The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

This spring while reading an issue of “The Mountaineer” in Big Sandy I came upon the mention of a young girl in the elementary school that during an open house had dressed up like Tavie Kipp. That rang several bells so I called the girl’s mother, Amy Wortman who farms down by the mighty Missouri and asked how they knew the name. Amy told me they had read of Tavie Kipp’s adventures in a book called “Retracing Kipp Trails” by Jim Arthur. Matter of fact Tavie Kipp’s stories in the book made such an impression on the parents that they named their daughter Tavie.

I borrowed the book and a flood of memories came back. Number one was that I knew Tavie Kipp. When I was quite young and she was quite old she belonged to the Chinook History Group, a very active group that read, talked and found obscure historic sites in our area. It dawned on me that the Jim Kipp Lookout sign was put above Cow Island as a tribute to Tavie Kipp’s husband Jim Kipp, not her grandfather-in-law.

Jim Kipp, who married Tavie, was the son of Joe Kipp, a legend in the history of Glacier National Park. Matter of fact the young couple started their married life in the shadow of the Rockies at Babb but they soon got lonely for the Missouri. Following is a story by Tavie Kipp about a dance at her house. It was written by Tavie some years after the dance.

Dance at Cow Creek by Tavie Kipp

Every winter we would give a dance to which all our neighbors were invited. We had a log house with one room large enough for dancing.

In January, 1916 we decided on our dance, Sent out word and wrote letters many days before. When the day came it had turned very cold with some snow. Not many cars in those days as the roads were bad and it was impossible to get any nearer than three miles when the roads were good. We hardly looked for a crowd but were prepared for them.

Jack Morris, an old roundup cook helped me, cooked a quarter of beef and baked bread for three days.

Our neighbors were few and far between. Six riders came from Landusky twenty five miles away on horseback and the girls nearly froze their feet and hands. Quite a few came from south of the river in Fergus County. They came on horseback also.

Others came from up Cow Creek and toward Bear Paw but they came in a buggy.

Near Power Plant, six miles below us lived a family by the name of Secrest with his partner Bernie O’Reilly. There were many more but cannot remember all of them. About eighty people in all. The Sterns brothers furnished the music, violin and guitar. They lived about eight miles from us toward the Little Rockies. Some of the horses were in the barn, some in the corral and cow shed and were fed hay.

They really danced as the floor was crowded all the time. Bernie went to the bunk house. Said his good clothes were in Dodson but Jim loaned him his suit. Bernie was 6 foot 4 inches to Jim’s 6 feet but he managed to look all right.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time. About 11:30 Jack and I started to fix lunch when Bud Secrest stormed in and demanded that his wife and three year old little boy get ready to go home.

It was very cold, forty degrees below zero and they traveled on the ice up the river. They had to pick their way to avoid air holes. Mrs. Secrest refused to go but he jerked the little boy from a bed set up in the kitchen for babies.

They were quarreling when someone suggested to call Bernie, thinking he could do something to stop it. Bernie said, “Listen Bud haven’t I always been your friend? No cause for trouble.”

Then Bud said, “You ---- don’t butt into family trouble. Then they started to scuffle and I left.

When they came through the door into the dining room at least six men had hold of them and were pushing them toward the door. Bernie had a gun revolver in his hand and would jerk his hand from the men and hit Secrest over the head. Only saw one blow take effect just over the eye. It seemed like minutes before the blood came. Laid it wide open perhaps a one and one half inch cut. Secrest was a big man. Not as tall as Bernie but would weigh 240 pounds.

They kept pushing toward the door and some were grabbing for the gun. They finally got them to the door which was closed. Then there was a shot and a little puff of smoke and Secrest fell face downward but in a doubled up position. Norman Rowe ran to where they had been dancing and screamed, “I’ve got the gun! I’ve got the gun!” and gave it to Pete Joslin who gave it to me and said, “For Christ sake put this away. I don’t want the damn thing.” I took the gun and put it in an empty cake box. Then what to do next!

My father, Eb Jones, who lived about a mile away, had gone home and as he was older we thought he might know what to do. Jim got a horse and went after him.

He came and wanted to know if we were sure he was dead. We were quite sure as he never moved after he fell. We had covered him with a sheet and blood was everywhere. Many thought that he was dead before he fell or was shot as there were eleven wounds to his head but so many were pushing and crowding he couldn’t fall.

Some thought we should not move him until the law came but he had fallen in the only outside door to the house so it was necessary. They moved him to the bunk house and laid him on a tarp.

