Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-05-25
No. u


is the matter with you? to which Tanning
REPLIED 81 don't know, doctor, am very
sick bad pains in my stomach and head,
see, throw up everything the Captain brings
ME TO eat
After the doctor felt bis pulse, and asked
few questions, he remarked very abruptly,
Tanning, you are shamming, you have been
drinking"
"No, doctor, the Captain can tell you that
there is no liquor in camp"
''Well, if You amt a dcunkard, you are q
morphine eater. can see it in your coun-
tenance, and you have taken aN cmetic to
sham sickness
flaming Of course denedthesc allegations,
and then related what he had heard in camp
about the poisoning, finally breaking out
''My God. doctor, that should liyetO hear
myself charged with such an enormity, if l
wanted to kill any man in this party would
have shot him. What object could have
had in killing fifteen men? could not have
made off with their outfit, etc.,
The doctor agreed with me that Tanning
should be sent away as soon as possible. The
doctor started home about sundown.
Early next morning Tanning was hauled
to Cober)ey's stage station, three miles dis
tant, to be placed in the coach running to
Pioneer and Deer Lodge. He was accom-
panied by two men, he lying in the wagon
rolled up in his blankets and pityfully groan-
ing. Reaching the station it was discovered
that no coach passed on Sunday, but some
one remarked to our men, ''Do you see that
light wagon with two men up the road? well,
those fellows are going to Pioneer
"Where," said Tanning, raising his head
for sight over the tail board, and seeing the
direction he rose suddenly and ran after the
disappearing wagon, and was out OF sight
before my astonished men fairly realized he
was gone.
This was the last that any Of our party ever
saw of Tanning, but as sequel to this story
will relate his adventures as cleaned them
afterwards from different individuals.
After Overtaking the spring wagon, he was
taken in by the driver and carried to
Pioneer, a mining town in the mountains
twenty miles towards Deer Lodge. The men
in the wagon were going to a political meet
ing that was to be held there that night (the
election for delegates to Congress. eDgrossing
popular attention.) Arrived in Pioneer, Fan
ming represented himself as an assistant en-
gineer from the Hellgate party, returning to
Helena for instruments. He desired to make
speech, and there being little difficulty he
was negularly introduced from the platform.
as an assistant eng ineer of the railroad, and
was greeted with cheers He made short, pithy
speech, rather 't1ord,' too, my informant
stated. After the meeting was over he was,
of course, well taken care of by his new
found political friends. AS he ramb]ed from
store to store, he related how he had run
short of funds, owing to the expense in
Cured in treating, in the excitement of the
evening. He was furnished with about $50
on his own recognisance,' and bis supposed
connection with the railroad. Not soul in
Pioneer had as yet heard of the occurrences
in our camp.
Next day he went to Deer Lodge, where
he remained several days, until meeting Dr.
Mitchell in drug store, whittier Tanning
had gone to procure morphine, he con-
Guided to leave for Helena. In Helena, he
again stopped at the Cosmopolitan hotel,
and was assigned to bed in q room occupied
by another man. During the night the lodger
was awakened by hearing flaming gliding
around the room in his under-clothes, and
finally saw him reach for his vestand remove
his gold watch. having secured which, Fan
ming opened the door, and Immediately dis
appeared down stairs, and out into the street
half clothed as he was. AS rapidly as pos
sible the lodger followed, and raising an
alarm, two men joined him in the chase.
Tanning was run down, and captured about
a mile from town, where he sank down eX-
hausted. He Lad time, it appears, to bury
he watch, before they came up with him.
His captors, making believe they were vigil
antes,' threatened to hang himif he would not
divulge where he had thrown or hidden the
watch. Finally, he revealed the place. Next
morning he was handed over to the author
tiles for trial.
In the interim before the trial an account
of the poisoning of our party was published
in the Helena papers, and Fannings name
wit If N tho
found him guilty of stealing the watch and
the Judge sentenced him to seven years con-
finement in the Territorial penitcntiary.
In 1872 the year following the events Just
related, the writer was again in charge OF
surveys in Montana. For a few days III
August his party was camped near Deer
Lodge, in sight of the penitentiary walls
where poor Tanning was confined. We made
inquiries concerning him, and learned that
he was lying at the point of death, dying of
Finally while we were IN
the camp near by, Tanning sent for young
lawyer or physician of the place, telling the
warden that he had statement to make be-
fore he died. The lawyer arrived; he requir-
ed and exacted promise from him that he
would not divulge what he was ;bOut to re-
late. Just before his death he requested that
his cot be carried outside the doors OF the
penitentary so that it could be said that he
did not die within any prison walls, which
request was granted.
What he told the lawyer / could never
learn Whatever it was it must have been
story of strange life. mixed perhaps with
many dark crimes. Still, after all, he may
have been crazy. Il. P. r.
PIrTsBURGH, February, 1875.
-"Old Abe the Wisconsin eagle that
-