By Steve Lent, Historian

A bitter feud between a homesteader and the Muddy Ranch operated by the Prineville Land and Livestock Company led to a fatal shooting in April 1901. Thomas Reilly had immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1895. He migrated to the West coast and eventually homesteaded near Muddy Creek in Old Crook County. He partnered with a fellow traveler and each filed a homestead claim near Black Rock located between Muddy Creek and Currant Creek. The land they homesteaded was an “L” shaped piece surrounded by land owned by the Prineville Land and Livestock Company. It was at a saddle that had long been used by the Muddy Ranch to herd livestock through to different pastures.

The Muddy ranch then had to detour a long way around the site when Reilly fenced it for his homestead. This created friction between the ranch foreman and Reilly. Reilly’s brother, Patrick, staked him to a band of about 1200 sheep. He moved the sheep onto this homestead range near Muddy Ranch property. This infuriated the ranch manager Charlie O’Neal. O’Neal instructed his herders to “crowd out” Reilly. This involved grazing out land up to the property boundary around Reilly’s property. Reilly started carrying a gun to prevent further “crowding” and began threatening Muddy Ranch herders. After some encounters with Reilly many herders refused to herd near his property. O’Neal found a young herder, Dean Bruner, who was not intimidated by Reilly.

O’Neal was determined to graze his sheep where he wanted and expected Bruner to challenge Reilly. Bruner acquired a gun and took over a sheep herd in Arrastra Canyon near Reilly’s homestead. In early April Bruner and Reilly had a confrontation. Conflicting stories of what happened next cloud the situation. It was stated that Bruner moved his band of sheep into holding pens where Reilly had lambing ewes and an argument ensued. Both men were carrying guns and threatened each other. Reilly turned and walked away and was shot by Bruner. Bruner claimed he shot to scare Reilly who was brandishing his rifle.

Bruner returned to the Muddy Ranch and told conflicting reports of what happened He was arrested and brought to trial in Prineville. After testimony and a brief trial he was convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. While in prison he contracted tuberculosis and was given a full pardon in September 1905 as he was not expected to live long. He died of the disease in Salem in 1907 at the age of 27.