The new North-west., 1888-10-26
MURDER AND SUICIDE,
Thomas Watson Murders Maggie Smith an.
Then Suicides.
The Ghastliest Sight Ever Seen in Deer Lodge

.
son and Maggie Smith were lying murdered
in her cabin in the alley back of her house
She had just peeped IN the window and seer
Watson lying on the fleor dead with his
throat cut.
Sheriff Coleman and deputies were soou
on the scene, forced an entrance to the cabin
and opened the doors on the ghastliest and
most horrible sight ever seen in Deer Lodge
perhaps never excelled in these respects in
the country. Maggie Smith was lying in the
far corner of the bod, dead and cold, dirk
stab in her breast near the right shoulder,
her throat gashed deep with razor on the
left side, and great clots of blood on the
crimson blankets. Watson was lying on the
foor couple of steps from the bed, with
five dirk stabs in the breast, four close to-
gether just above the heart, and one nearer
the collar bone, while savage cut had been
made with the dirk on the right side of the
throat. and two of the same character on the
left side of the neck. He had bled most pro-
fusely, and probably either cut in the neck
or any one Of several stabs, would have pro-
duced death. His body was also cold and
rigid, except q little warmth remaining in
his back, on which he was lying.
A coroner's jury was summoned by Justice
j. NJ. Hartwell, consisting of Henry F..
Titus, Joseph A. Hyde, Joseph Lodge,
Simon Marks, Harry A. Sheads and E. D.
Holland, who found that to the best of their
knowledge Thos. Watson inflicted the
wounds on Maggie Smith and then upon
himself, between the hours of IL o'clock
Monday night and 2 o'clock Tuesday after
noon. The county took charge Of Watson's
body aud gave it burial, while her sister
Magdalenes took the body of Maggie Smith,
watched with it and gave it kindly sepulture.
The facts appear about as follows: Watson
had the cabin rented. 1t was not unusual
for Maggie Smith to pass the night there.
She had come there Monday night, and they
were alive at IL o'clock. One of the wit
nesses familiar with their relations, said
they had trifling quarrels at times, but ap-
peared on good terms that night. DR.. Glass
stated the bodies had probably been dead
some ten hours when the coroner's jury
met. When found they had only night gar
ments on. The inference would be that the
deed was committed about or o'clock in
the morning. What they quarreled about,
or whether at all; what devilish impulse in
cited Watson to the demon deed; whether
the woman fought for her life or was MUIR
dored treacherously, will never be known.
Alone by themselves the awful crime was
committed, and only discovered many hours
after, when the woman owning the house
visited it.
Maggie Smith was we'll known in this por-
ton of Montana. She lived in Blackfoot
and Philipsburg in the early day. Later she
married VIM. Parks of Butte, who discover
ed and did much work IN the Parrot mine,
Butte, about 1886. They were divorced,
and he is now in New York. For the past
three or four years she has lived here a por-
ton of the time.
Thos. Watson came here from Philipsburg
about the time the Kleinschmidt 4 Co.
buildings were commenced, and has been a
hod carrier. 1t is thought he was about IS
years old. He told Mr.. r. T. Harris his
father was a Mexican and his mother an
Apache woman. He was about medium
height and weighed 22O pounds. He was one
of the most powerful built men we have ever
seen, a regular Hercules in mould ami mus
Gle. Mr. ThOs. BoiingbrOke, of Deer Lodge,
says he knew him when he was express mes
senger and Deputy Sheriff of Oneida county,
Idaho Geo. Watson, Sheriff, but was no
relation whatever), when the o. & N. rail-
road was being built up through Blackfoot
and Eagle Rock; that he did not know what
fear was, and that he was holy terror to
the toughs and cowboys, who kept shy of
monkey work when Watson was around.
Later he started saloon, made some money,
but was told he lost it all in trying to get
friend out of trouble whe was ''wanted."
His history from that time till this summer
we can learn nothing definite about. 1t is
SAID he had talked of going to California
Tuesday, but as only s1.10 was found in his
cabin, that would seem to have been mere
talk; or the crime may have come of his de-
mand on the woman for money and her re-
fnsal.
There is ample opportunity in this and the
for sensational writeup and
sermon, but the facts are too horrid and
rep uIsive. Let the dead bury its dead.