The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-11
Some Investigation Into the
Cause Of the Tragedy.
The Action of the Coroner's Jury-The
Condition Of the Woman Critical
YATES Disappearance.

The fearful tragedy Of yesterday morning
was naturally the talk OF the town all day
yesterday, and The MINER was eagerly
sought for and the brief account ravenous
ly read and discussed. To the men about
town who knew the two principals the
event did not seem the occasion for much
surprise. for it was known that Foley was
~insanely in love with and jealous oil the
woman, and that his temper, under the in-
fuence OF drink, was liable to lead him into
the commission of almost any crime. To
what may he called the moral portion of
the community, it was a shock. They
could hardly realize that after the compar-
ativc quiet that has reigned in the camp SO
long. so awful a crime could have been CON-
mitted. 1t i, needless to moralize over the
event. 1t is the same old story of lust,
miscalled love. For the foolish man there
was but one feeling, that when he took his
own life he did the best thing possible ua-
der the circumstances. For the woman
there was more or less sympathy, but this
was largely on account Of two innocent
children. who are made the involuntary
sufferers by the tragedy. Below will be
found a full statement OF all the facts
bearing upon the case, supplementing the
account OF yesterday, which was necessarily
meager and incomplete, owing to the late
ness OF the hour:
THE INQUEST.
Yesterday morning the Coroner, DR..
Whitford, Jr., impanelled a jury and held
IAN inquest over the remains. Chief Mike
john was the principal witness. He testi-
fled in regard to the difficulty that occurred
at the Toledo, at which time witness only
escaped being shot by getting his thumb
under the hammer OF the pistol. Deceased
roomed at the house OF witness, and from
what he had seen and heard, he was sure
something was wrong. On the morning OF
the occurrence he followed Foley to the
scene OF the tragedy, but was some dis
lance behind him. When near Stoner's
stable he heard the first shot, and then
three Others in quick succession. After the
third shot he heard the screams. OF the
woman, and rushing to the spot, found her
lying in the road, and about thirty feet d.
taut wal Foley. The man was still gasp
Ing and, bending over, witness asked:
Foley, what have you done?" To this
:theIe was no reply, and in a few seconds he
wal dead.
Mrs. Flick was examined and testified
that she had not seen nor spoken to Foley
since the night of the difficulty at the To
-ledo. On the night of the shooting she
was going home with the man Yates, and
as they were passing along Mercury street
by Stonor's eeakls, hs n.sI "c ne, rom DC
hind a wagon. The first shot did not take
effect. Then he followed up and fired two
in quick succession. She instinctively
grabbed the arm OF her companion, and
thinks that by so doing she saved his life!
AS it caused the ball to glance instead o!
striking him full in the face. At the third
several piercing shrieks and exclaimed. my
God, I'm shot" Yates ran, and then she
heard the fourth shot. She stated thatfol
"a month past she had been afraid tina
Foley would kill her, and that il she could
have gotten the money she would nave ie1'
this section of the country, but that she
could not 60 and leave her children.
THE DUN
DR.. Whitford, the coroner, explained the
nature OF the wounds of all three parties
Deceased was shot in the head, the ball en-
tering the right side of the mouth, cuttin!
the lips and ranging upwards. Itpenetratec
the brain. pressing and cracking the skull
and lodging there, raising a ~protuberance O
.of fully half an inch. Death was almost IN
stantaneous. Mrs. Flick was shot on TIM
right side between the third and fourth ribs
the ball entering the breast and passing
through the upper lobe OF the u and com
ing out just below the shoulder DiaGe
Yates was struck on the right cheek, thu
bullet making an ugly furrow, cutting tf
the bone and nec%essitating the taking OF sl'
stitches, which was done by the coroner
The weapon used was a 45-calibre an an,
ifaar OF the chambers were empty. I'M
jiuy returned a verdict that the deceased
uslne to his death from the effects OF a gun
SHIT wound inflicted by himself.