The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-06-08
MURDER WILL OUT"
An Arrest at WOOD Vile Monday for 3 MUIR
der Committed Seventeen Years Ago.
Butte Inter- Mountain June STU.


Woodville was yesterday afternoon the
scene of a sensational arrest. 1t was that OF
John G. O'Brien, whose real name appears
to be John D.. Kellar, for the murder of
Wade Badgley in Stockton, May l, 1871.
For some days past Frank H. Dyer, United
States Marshal of Utah. and Mr.. Holland,
his deputy, have been in this city to make
the arrest. Last Friday Deputy Holland
went to Helena ana secured requisition
papers from Governor Leslie. These were
placed with Sheriff Lloyd yesterday, and a
warrant was handed to Deputy Frank
Themes, who proceeded to Woodville and
arrested O'Brien.
John O'Brien, as he is known, has been a
prominent figure in mining circles in this
camp for the past twelve years. He is the
discoverer of the well known Kittie O'Brien
mine, and has a daughter of that name
working at Helena. When the warrant was
served on him he claimed to not know any
thing about the affair. His memory could
not be refreshed on any point as to when he
lived in Utah, or who Wade Badgley was.
When arrested ne said: "Oh, that's all right
this is a trick of those Jack Mormons;
they've always been dragging me down."
Kellar was arrested for the crime at the
time it happened. but before the trial was
completed he skipped to parts unknown,
and news of his death by being killed On a
stage line was received shortly after his bail
had been fixed, which was set at $4,000.
This ended the matter until a short tirae ago
J. B. Paxton, of Philirsburg, while on a
visit to his family in Utah, walked into the
Marshal's office and told Mr.. Dyer where he
could find Kellar and told the whole story to
him. Frank Paxton, of this city, also knows
Kellar, and was one of the witnesses in the
case, as he was present when Kellar fred the
fatal shot that killed Badgley.
3. F. Paxton, of this city, who was an eye
witness to the shooting, and who made the
arrest of Kellar at the time, related the cir
cumstances of the tragedy substantially as
follows: "The morning of the tragedy at
about 6 o'clock I had just brought in and
locked up two prisoners whom I had arrest
ed. Before going home L thought I would
get a cocktail, and reached there just as the
proprietor was opening his saloon. Wade
Badgley, who was a miner, was with us as
we entered. We were both leaning against
the bar talking when Kellar stepped with
one foot towards the door and called out to
Badgley: tBadgley, I'm going to kill YOU
As he said the words Badgley turned around
and the next instant received a bullet from
an old army pistol right under his mouth,
and died a few minutes afterwards. 1t was :
most cold blooded murder, and what
prompted Kellar to do it W as never learned.
My father, who is now living in Butte, was
Justice of the peace in Stockton at the time,
before whom he had a preliminary hearing.
He bound him over in the sum of $40, 600 to
await the action of a higher court. He Sc
cured bondsmen but skipped out soon after.
j. Murphy, one of his bondsmen, circulated
the report that Kellar had been killed in
Nevada, and there the affair dropped. l met
Kellar several times in Butte, but he always
avoided me, and as 1 learned he had assumed
the name of O'Brien I never bothered him,
and don't believe we have ever had more
than a few words since l have lived in Butte.
The witnesses to the case are still living,
they being John Franks, myself, and my
father"
This morning just as the Marshal was step.
ping into his carriage with his prisoner,
Kellar, in bidding Officer Lou P. Smith
goodbye, told him that Kellar was his true
name and that he was the man that killed
Wade Badgley. He added that he had good
cause, and it would be shown when he is
placed on trial. He told two other gentle
men the same thing this morning.
The Utah officers accidentally discovered
one D. A. Sanders, who is wanted in Utah
on charges of %polygamy and unlawful cohab-
itation. Sanders has been wanted for seve-
raj years past, and has successfully evaded
the officers until yesterday, when Deputy
Holland arrested him at McCune's store in
Walkerville. He has two wives with child
rem and recently married a young girl. His
home is at Pennington, Utah, which place
he left but a few days ago, arriving IN Butte
yesterday just in time to drop into the arms
of the law. He looks to be about 40 years of
age. The officers and their two prisoners
left this mornino