On this day in 1908, a notorious desperado known as “Bloody Knife” or “Dutch” rode into Ambrose, in Ward County, and shot up the town bandit style. Loaded up on booze, Bloody Knife began his shooting spree in the pool hall using a Lueger automatic revolver. The local attorney and newspaper editor were shot and wounded as they wrestled him out of the building.

Townspeople hastily armed themselves and took after the outlaw. About fifty shots were fired, and Bloody Knife fell dead from his horse. He was identified as George Zeglin, originally of New Ulm, MN, and was known to many ranchers as “the terror of Montana.” Zeglin had two bottles of whiskey and a red railroad signal flag on him when he died.

Sources: The Ward County Independent, vol.7, no. 10, Thursday, June 4, 1908; Ambrose Newsman, vol. 2, no. 47, Friday, May 29, 1908

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