu ried shells in the soil of a former battlefield, so that the farmer may go over it safely with the plow. Some seeds have such hard cover ings as to be almost impervious to wa ter, but an Iowa man has invented a machine to scarify them and thus im prove their germinating qualities. A calculator that shows the money values of cne country in the terras of several others and applies the values to various weights and measures has been invented by an Englishman. As an addition to the Bertillon sys tem of identification an Omaha dentist has perfected a way to register the ridges of upper gums, which, he says, never change and are different in ev ery individual. oc«n ii, me outlaw yenea to Thorn. Thorn hesitated, whereat the outlaw fired, the bullet knocking the dust beneath the feet of Thorn's horse. But still the sheriff hesitated. McCracken fired again and the bul let went through Thorn's coat, be neath his arm, and he hesitated no longer, but fled. Hance, realizing, as had Thorn, that he could not shoot McCracken without the risk of hitting Mrs. McCracken, turned and was spurring his horse for j the breaks as fast as he could go > when McCracken ran around the house and emptied his rifle at him. After the shooting the outlaw went 1 to the barn, got his saddle horse and started away. Thom and Hance got together and followed him for several 1 I miles, but the outlaw was well mount- j ed and they could not, or did not wish i to get near enough to have a shoot ing match with him. Next day a posse was formed, and j with a blood bound, “Dude." famous in that region, took up the outlaw's trail again. me nouna lonowea tne trau ior : forty miles through that most deso j iaie spot of land in al! the Northwest j ' the Badlands of southeastern Mon I tana, finally bringing the outlaw to j bay in a lonely patch of pines. The sheriff then called upon him to sur render The answer was a shot, fol lowed by another and another, the bullets whizzing so close that the whole posse were held at hay until darkness, when McCracken made good his escape. Mrs. McCracken and her little sod still continue to reside at the Thomp ! son Creek ranch and there are stories that the husband and father is a fre quent visitor there, going and coming about as he pleases. It is also stated that there is a tun j nel leading from the house to the creek, and that a swift horse, fully equipped, is kept tied in the creek bed out of sight and when any sus picious person is seen approaching the outlaw reaches his horse through the tunnel, mounts, and is soon far ; aw-ay into the Badlands. Horses are still being stolen In the country around the McCracken ranch, and officers have tried time and again to capture McCracken, who they feel sure is leader of the gang, but have so far failed. This gang operates over a large portion of Wyoming. Montana, and South Dakota. McCracken and those of his gang still at liberty know every foot of the desolate country that surrounds their headquarters at the Thompson creek ranch and have, besides, scores of friends, who, while they would not steal anything themselves, are true Westerners, In that they will not re fuse food and shelter to a friend, al though he be a thief. It is the opinion of Sheriff Taft, who Is as loyal in his official duties as he was in friendship when punching cows on the open range, that the gang is safe from capture for a long time. The country is sparsely settled and will so remain a great while, as few people would desire or attempt to make a home in that region, except those of the outlaw's own kind, and to anyone who craves fame or ad venture the McCracken ranch on the head of Thompson creek awaits inves tigation. Changefulness. “A wise man may change his opin ion.” “Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum. ‘‘But it's like changing a twenty-dollar j bill. If you're careless about it yon finish with nothing worth mention ing.” Theory and Practice. "Do you believe in the theory of re incarnation ?” "Yes. I think the -theory is all right. But I have my doubts about its practice amounting to much.” Their Reading. “In old times, when men chased and knocked down maidens they wanted to marry, they changed an old proverb somewhat.” "What was it?” “With them it was hit and miss.” Nonsense. "A little nonsense, you know. Is relished by the best of men.” "Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum. “But some of us get so proud of our own particular product that we want it taken seriously.” THE EUROPEAN WAR A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK May 15. 1915. Russians completely driven from Jaroslav and all towns on west bank of San. Austrian Tenth army arrived In front of Przemysl. Russians drove Teutons back ten miles in Bukowina. Turks repulsed allies near Avi Burnu. American note on Lusitania de livered to Germany. Russian Black Sea fleet de stroyed 24 Turkish vessels. German submarine sank Danish steamer Martha without warning. May 16, 1915. British broke German line near La Bassee and won mile of terri tory. Lively fighting in Champagne. Russians massed behind the San and Austrians behind the Pruth. Germans defeated by Russians in Baltic provinces. May 17, 1915. British made more gains in La Bassee region. French and Belgians drove Ger mans across Yser canal. Austrians captured Drohobycz, central Galicia. Russians repulsed Germans at Shavii. Zeppelins dropped bombs on Ramsgate. May 18, 1915. French made gains near Abiain. Germans repulsed British south of Neuve Chapelle. Austro-Germans began bomfcard ment of Przemysl forts. Russians attacked vigorously in South Poland. Two Zeppelins destroyed by