Great Falls tribune., 1889-07-10
WILBER'S CRIME.
RELATIVES OF THE MURDERED
PEOPLE ARRIVE HERE.
Mrs. WILDER Questioned Cl0sely-Shs
Gives up Some of the Murdered Peo-
ple's Goods-Sad Consequences
of the Crime.

| A. Crowell of Tekamah, Nebraska, a
brother of Mrs. E. E. Biggs, one of the
party recently murdered in the Judith
basin quintuple tragedy, arrived in Great
Falls Sunday. Frank Joleff, brother to
Mrs. Kurtz of the murdered party, came
with him, The object of their mission is
to ascertain all the facts connected with
the murder, to see If the victims are
properly Inferred and to investigate into
the affairs of the party. Mr.. Crowell
states that the first news Of the murder
reached them through the Omaha papers
and this being only meagre the relatives
of the people do not know to this day the
details Of the affair. The reports gave
the name Of Briggs, and as it should have
been Biggs, the relatives entertained a
hope that 1t was not their people who
were murdered. The Kurtz family came
from Lyons, Neb. E. E. Biggs and wife
left their home last March and Joined
Mr.. and Mrs. Kurtz at the Grass Valley
camp, near Helena, where they conduct
ed boarding house. After the mining
operations were suspended the two fam
lilies secured all they possessed and Mrs.
Biggs wrote home to the effect that they
were about to start out and take some
land. Mrs. Kurtz has three brothers and
one sister living in Lyons, Burt county,
and Mrs. Biggs has father, mother and
four brothers living in the same county.
Mr.. Biggs' relatives live in Iowa. Mr.
Crowell did not know the six-year old
girl adopted by his sister.
Messrs. Crowell and Joletf left town
today for Lewistown. Mr.. Joleff showed
TRIBUNE reporter photograph of Mr..
and Mrs. Kurtz and their adopted child
1t was taken in Helena just before they
set out for Maiden. Mr.. Kurtz was a
tall, stalwart man, who would have been
more than match .or WILDER if he had
fair chance for his life with that atrocious
murderer. Mrs. Kurtz appears to have
been stout woman of gentle disposition.
The child, who stood at her knee, was an
intelligent little girl, in whose innocent
face there was ma fears of the awful fate
that SO soon befell her and her guardians.
Mr.. Crowell has photograph Of his sis
ter, who was evidently young woman of
good figure and intelligent features. Mr..
Joletf has letter which he received from
his sister, Mrs. Kurtz, before she left
Helena with the party. In it she says
that her husband had stored their goods
and they were about to go in quest of
homestead. Mr.. Jolef says that some Of
the missing money is on deposit in Hele-
ma, but the party had evidently $500 with
them.
Last evening Messrs. Crowell and Joleff
in company with Sheriff Downing went
to Mrs. Wilber's home. Mr.. Jolef ques-
toned her closely about the property Of
the murdered people and succeeded in
obtaining from her gold ring, grip
sack and cooking stove and utensils.
He found also with her some note paper,
which corresponds exactly with that
which Mrs. Kurtz used IN the last letter
she wrote her brother. He says that
Mrs. Wilber was very reluctant to part
with anything and only produced the
articles when he inquired for them. She
denied all knowledge of any money. The
party finally looked through Mrs. Wilber's
goods and chattels, but found nothing
more. 1t is evident, however, that Will
Der did not burn everything in the fire
which he made near the place where he
murdered the five people. He still kept
articles which if found with him would
have served as proof Of his guilt.
Mr.. Joleff says that his parents are al
most crazy because of the sad fate which
befell their daughter. 1t was their urg-
ent desire that he should come on here
and sec that the victims have been accord |
ed Christian burial in cemetery.