▁st olen ▁horses ▁and ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 0 ▁th ieves ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁by ▁h anging , ▁shoot ings ▁or ▁fire . ▁The ▁last ▁h anging ▁occurred ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁The odore ▁Ro ose vel t ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁ 2 6 th ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁was ▁operating ▁a ▁cattle ▁ran ch ▁in ▁Med ora , ▁North ▁Dak ota ▁along ▁the ▁Little ▁Missouri ▁River ▁in ▁co operation ▁with ▁cattle ▁merchant ▁Mar quis ▁de ▁M ores . ▁His ▁ran ch ▁was ▁suffering ▁from ▁rust ling ▁as ▁well . ▁Both ▁M ores ▁and ▁Ro ose vel t ▁offered ▁their ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁Str ang lers , ▁but ▁Stuart ▁decl ined ▁the ▁offer ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁und ue ▁not or iety ▁they ▁would ▁bring . ▁From ▁that ▁point ▁forward , ▁stock ▁detect ives , ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁various ▁stock ▁associations , ▁took ▁responsibility ▁for ▁enfor cing ▁stock ▁laws ▁and ▁d eter ring ▁rust ling . ▁Although ▁there ▁was ▁minor ▁public ▁out rage ▁about ▁the ▁kill ings , ▁none ▁of ▁Stuart ' s ▁Str ang lers ▁were ▁ever ▁brought ▁to ▁trial ▁for ▁their ▁actions ▁and ▁editor ial s ▁in ▁regional ▁newsp apers ▁pra ised ▁their ▁efforts . ▁General ▁acc lam ation ▁of ▁Gran ville ▁Stuart ' s ▁actions ▁was ▁reflected ▁by ▁his ▁election ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Stock gro wer ' s ▁Association