The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-06-22
An Arrest at the Falls.

II
GREAT FALLS, June 2l.-(Special to tn
independent Great excitement wa
caused here to-day by the capture of Jane
Wilber, who il is believed murdered tn
Eve people whose bodies were found a fey
days ago at Samples Crossing. on th
Judith river, in Fergus county. Suspicion
rested on WILDER, OF on person answering
to his description. Accordingly Sherif
Clary, of Fergus. and Deputy Sheriff JOhl
Hamilton. of Cascade county. set out on
trail indicated bY Sheriff Downey, Of thi
county, who has been on the alert since tn,
first tidings of the crime. Early this morn
ing Hamilton and Clary saw a wagon in tn,
distance and a man beside a campfire
They went nearer and saw that the MAI
was Wilber, who was well known TO Ham
ilton. WILDER knew him, too, and made
dash for his gun, which lay in the wagon
Hamilton, with wagon wrench In
his hand, sprung between WILDER and the
wagon. Clary jumped forward also, and
covering Wilber with his revolver called
on him TO surrender. Hamilton in firm
tones also called on him 10 yield. WILDER
saw the game was up and surrendered. He
got into one wagon and Mrs. WILDER into
in charge of the officers. WILDER inquired
why he was arrested, but the sheriff would
not tell him. He denied TO the sheriff that
he had been at Stanford, Judith basin
town, at all. Except these remarks, VIII
Der has been silent since his arrest.
WILDER is q young man of stalwart figure
and rather sinister look. He was arrested
here in July, 1887, for the murder of a
cowboy in Wyoming. The cowboy was
his companion on long horseback ride
and il is alleged that he murdered him.
Soon after the crime, which was committed
about four years ago, WILDER broke jail
and after his recapture managed 70 get
away from the sheriff. A large re-
ward was offered for his capture.
After much delay he was put on
trial at Cheyenne, the Jury disagreed
and he went back to jail. At the next
trial he was defended by Thomas Patter-
son, the noted Denver lawyer, and was ac-
quilted. The circumstances were strongly
against him and he owed, perhaps. his &C
quittal TO the efforts of his wife, who
raised money by mortgage for his defense.
The trial disclosed that his true name was
Harry Peterson, but he denied for q long
time that such was the case. after the
trial he came back here and was recently
supposed to be peddling goods in the di-
rectiOn Of the Judith basin.
His connection with the awful murders
in the Judith may be thus outlined: A
party of two men and two momen and q
child left Helena about June l in a Balm
wagon bought from Davidson, of that city;
they were apparently well-to-do peo-
pie. They passed after some
days travel through the Judith
Gap. They had two horses hltched
to the wagon and a bucksin pony,
which followed behind. On the night OF
June Z, when about six miles from Lewis
town, they were murdered. The murder
ers threw the dead bodies into the wagon
and then made camp fire and burned a
trunk and other things, perhaps to make
rom for the human load. When he came
to lonely place on the shallow Judith
river he threw out one body. Further up
the river he threw out the four others
Now he sought 20 escape detection. He
went to Woods ranch and traded two
horses and the pony for four other horses
Then he went on 10 Cashiers, which is
about twenty miles from there, and traded
the BaiL wagon for spring wagon; then
he came 10 this town and leaving one
horse there, went with she wagon in the
direction OF Belt Statements and circum-
stances show that such is substantially the
story of this awful crime.
Now for Wilber's connection with it. 1t
is proved that one of bis horses comes from
Woods. where the exchange was made. Ii
ia provpd that fafa he
wagon at Cashiers.
Advance sheets of the Lewistown Argus,
printed within twenty five miles Of the
scene of the crime, has the following state
ment Of Mr.. Morgan: "G. w. Morgan,
who is freighting between Lewistown and
Great Falls, was Is town yesterday, and
says he camped on Louise creek, at noon on
sunday, June g, and while in camp he saw
wagon approaching from the Judith
river, where the bodies were found. when
within speaking distance be hailed the
party and asked him TO camp with him,
which be did. Morgan says the team cor
responds exactly with the one seen by
other parties between Ubet and Cotton
wood creek, one horse being q large brown,
weighing about 800 and one buckskin
weighing about the same, and new Balm
wagon and a new cover, a buckskin pony
following the wagon. The man
said he was from Nebraska, en-
route TO Milk river, and that he
purchased the wagon in Billings. He was
very reticent and refused TO eat or drink
with Mr.. Morgan, and sctec very queer In
that be would not converse with him. Nor
gan remarked that he was on the road
piled that he was looking II the country In
the river bottom. Morgan thought the man
might be a horse thief, and consequently
took extra pains TO examine the horses, but
found no brands on the animals, and says
they are both states horses. He describes
the man as being about five feet eleven
inches tall, weight about I75 pounds,
fiOrid complexion, smooth shaven, dark
cOIoTed hair. The harness was new and
ringed with ivory rings He left after eat
ing dinner and went in the direction of
Fort Benton, and would probably get there
the 12lh at the rate he was travelling"
This description corresponds In the main
with WIlber's appearance. The Fergus
county Argus also says: "The bodies Of
two men, two women and 3 child were
taken from the river up 10 Tuesday after
noon and thoroughly examined by the
coroner. All came to their death by vio-
Ience- The two women were shot, one ~
before deserved and one through the left
hand and through the head, apparently
entering the eye and coming out 1t the
back Of the head One man was shot
through the heart and the other Was killed
By having his head crushed with dull In
strument, while the child, girl about
years old, showed no trace Of violence and il
ispTesumed she was strzngled to death All
the bodies were well. IL not richly dressed
and considerable jswelFy, such As finger
and ear rings. breast and scarf pins were
found on their persons. indicating that they
were comparatively well to do people At