Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1889-06-27
James WILDER. the Murderer. Cap
tured by Sheriff Clary Near
Cascade.
HUNG HIMSELF IN JAIL.
The Family Identified % Former Res.
idents of Helena.
The Murderer a Former Resident of
Great Falls.
vERDICTs OF CORONRR's JURY

run "details al the capture and suicide of
.Inr,ss WiIber We're published in AN ARer.
extra last Monday morning and sent to
every subscriber in Fergus county. Sheriff
'lary traded the iiend to- Great Falls and
there enlisted the assist anc. of 10 Hamii-
ton. under sheriff of Cascade county, and
with him succeeded in securing his game
about three miles west Of Cascade, on the
Montana Central railway. They found
their man f"'elins pot at oes for his brra HAST
Officer Hamilton Immediately recognizes,
the man ~ Wilbsr. Upon s~'ing Hamilton.
Wiiber rushed toward his wagon for - rifle
which he had there. Both the officers iev.
eIeti their guns On him and com ms nlc.i him
to throw up his hands. which he did reluct
antiy. his right being hardly kept from
gra-I'ing n --If-c"cker in his hip pocket.
The Winchester in the wagon WAS secured
aud 'lisarrning Wilber. they ordered him To
hitch ny his team aud accompany them To-
Great Falls, where they arrived On the 81.
and lodged Willser in the county iaiI.
! Tie has resided in Great Falls since 1887,
and was arrested there in that year aud
taken to Wyoming and tried Tor killing -
hersl-r. but escaped punishment and re-
turned Z" the Falls. where he has resided
with his wife up to II few months ago.
HuNa HIMSELF.
At midnight. June -. Wilher hung him.
sell in jail. lie was discovered about ,
O'Clock a. M. of the 20. His final deed was
in perfect keeping with the demon he has
| shown himself To be bv his lif-'s conduct
No one but IA iiend inrarnatc could have
conceived and carried out such "a means Tor
self-destruction. Tearing IA wide strip wn
the blanket ON his bed he tied il for loop
in the top Of his cell. For hangman's
rope he tore n slip of the pillowslip made
OF new and heavy cotton. Taking his silk
handkerchief he tied his right arm and
ankle together. Tie then slipped his head
into the prepared moose his body all the
time reclining On his couch. lie made -
slip knot into which he put his left ankle
aud fastened his left wrist to the ankle.
Both feet being thus drawn up 80 that
they would not touch the floor when he fell
he rolled himself of the bed aud in "a
moment was dangling corpse.
II is evident that he contemplated this
deed from the time he was put into the cell
lie said Ia u colored fellow prisoner, early
in the evening" They couldn't convict m-
Of killing the herd boy, but they will have
no trouble in convictins me now
Though the people Of Fergus county feel |
greatly disappointed in that the law has
been cheated out of the execution Of this /
feud vet evervt bins CON .;l.,a.I I, IL ha,,....
as it is. Looked at from AN economical
standpoint, by suicide this county has |
been saved at least S5.OOO.OO.
VINO the VICTIMS WE'RE
We learn from "A miner in Maiden who /
was acquainted with the victims while re-
siding near Helena. that their manes were
Joseph kru'z and wife, Edward Biggs and |
wife aud an adopted child whose father 10 |
a butcher in Helena. They lived at Grass
Valley mine. about four miles from Helena
tnder.Sherin t'pinger arrived abou, . -.
M. Sunday night with the team. Balm
wagon and burkskin pony, which are he
ing taken care III by the sheriff
vERDrrs OF ooRoNER's JrRy.
The coroners jury, impa nclled aud sworn
tn examine into the cause 81 death Of tn.
five bodies lying before them. consisted of
\. liogeiand, foreman; ". H. Simons. j.
l.. Hooper. sullivan Warrham, Paul Mo-
rase and George ". sample. They returned
five ver'licis from which we CLEAN all mat
tiers ri interest as to cause III death. etc,
emitting only the form.
The bodies 81 the men were designs ted NV
the jury -. Ne. ! aud =.
Ne. ! was d~scribsd rs follows. Height
six feet; weight, from l al to i15 pounds;
heavy brown moustache: stub bear ri: dark
brown hair; came tn his death by n rifle
ball which entered the left side Of the back.
betwee the floating ribs, aud came out ~
inches below left nipple.
No. = was described rs follows: Height.
about six feet; weight. 100 to I15 pounds;
medium heavy. sandy m"ustachc; short,
heavy beard; had the letters j. X. tattooe,l
in blue ink on the right forearm, small dot
betw the letters and after X; came To-
his death from "a rifle ball which entered
over the left ear and came out ON the right
side Of the head, making "a hole in the sid.
Of the head two inches in diameter.
The jury says. regarding the little girl.
that she was about five or six years old.
and came to her death 10y means unknown
!" the Jury.
One woman described as follows; Height.
'oo't ieet inches; weight from 10" I"
i21 pounds; hair reddish brown; age he :
tween is ana 20; came I" her death from
r'iie BAN passing through the head, or ~
", '",' ""
$50 ,
~ - " '"' 's"N' ' w 49,