▁from ▁the ▁D ag gs ▁Brothers ▁and ▁had ▁it ▁driven ▁into ▁Ple asant ▁Valley ▁by ▁a ▁Bas que ▁she e pher der . ▁Some where ▁along ▁the ▁trail , ▁the ▁she e pher der ▁was ▁amb ushed ▁and ▁killed ▁by ▁Andy ▁Cooper , ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Graham ▁fa ction ▁and ▁associate ▁of ▁the ▁Hash kn ife ▁cow bo ys , ▁who ▁were ▁also ▁in ▁conflict ▁with ▁she e ph erd ers . ▁A ▁second ▁incident ▁occurred ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁An ▁U te ▁she ph erd ▁was ▁be head ed ▁about ▁two ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Graham ▁Ran ches ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁driving ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁D ag gs ' ▁sheep ▁through ▁the ▁area . ▁Though ▁no ▁one ▁was ▁ever ▁charged , ▁Tom ▁Graham ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁responsible . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁later ▁dispatch ed ▁Indian ▁sc outs ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁murder er ' s ▁trail ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁author ▁L eland ▁J . ▁Han ch ett , ▁the ▁tracks ▁led ▁to ▁Tom ' s ▁cabin . ▁ ▁The ▁situation ▁es cal ated ▁into ▁a ▁gun f ight ▁at ▁the ▁Middle ton ▁R anch ▁on ▁August ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁The ▁ran ch ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁a ▁man ▁named ▁George ▁Newton , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁family ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁T ew ks bur ys . ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁Graham ▁fa ction ▁and ▁some ▁Hash kn ife ▁cow bo ys ▁were ▁out ▁searching ▁for ▁Mart ▁B lev ins ,