My father stuck his hand inside his heavy coat and said the bullet must have gone through his heart. His hand came out dripping with blood.

Then we all had lunch and the men thought it best to send someone after the law. We always thought we lived in Phillips County. Eli Lewis and Morris Turcotte volunteered to go. It was so cold and dark they thought it best to follow Bull Creek as far as they could toward the Little Rockies and Landusky and avoid the high ground. Not so much chance to lose their way. Also it was more sheltered. It was a foolish thing to do to not wait until daylight.

No one got too excited. Five women cried but no one was hysterical. A lot of folks went home which was another foolish thing to do.

What women were left went home with my mother. The men, about 12 or 15 stayed at our place. We still had our round-up cook, plenty of meat and potatoes and the necessities as we bought for a whole year.

When Malta people were notified they thought we were in Blaine County. Charlie Ricker, deputy sheriff from Zortman, came the next evening after Blaine County authorities had been notified.

I think it was four days later D. J. Silas, County Attorney from Blaine County came with a deputy sheriff, I believe his name was Tommy Adams.

It was then decided to send the body to Malta with Charlie Ricker and his driver, Mr. Sausoman who had a large sleigh, then ship it to Chinook.

Four pm one afternoon we started. Ike DeWeise, our neighbor drove our team. Mrs. Secrest and I went as she had asked me to go with her. Till yet I don’t know why we went.

Ricker took the body and Bernie also the gun or perhaps Mr. Sias took it.

It was 20 degrees below zero when we started and dark before we reached the top of the hill. We had a light sleigh and a grain fed team.

We lost the road at times only to find it again without too much trouble. Reached Zortman, thirty miles, about 12 midnight that night which was good time considering the roads.

Went to the Kellerman Hotel. No fire in the rooms but a large stove in the hall and we were cold and hungry. Coffee could have sold for a dollar a cup if there had been some to buy. Luke Deniff was there so he woke up Mrs. Lusk at the store and got sardines, cheese and crackers.

The next morning we went home. Sansoman took his load to Malta, fifty-five miles. Bernie was taken to Chinook and bound over to district Court but was soon out on bail.

He was a very likable young man and came from a wonderful family.

Believe they held an inquest at Chinook and thawed out Secrest’s body. Think he is buried at Malta.

With spring came the surveyors who after a few days work told us we lived in Blaine County one and a half miles from the line as the crow flies.

The trial was in Chinook of course, in May but in the meantime we were very popular people. Lawyers and law officials visited us. No one cared to talk much. Those who did had their testimony thrown out for being so mixed up. Bud Secrest came home from Texas. I do not know if he had always lived there or not. Do know his wife was from there. She must have been twenty years younger than Secrest.

When we first heard of him he was ranch boss at the U or F at the mouth of the Musselshell on the Missouri. Jim knew him then as he rode rough string for the same outfit. Later he moved to where the Power Plant ferry is which was just six miles below us.

There were good neighbors and bad. Bud was not a bad guy when sober.

They called most everyone they could find for witnesses. John Tressler from Malta and a man named Hurd, believe he was from Glasgow were for the defense.

D. J. Sias and a man whose name was Doyle were for the prosecution.

Trial lasted three or four days. It seemed that no two witnesses told the same story. Those who told their story beforehand to lawyers or police officers were really tangled up.

To make a long story short, the jury disagreed and again Bernie was out on bond.

In June they had the second trial. This time there were only a few witnesses. I was the only one called from our family.

Everyone seemed so sure he would be acquitted. A few of the witnesses planned a dinner as a celebration that night. As I remember the jury went out in the afternoon and we waited until 8pm then someone came and told us he had been found guilty.

Think he got five years but did not serve that long. Saw him many times after he came back. He was killed in a car accident just west of Dodson not too long after.

I don’t think it was even proven who first had the gun. Some said Secrest had it and Bernie took it away from him before they were pushed out of the kitchen. Others said Bernie had it. For myself I do not know as I left the kitchen before the gun showed up.

This account may not be totally accurate but this is how I remember it after 45 years.

Cannot remember all who were there but I’ll give the names of those I do remember.

Lois and Tom Mc Govern, Jessie Jones, Jessie Werks, Morris Turcotte, Henry Jess, Mrs. Harry Little, Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Jones, Ray sterns, Norman Rowe, John Link, Bernie O’Reilly, Marie and Adam Fiscus, Ed Cassidy, Ray Bushnell, Eli Lewis, Robert Werks, Jack Ervin, Ernie Sterns, Pete Joslin, Jack Morris and Mr. and Mrs. Secrest.