The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-08-02


prise and Confusion Of the Grave
Diggers-who Did It PA Remi-
niscence.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Editor of Butte MINER.
Some Of. your readers will doubtless re-
member old Uncle Billy Gordon, as he was
Familiarity called, who used to collect toll on
the old overland road when that great thor
oughfare was a toll road. Uncle Billy's gate
that barred the way was stretched across the
road where the town of Clancy now stands,
and many an anatbema did Uncle Billy re-
ceive from the lips of irate travellers; but the
old man took it all in good part, especially
when the toll dropped into his outstretched
hand. Finally, the Courts or the Legislature,
l forget which, abolished not the road, but
occupation as a toll gatherer was gone; after
which he came to Boulder Valley, where he
lived a few years, dying in the winter of
1861, and was buried IN a fine coffin with a
silver cross upon the lid. Early in the spring
of the latter year the administrator of his
estate caused a neat paling fence to be built
around, and head and foot boards, upon which
was painted his name, age, etc, to be firmly
and securely set over the grave. ReQuiescot
in pace.
In the summer of 1877 two men, driving a
pack animal. stopped for Inner at Captain
Cooks hotel in Boulder. One of the men
was free, open-hearted and quite commune
cative. He told the Captain that he was just
from the Black Hills, and had travelled in
company with his son Frank, who would be
along next day. After dinner they inquired
the road to Deer Lodge, aud after being told
to follow the river to near its source, and then
keep the trail across the mountain, they took
their departure. The Captain was building a
chimney to his house at the time, and on 60
ing on to the roof saw the two men cross the
hill and disappear on the lonely trail leading
toward the Boulder river.
Some time after this q party of miners liv-
ing at Comet, (seme six or eight miles dis
tant), went down to the river to fish, and
while making their way through the brush
that lines the bank of the river where Basin
City now stands, came upon the body of =
dead man, lying close to and partly in the
water. In searching farther they found . very
fine Sharpe's rifle, a hat and pipe, and an old
horse, apparently a pack -horse>, grazing
close by. The next day one of the men was
,3iepotoha5 Il, NJ. nn...t g.sat.na ~ a.. D,..o
to inform him of The finding of the dead man.
a jury, they repaired to where the
body was found, where all inquisition was
held. A bullet hole was found in his head,
but no clew to the Identification of the man,
or who caused his death, was elected. A
coffin was improvised out of an old
box found in the river, into which the
body was placed, and it was buried under a
huge pine tree, under which, to all appear
ances, two men had been murdered. The
acting coroner, living in Jefferson city, some
fifteen or twenty miles away, left for home,
taking the hat, gun, pipe and horse found
near the dead man. with him.
Shortly after the inquest was held, Capt.
Cook and the late Z. W. Higley, hearing Of
he finding Of the dead man up the Boulder,
learning that the justice had certain
articles in his possession that were supposed
belong to him, concluded to go over to
Jefferson and examine them. On being
the gun the Captain thought he rec
it as belonging to the communities
tive Black Hill miner, who had been at his
house some time before, and who, with his
companion, he had seen from the roof Of his
house 60 upon the lonely Boulder trail.
Taking the articles with him he returned to
Boulder and exhibited them to his SON
Frank (who had arrived at home the next
day, just as the Blackhiller had said,) Who at
once recognized them As belonging to the
Black Hill miner he had travelled in COM
pany with, whose name was Mavor. Here
the first clew.
That same day Mr.. Higley and Frank
Cook e up the Boulder to where the man
buried and exhumed the body, and
Cook recognized it as being hi, travelling
companion, Mavor, who had left the Hills
md travelled all the way as far as Cooks
notel, at last with one McAndrews. 1t seems
he was one of the original discoveries Of
he Hills and was known to have made q
great deal of money. Cook said, and in fact
had tod it in Boulder, that he was
to Montana, under a promise from
AcAndrews, (wbose acquaintance he had
in the Hills,) that if he would bear
mis- tMcAndrews') expenses, the latter would
give him an interest in some rich placer
ground he held, in connection with his
brothers, at Pioneer. Suspicion having
liked itself in the minds of the little party