al lies’ fire. Premier Asquith announced reor ganization of British cabinet. i May 19, 1915. Germans Captured French trenches on heights of Lorette. British repulsed near Neuve Chapelle. Austro-Germans forced crossings of the S3n river. Russians broke Austrian right in Bukowina. Turks drove allies from advanced positions near Kara Burnu, Gallip cli. German submarine sank two British steamers. May 20, 1315. French advanced in Champagne and near Bagatelle. Tremendous fighting along the San river. Allies attacked Turkish positions at Krithia and Atchi Baba, Gal lipoli. Continuous bombardment of Na gara, Turkey, by allied fleet. Przemysl bomtarded by squad ron of Austrian aeroplanes. May 21, 1915. French drove Germans entirely from Lorette heights. Canadians captured German posi tion north of Ypres. Desperate battle below Przemysl. British ship Glenholm sunk by gunfire from submarine. COLLECTED ITEMS An electrically lighted cross revolves on top of a San Francisco steeple. The 554 people out of every thou sand in Switzerland who save money must be compared with a meager 108 in this country, the difference account ing, according to a Chicago banker, for the fact that in our large cities one burial out of ten is made in a potter's field. Pellagra may be prevented or cured by proper diet. A large eastern railroad is instruct ing its signal erectors and testing its engineers’ knowledge of signals by means of modern pictures shown in a car which travels over its lines. “The flowers of Hawaii declare the glories of God. and the fish sboweth his handiwork,” declares a realistic writer in the Christian Herald, assert ing, by the way. that nowhere else in the world can fish be found in so many and such variegated hues as in the waters of these Paoific possessions of ours. Open air is the best spring tonic. Typhoid fever is a disease peculiai to man. Mutual benefit insurance societies have been established in the public schools of Rome and other Italian cities. The underlying idea is that pupils shall pay small weekly sums to a general fund, from which certain amounts are paid out in case of sick ness, accident or death. The system is said to be growing rapidly. There is an unquestionable record of hearing the firing at Ypres at a dis tance of 140 miles and a somewhat doubtful one of 150 miles. Complete Success. "Somebody told Vanessa that it she would walk backward down the stairs she would see her intended." “Did it work?" "Completely. She fell down the stairs and now she is engaged to the young doctor they called in." Feeding the Land. “Is this land rich?” asked the pro spective purchaser, cautiously. “It certainly ought to be,” replied the gentleman-farmer. “I have put all the money I had into It" FIRST PREPAREDNESS CAMP FOR WOMEN OPEN Scenes at the opening of the first preparedness camp for women at Chevy Chase. Md.. near Washington, where a thousand society women are learning the essentials of war-time duty. In the center is shown the raisin? of the camp flag. Above :s President Wilson marching to the ceremony Below is a section of the khaki-dad campers. AT THE END OF SIX DAYS’ HIKE 9 * _ v, r, o, anu n arriving in camp somewntre in .Mexico ait LEADERS OF THE SUFFRAGE PARADE When the National American Woman Suffrage association stages its big parade in Chicago on June 7, the opening day of the Republican convention, the marchers will be led by these two elephants carrying the “suffrage plank.” The combination will symbolize the demand of the women for a suffrage plank in the Republican platform. The elephants will be driven by Miss Portia Willis of New York, who is here shown between them. HOME BUILT FOR VILLA’S FAVORITE 1 This residence in Chihuahua was erected by Villa at great cost for his favorite wife, “Luz.” After he evacuated the city it was looted and partly destroyed by a mob. WORTH KNOWING Michigan, with eighty-sis automobile factories, leads the United States; New York is second, with 60 fac tories. Statistics show that the number of automobile accidents is decreasing steadily as compared with the number of machines in use. Most of the cost of government in Montana is paid by royalties on oil and mining development and leases on state lands. Britain's regular army cost3 the government *1.500 per year per man. British life insurance companies, so far, have paid more than *20.000.000 in losses on war victims. The chamber of commerce of Buf falo. N. Y„ has gone on record as op posed to tag days. About 100 different species of oysters have been classified by sci entists. Natives of Algeria bury with their dead all the medicines used in their last Illness. E?r a six days aifce across tne desert. VICTIM OF AERO ACCIDENT l>e Lloyd Thompson, the aviator who was seriously hurt in an aeroplane ac cident on Long Island. He is wearing the costume designed by Admiral Peary for aviators who fly in the high er altitudes. RANGE FINDING IN MEXICO Soldiers of the expeditionary ,orce practicing with the rangefinder on the open mesa of the Mexican plain. Needed Repairing. Tommy, aged three, had fallen and hurt his knee, and as he sat rubbing the injured part he suddenly looked up and said: "Mamma, did God make me?" “Yes, dear,” was the reply. “Well, then," continued the youthful philosopher, “if he had any pieces left. I wish he’d mend my knee." Too Much So. “The ordinance for all vehicles to carry a light was one much needed, especially on the roads. They are not enough lit up." “But a good many of the speeders are. ’ Prepared. "Married a cooking school graduate, you say?" “Yes, but he's no fool." “No?" “The first household utensil ha bought was a can opener."