o 
some  lonely,  isolated  place  in  the  hills  and  there 
rope  the  cow  and  kill  her  by  beating  in  the 
forehead  with  a rock.  The  calf  was  then  driven 
to  the  ranch  and  branded  with  the  Hall  brand. 
The  better  class  of  mares  with  suckling  colts 
were  treated  in  the  same  manner.  Thus  they 
not  only  robbed  the  stock  owners  of  their  calves 
and  colts  but  they  ruthlessly  destroyed  the 
parent  animals  that  they  might  more  effectually 
cover  up  all  traces  of  their  crime.

On  one  occasion  Thomas  Lyons,  superinten- 
dent of  the  L.  C.  Cattle  company  came  across 
the  carcasses  of  two  of  his  best  cows  recently

( 83  )killed  in  this  manner.  In  just  anger  at  such 
barbarous  business  he  threatened  punishment 
to  the  perpetrators  should  he  find  one  more. 
Mr.  Lyons’  conversation  was  repeated  to  Tom 
Hall  who  remarked  that  the  d — n fool  might 
have  found  another  if  he  had  looked  close; 
continuing  his  conversation  he  said  that  if  Lyons 
had  gone  over  to  the  cedar  brakes  a few  miles 
away  he  could  have  found  twenty-seven  that 
his  brothers  Dick  and  Bob  together  with  him- 
self had  killed  the  second  day  after  those  found 
by  Mr.  Lyons.  There  is  also  evidence  showing 
that  the  gang  were  in  the  habit  of  driving  cattle 
from  the  ranges  and  butchering  them  and  dis- 
posing of  the  meat  for  whatever  they  could  get.