Following the not-guilty verdict in the murder of Augustine Rouse, E.C. Tolley didn’t exactly remain under the radar. In fact, there are many colorful tales in which E.C. is one of the main characters. One story involved his spirited stallion, known as “Blue Broncho”. It was on this stallion that Tolley visited the cattlemen and cowboys before the influx of homesteaders in the area. While many positive aspects come from a booming, prospering town, there are also some negatives, like crime and mayhem. Two things Tolley had a hard time staying away from.

In the early 1900s, cattle rustlers were alive and well on the northern plains. One in particular, a Montana rustler named Kid Royal, had indulged in cattle rustling raids in eastern Montana and had eluded capture for eight years. He had a bounty on his head.

In 1902, the Kenmare magistrates office received a tip that Kid Royal may be in the area. Shortly after, a man matching the description of Kid Royal entered Tolley’s store with another companion. Alone and outnumbered, Tolley had no choice but to watch him leave. Before the dust settled, Tolley assembled a posse, mounted “Blue Broncho”, and pursued the outlaws. They were able to overtake and apprehend the bandits, but not after Eli Tolley narrowly avoided a six-shooter being pointed in his direction. He wasn’t so lucky in the future…this time his run-in wasn’t with a feared outlaw, but a jilted bride.

Susan Stanley was considered the first lady of Kenmare, though that’s another disputed opinion. She operated a millinery business on the east side of the town square. Often described as a good business woman, she was proud of the business she had built in the bustling town. While details of their relationship are unclear, it took a turn for the worse in 1909 when E.C. Tolley arrived by rail with a new bride, a woman he had asked to accompany him on a trip to the west coast. News had quickly spread of their marriage, but Susan was not in a celebratory mood. Indignant, unimpressed, and, in her mind, jilted, she greeted them on the platform with a small pistol in hand. Once again, E.C. Tolley was on the defense. He convinced her to forfeit her handgun. Susan never married, and it appears that marriage may have tamed Tolley’s colorful ways.