Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-25
VINO CAUGHT MARTIN.

A Claim From tho Railroad Men thai
They We're Captors OF tho Anaconda
Murderer.
In the interest OF fair play the following
communication is published. The gentle
men who sign it are we'll known in the sec.
ton and their character in unquestioned
ELL1sroN. February 21, 1S58.-Editor
Butte MMER:-I notice some statements in
the BUTTE MINER concerning the capture oi
Martin, the Anaconda murderer. which
want to contradict. was working on the
goth OF February about five miles west OF
Elliston, when, about 8 O'Clock, p. M, three
men came along on horseback inquiring of
me il saw a man pass by on foot. 7 told
them had. They described him as q man
about % years of age and wearing NOUS
tachs, and that he had overshoes on.
told them the man took a drink from the
creek about five feet from where I was
standing, that he had no moustacbe and
wore no Overshoes. In the evening when
started for home, and got about three
miles from Elliston, noticed man travel
ing along the right-of-way. I told the boys
to pump hard" as thought that was the
man they were after and that we would
pick him up. At the same time these
three horsemen were comiug along the
road, about three-fourths OF q mils from
the track, on the north side OF the Black
foot. We caught up to Martin about one
mile west Of Elliston, and out of sight of
those horsemen altogether. Where tho track
runs Within about three hundred feet of the
foot hills. I stopped the hand.car and
asked Martin to get on. 1 took good
look at him as he came toward the hand
car, and saw that his moustache had been
recently cut off. I told the boys on tho
handcar that he was the man. When he
came up to get on the hand-car he was so
weak he could not step up on the car, and
had get on his knees to get up; he was that
badly wore out. We let the car run slow
for about four hundred feet, until came
in sight of Sheriff Hatton, who was about
three-fourths OF mile north of the track.
] swung my hand toward him, beckoning
him to come toward me. In the meantime |
I came q hundred feet further, opposite |
eight or ten men who were building q saw.
mill about two hundred feet from the
track, and stopped the hand-car and beck
oned again to Hatton to come on. Martin |
stepped off the car, but I told him to get
on, as 1 was going in a few min
utes. In the meantime the mill
men were between Martin and the
foothills, and HattOn was coming from the
north. Hatton rode up within one hun
lred feet OF the car and asked me if had
picked up a man along tho track, said
yes have your man here" he asked me
which was the man, pointed Martin out
10 him, he called to him to get off the car,
md come this way. Martin got off tho
ar, in the meantime Hatton drew his gun,
md told Martin to throw up his hands,
which Martin did. We stood in line, Martin
between US and Hatton, when one OF our
men said move the hand.car out OF line Of
hat gun. I answered there is no danger
rs long as that end of the gun is pointed
his way; the gentleman appeared to be SO
xcited he did not know what he was doing
'lther excited or scared. This statement
) not made expecting any honor to our
elves, but to vindicate ourselves from the
that we were trying to rescue
Jartin from the officers of the law.
THOMAS O'RoURKE,
s. FOREMAN, l.
JOHN CURTIS,
JAMES FLANAGAN, Il
A. s. BURNS. II