The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-07-22
BUTCHERY.
Brutal Assault on an Inof.
fensive Chinaman.
TO PIECES
oy q Fair Of Drunken Rufi1ans
Knives the Weapons. Details
of the Crime.

About $50 o'clock yesterday afternoon
one OF the most brutal and unc.lled 70,
crimes ever committed in this section wal
perpetrated upon the person Of an unof
lending old Chinaman, who goes by the
name OF Opium Jim, and who ia a well
known character about town, From thu
iacts as lar as could be gathered, yesterday
a party OF tramps, in all that the world i'm.
plies, obtained from some source. prohahlv
by theft, a good sized keg of beer, and with
IL proceeded to have a picnic, choosing az
the ground the gulch in the rear of the lum.
Der yard of the Montana Improvement
Company, on lower Main street. Naturally
they got drunk and in the afternoon en-.
gagged in a row between themselves, but no
one interfered and they had it out without
either OF them being injured. At the time
mentioned the beer became exhausted and
the brutes, or a pair of them, concluded
that they would do something exciting,
Near the spot where they were camping IL
located a
CHINESE Howell, .
consisting of three miserable shantfes, hall
d~Ig-outs, and the other half patched up of
wood. tin and old carpets. A more
wretched or uninviting place does not ex-
list within the radius OF a THOUSAND miles,
and the interior is more s4uallid and pow
erty-stricken than the exterior The low
rooted main den is divided into two rooms,
in each of which are wooden btinks. sup
piled with dirty, ragged and worn excuses
OF bed clothes, and the stencil from which
is enough to stife the strongest man
in existence, and is calculated to turn the
stomach OF an animal. The den is known
as IN opium joint and is frequented, SO it
is said, by numerous patrons all Of whom
belong to the lowest classes. These shan
ties were at once made the objective point
of their attention and from the door of
one OF them they wrenched the lock and
entered for the presumed purpose of rob-
berry. Finding nothing in the shape of
valuables, they proceeded to the next hut
and there saw "opium JIM lying on the
bunk. What they at first said or did is
not known but it is reasonable to. suppose
they asked for money, aud failing to get it
they became angered and tried to
murder the decrepid old victim by
sTABBIN AND CUTTING
Him with a dagger and butcher knife. The
cries of the victim attracted the attention
OF a couple OF venturesome boys, and when
they saw the inhuman butchery they ran
for assistance and luckily met county on
stable Engel. who went with them to the
spot. On his arrival he caught the two
brutes with the bloody knives in their
hands, within the cabin where their victim
was bleeding from holf-a-dozen wounds and
pleading %piteously for mercy. The officer
OF once presented his revolver, and cap
tured the knives, after which he arrested
the men and started with them for the Jail.
For q moment or two they were evidently
d~umfounded, and walked along, but when
they realized the situation they began to
resist, and for a moment it seemed that
Engle would lose one or both OF his pris-
oners. However, he held on pluckily UNI
til assistance arrived, and they were then
marched to the county Jail and locked up.
The men were, or appeared to be very
drunk, and no effort to obtain their names
was made, consequently they cannot be
given.
THE NAN
While the officer was performing his duty
the boys spoken OF turned their attention
to the wounded man and assisted hin to-
ward the street with q view to obtaining
medical assistance. His path was marked
with blood, and when the street was reached
he fell exhausted. He was at once taken
into u shed near by and and assistance
anu Ills WOuuUb UcuIpOIdTlly
cared for. He WIS cut about the body and
arms in a shocking manner and presented
a most pitiable spectacle. Subsequently
he was removed. to the Sisters hospitaa
where he was attended by DR.. johnson.
The doctor states that it will be impossi-
BILE for the man to survive as there are two
wounds in the lett breast either of which
must prove fatal. One is just above the
heart, and entered the lung, and the other
below the heart. In addition there are one
on the legs and arms eight other cuts
several OF which have cut the muscles.
The affair created much excitement for a
while among both the whites and the Chi
namen, and the feeling was freely expressed
that the tramps should be hanged and the
opium den burned down.