The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1883-08-11

HEAD COUNTY, NUN
A MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY.
A YOUNG GIR1. CONES TO AN UNTIME-
IL DEATH.-EITHER AN ACCI-
DENT OR A MURDER.
Eva Clark, = Young Actress, Has the Top Of
Her Head Blown on by the Dis
charge Of shotgun.
A sudden gloom was cast over Dillon
Tuesday evening BY the news of tragedy
which, for suddenness and frightfulness,
stands alone and unparalleled in the history
Of the town.
At about so'clock Tuesday p. m. Aug. 2
the carpenters working on Jas. Selways
new house, which is about mile north OF
Dillon and near the Beaverhead river, were
alarmed by loud cries for help coming
from across the river. The men started on
q run for the bridge, which 10 short dis-
lance from the house. Alpheus Decker
reached the bridge first and there saw
sight that he don't care to see again soon.
A man had just stepped on the bridge
carrying young girl in his arms and yer
ling for help. Both were covered with
blood from bad wound In the girls head.
The man ran across the bridge, and met
Decker who took the horrible burden and
laid It down. As he did 20 the man
catching glimpse Of the shattered and
empty head-the brains being all gone
uttered q Mortified exclamation and made
move ~ though about to jump into the
river, which was surging beneath him,
when Decker closed In with him and took
him of the bridge, In which he was assisted
by Messrs. Slotman, Perrin and Bachstein,
who hed followed Decker to the scene.
He acted like lunatic and talked In very
wild manner about the girl, saying some.
thing about her wanting to be an angel
and that now she was one. Mr.. Barbour
who was passing, bro't the prisoner and his
captors to town when he was taken In
charge by Deputy Mikus who ironed him
and placed him In the Jail. Coroner Hirsch.
man was notified and went At once to the
scene, accompanied BY ajury. The body
of the girl was found near the bridge, with
face, hands and clothing covered with blood.
The whole top Of her head from above the
left ear diagonally across to above the right
eye was gone, the brains emptied and the
left side Of the face blackened by powder.
She had on over her dress light green,
gold trimmed basque, probably part of
stage costume. In the wagon at the camp,
near by and where the affair happened.
were found rifle and double barreled shot.
gun, with one barrel Of the latter empty.
They were lying on the trunks in the wae.
on with the muzzles toward the seat. The
inside Of the wagon cover was thickly spat-
tered with brains and blood, right over the
seat showing that the girl was In the wag.
on when the accident Or murder happened
and fell out near the right fore whee:, as
that was where the bulk Of the brains were
found. Pieces of skull were found twenty
feet away. The Coroner's jury, after ex.
aiming the camp and persons first on the
scene, rendered q verdict that Eva Clark
came to her death by gunshot wound
supposed to have been inflicted by Prot. G.
A. Lewis. The body was then taken to
Butts furniture warehouse where the blood
was removed from the face and hands and
the broken head bound up by willing hands.
Wednesday afternoon DR.. O'Callahan
held post mortem examination to learn
Il, ~ was reported, the girl was ssaeste.
The examination did not verify the report.
The body was placed in = neat coffin and
taken to St. James church from which
the funeral was held. 1t was larxel attend.
ed. The Rev. Mr.. Drummond read the
burial service and made few appropriate
remarks. Lewis was allowed to zee the
remains and seemed very much effected,
calling on the dead to speak and vindicate
him from the awful suspicion Of murder.
On inquiry It was learned that de.
eeased's name was Eva Clark, aged about
fifteen years, Of Madison st., Chicago,
where she resided with her mother until
about four months ago when she engaged
~ an assistant to the prisoner, who is q
magician, psychologist and magnetist, for
tour through the Northwest and the Pacific
coast. The prisoners name is Charles A.
Lewis, whose home is at Miles City; At
which place his wife is living and keeping
millinery store. He Is about * wears
old and quite good looking. Has black
hair, moustache and goatee. The two were
travelling together, In large covered WAC.
on, giving magical and sleight. of. hand per.
formances. They came to Dillon couple
of weeks ago, intending to give perfor,nan.
ces, but found Robinson's circus 60 exten.
sively billed for Dillon, that Lewis con.
cluded to wait until after the circus cor
away. They went into camp in q little
grove Just across the river from lanes
Selways. They visited town Frequently
and were getting quite well acquainted with
many Dillon people.
The girl Eva was lively and made many
acquatntances. She was fair looking and
had an abundance Of beautiful, dark hair.
She was we'll educated and sang sweetiv
Lewis was In town after dinner and made
arrangements for two tickets to Ogden
and said he intended going that evening If
he could get ready. Shortly befote the
tragedy occurred Lewis went over to NJ
Selways where Eva was making some can.
dey' and took her away to the camp to help
him pack up, as he said. When next seen
the girl was derd. Lewis says he and Eva
were packing up preparatory to starting to
ogden. He was going to tske her home
showing on the road to pay expenses. That
. few minutes before the gun went off she
had put on green basque and was in the
wagon after gold trimmed cap which sh.