Big Nose George
From birchyHistory
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:From Jim Masterson's "It Happened in Montana- Vol IV": During the winter of '86 (sic), this bill, dilapidated, torn and crudely patched, made the rounds of the commercial channels common to Miles City in those care free, law free days. Gamblers said it brought bad luck. One of them, Conn, leaving for Bismark by stage (sic) offered to take it out of town. That night the stage was held up by a lone bandit (sic) and the passengers robbed four miles west (sic) of Terry at what has since been known as Conn's Coulee. The next day Big Nose George, who had long been suspected of nefarious deeds, strolled into the [[Gray Mule Saloon]] in Miles City, ordered drinks for the house, nonchalantly tendered in payment- the patched twenty dollar bill. | :From Jim Masterson's "It Happened in Montana- Vol IV": During the winter of '86 (sic), this bill, dilapidated, torn and crudely patched, made the rounds of the commercial channels common to Miles City in those care free, law free days. Gamblers said it brought bad luck. One of them, Conn, leaving for Bismark by stage (sic) offered to take it out of town. That night the stage was held up by a lone bandit (sic) and the passengers robbed four miles west (sic) of Terry at what has since been known as Conn's Coulee. The next day Big Nose George, who had long been suspected of nefarious deeds, strolled into the [[Gray Mule Saloon]] in Miles City, ordered drinks for the house, nonchalantly tendered in payment- the patched twenty dollar bill. | ||
| − | [[Hank Wormwood]] arrested Big Nose (and | + | [[Hank Wormwood]] led a posse that included Fred Schmalsle that arrested Big Nose and (and a couple of confederates) near Buffalo Rapids a couple of months later [March 1879?]. |
| − | + | :(Kenny Vail, Sep 14 2009) The judge ([[Alexander Carmichael]]) was crooked and the evidence against the gang perjured. They got out on bail - Deputy [[U.S. Marshal]] [[John Beidler]] re-arrested George - he got out again and took his band away off to the north and then west for over a year. Beidler suffered his frustrations regarding "Big Nose" George. When Schalsle made the last arrest in 1880 the Wyoming authorities were contacted immediately. Quietly and secretly a small detachment of lawdogs from down there came up, whisked Parrott out the back door of the county jail at Miles City (to avoid potential reprisal from gang members) and took him back to Wyoming to face 1878 murder charges. | |
| + | After being gone for a year, Parrott and his gang return to Miles City, frequenting the saloons and [[John Chinick]]'s cabin at his ranch a few block north of Main Street. (Chinnick's hosting of outlaws and toughs would culminate in the fake "lynching" of his bartender in 1883 by "vigilantes" and his accidental death during his expulsion from town.) | ||
Big Nose George Parrott and his second, [[Charlie Burris]] or "Dutch Charley" (another account refers to [[Jack Campbell]] instead, were arrested in Miles City by two local deputies, [[Lem Wilson]] and [[Fred Schmalsle]], after Big Nose and Charlie got drunk and boasted of killing the two Wyoming lawmen, thus identifying themselves as men with a price on their head. A ruse was used to arrest them, with Sheriff Tom Irvine and Deputy Jack Johnson staying away to avoid alerting the gang. Parott was returned to Wyoming to face charges of murder. [[19 July 1880]] Lem Wilson and Fred Schmalsle approached Parrott at John Chinick's cabin, where he was staying. Parrott was sitting the doorway enjoying the evening breezes when Schmalsle "told him to throw up, placing a pistol to his left ear." They then did the same with Jack Campbell at at a local saloon. | Big Nose George Parrott and his second, [[Charlie Burris]] or "Dutch Charley" (another account refers to [[Jack Campbell]] instead, were arrested in Miles City by two local deputies, [[Lem Wilson]] and [[Fred Schmalsle]], after Big Nose and Charlie got drunk and boasted of killing the two Wyoming lawmen, thus identifying themselves as men with a price on their head. A ruse was used to arrest them, with Sheriff Tom Irvine and Deputy Jack Johnson staying away to avoid alerting the gang. Parott was returned to Wyoming to face charges of murder. [[19 July 1880]] Lem Wilson and Fred Schmalsle approached Parrott at John Chinick's cabin, where he was staying. Parrott was sitting the doorway enjoying the evening breezes when Schmalsle "told him to throw up, placing a pistol to his left ear." They then did the same with Jack Campbell at at a local saloon. | ||
