8 8 3 , ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁cattle ▁in ▁Mont ana ▁was ▁estimated ▁at ▁greater ▁than ▁$ 2 5 ▁million ▁and ▁annual ▁losses ▁from ▁rust ling ▁exceed ed ▁three ▁percent . ▁By ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁cattle ▁men ▁res orted ▁to ▁vig il ant ism ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁rust lers ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁recorded ▁h anging ▁occurred ▁at ▁Fort ▁Mag inn is ▁on ▁July ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁when ▁Re ese ▁Anderson , ▁a ▁D HS ▁ran ch ▁for eman , ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁ran ch ▁hands ▁h anged ▁Sam ▁McK en zie ▁for ▁horse ▁th ie very . ▁ ▁Stuart ' s ▁Str ang lers ▁ ▁The ▁h anging ▁of ▁Sam ▁McK en zie ▁and ▁other ▁citiz en ▁justice ▁in ▁early ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁prompt ed ▁many ▁th ieves ▁and ▁rust lers ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁territory . ▁However , ▁a ▁large ▁band ▁of ▁horse ▁th ieves ▁still ▁operated ▁in ▁the ▁M uss el shell ▁region . ▁With ▁the ▁t ac it ▁appro val ▁of ▁the ▁stock g row ers ' ▁associations , ▁Gran ville ▁Stuart ▁organized ▁a ▁small ▁intelligence ▁network ▁and ▁mobil ized ▁forces ▁to ▁go ▁after ▁the ▁th ieves . ▁The ▁group ▁included ▁many ▁of ▁Stuart ' s ▁ran ch ▁hands ▁and ▁stock ▁detect ives ▁employed ▁by ▁various ▁stock ▁associations . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁" St u art ' s ▁Str ang lers ", ▁the ▁vig il antes ▁were ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁recovery ▁of ▁do z ens ▁of