Voices from the Past

July 4, 1924

Cable with Basket Soon in Use at Bridge Site Here

John Rogge has constructed a carrier, four by six feet, and in a few days it will be put into public use in conveying passengers and freight across the river here, from the bridges to the west bank of the river. The steel cable recently purchased from Anna May Oil Co., will be strung across the river which is about 300 feet wide.

Sam Smith was placed in charge of repair work on the road from Broadus to the river and with two other men is filling in the bad places. He has also dug a furrow on the uphill side of the county road leading from Broadus north.

It is said here that R.M. Neiman has remodeled his ferry at his ranch about 15 miles below Broadus and is now able to transport freight upwards of 4,000 pounds across the river.

The bridge at Powderville is expected to be restored to traffic within a month’s time. Rock cribs are to be built there using the steel bridge and new approaches and the old Timber Creek bridge is to be used in the reconstruction work. The bridge at Moorhead is expected soon to be used again.

Roy Lee Rescues Mother and Babes from Bull Snake

Just before dusk Wednesday evening while near town with George Taylor in his car, hunting jackrabbits, Roy M. Lee had his attention attracted by the wild fluttering of a bird just a few feet away. He left the car to investigate the cause of the commotion. As he approached, the bird seemed oblivious to his presence and continued its antics and the cause was soon explained to him. In a sagebrush, he beheld a nest containing four young birds. A large bull snake had crawled to the nest and lay there with its head and body snugly closely to the youngsters, fawning upon them in anticipation of a hearty meal, and at the same time warding off the attack of the mother bird that was striking it with all the fury and strength of her little body. Her babes were motionless; paralyzed with fear and under a hypnotic spell.

The bull snake seemed unperturbed at the mother bird’s furious onslaught and was almost ready to start swallowing baby birds, one by one, when it heard Roy’s approach and started a hasty retreat. For a minute or two Roy’s attention was divided. He took two shots at the reptile with his .22 caliber rifle and saw the mother bird fly down to her nest, covering with her extended wings her offspring that had opened their mouths for food. None of them had been harmed. Roy pursued the snake a sufficient distance from the nest until he was satisfied it could not mend its way back to its intended prey.

River Gives Up Rousek’s Body

The body of George Rousek, the 13-year-old lad who drowned in Powder River May 27, was found in the river near the Byrd Edwards place yesterday afternoon by two youths who were in swimming, John Edwards, son of Byrd Edwards, and Linton Edwards, son of Myrt Edwards. The two men came to Broadus and notified the authorities. Coroner C.H. James was on Cache Creek attending to John Kemp who had received a broken shoulder, so in his stead, C.B. Lewis, Justice of the Peace, officiated as acting coroner. A number of other Broadus men in cars and trucks went to the scene, arriving there before dark, and they returned with a corpse at 9 o’clock last evening. J. Link Wilson, at whose home the lad was staying, was summoned here to view the remains.

The corpse was in a bad condition. It was minus the head and its hands and forearms were gone to the elbows.

The discovery was made about ten miles below Broadus. The body was caught in some driftwood, with the leg caught around a piece of wood, holding it fast and allowing it to float in the water. The body probably had been lodged there and exposed to view with a lowering of the water the first of the week. The head and hands had probably been dismembered when they caught in obstructions along the river. The drowning occurred on Election Day, May 27, thirty-eight days ago. Downstream from the Wilson ranch to where it was found is probably a distance of thirty or so miles but by direct line the distance is about half as much.

The corpse was identified as young Rousek by means of the rubbed-heeled shoes, bib overalls and a gray shirt. In a telephone message to Mrs. Wilson, she described the clothes and shoes last worn by George and his description compared with the fragments of clothing still clinging to the corpse.

Burial of the remains were made in Valley View Cemetery at Broadus late last night.

July 1, 1949

VFW Members Poured Concrete in 10 Hours

Over thirty members of the Chas. H. James Post No. 1595 Veterans of Foreign Wars were on hand at six o’clock Tuesday morning to assist in pouring the concrete foundation walls for the new VFW building at the corner of Park Ave. and Morris St. in Broadus. Ten non-members also donated their time and energy to assist in the work. The building is 40 by 80 ft. high and 10 in. thick. Using two concrete mixers and five wheelbarrows the volunteers assisted the regular crew under supervision of W. A. Helm. The pouring was complete in ten hours.

July 4, 1974

Two Charged in Ashland Bank Robbery

Two men held in connection with last Thursday’s armed robbery of an Ashland bank were charged Monday in Federal Court in Billings.

William Henry Conrad Beck, 20, and Stanley Dean Naylor, 21, both of Hardin, were charged with four felonies each.

A federal official said Monday that Beck and Naylor were asked Friday to name a third man still sought in the $18,000 holdup of the Cheyenne Western Bank.

As of Monday night the third suspect and a third of the money, $6,000, were still missing.

About 9 a.m. Thursday, June 28, the bank was robbed by three men who fled in a stolen car, a commandeered airplane, and a stolen four-wheel drive vehicle.

Naylor and Beck were captured with two automatic pistols and $12,000 Thursday afternoon.

On Monday, both waived a preliminary hearing. They entered not-guilty pleas to all counts before U.S. District Judge James F. Battin.

Charges were (1) armed robbery of the Ashland bank, (2) aircraft piracy by assaulting pilot Richard Cook, (3) Kidnapping pilot Richard Cook, and (4) obstructing interstate commerce.

Battin ordered Beck and Naylor returned to the Yellowstone jail under $25,000 bond each and scheduled their trial for Sept. 3 in Billings.