The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-06-22
The Holocaust Of Murder! !
A Whole Family Wiped out of Ex-
iStence
By a Red Handed Modern Monstros-
ity Cain,
The Horrible Atrocity Tracked to
James Wilber.
Interesting Details of His Capture
and Arrest.

an entire family consisting of five per-
sons and stated that suspicion as to the
perpetrator rested Oh citizen of Great
Falls.
About noon yesterday Deputy Sheriff
Hamilton and Sheriff Clary of Fergus
county returned from East Cascade lav-
ing in their custody James WILDER,
person well-known here, charged with
the commission of the bloody deed, and
placed him in the custody of the county
jailer.
About noon Thursday Sheriff Clary
reached Great Falls and communicated
to Sheriff Downing the fact that muir
der of five persons had been perpetrated
and stated that he had strong clue to
the murderer and asked that aid be af-
forded him from here to follow up the
trail. :.
Sheriff Downing at once detailed Dep
uty Joe Hamilton to accompany him and
took the train himself for Cascade, in or
der to intercept the fugutive should he
attempt to escape in that direction.
We now relate the details and mastery
diplomacy by which the supposed muir
derer was trapped and apprehended as
disclosed to us by Sheriff Clary himself.
Soon after he learned that woman's
body had been found-which occurred
on Saturday, 10th inst.-he started from
Samples crossing and arrived at James
Woods ranch, near Stanford, where he
found span of heavy horses and harness
for which Mr.. Wood had traded on Sun
day, 10Th, giving in exchange therefor
three small mares and one small yearling
the mares branded with pipe on the
left shoulder and vented by Mr.. Wood
on the left thigh. The gelding was
branded with figure 4 and an italic t
combined. The party exchanging with
Mr.. Wood gave his name as Jack Gliding
and told him that he left Shading, Ne
braska, six weeks previously. He told
Mr.. Wood also that he was going over to
Belt creek.
Sheriff Clary, upon learning these
things from Mr.. Wood, came forthwith
to Great Falls and telegraphed to differ
ent points to learn, if possible, whether
any person had been seen travelling With
such an outfit. ...
Returning to Castner's On Belt creek
Mr.. G. there found that the person hav-
| inc such an outfit had been in Belt and
traded otf new Balm wagon to J. VI
Hobson for IN old, heavy spring wagon
with canvas cover, and that he gave his
name as James Wilber.
Sheriff Clary then Immediately return
ed to Great Falls reaching here on Thurs
day, Goth, where he learned st Howard
Crisis blacksmith shop that Wilber hac
been there, had his wagon top repaired
and zone toward Sand Coulee.
With this information, Sheriff Clary
came at once to Sheriff Downing, who al
heretofore related, promptly ordered his
deputy 10. Hamilton to accompany him
in pursuit Of the miscreant.
Accompanied by Deputy Hamilton Mr.
Clary started on the trail of Wilber In
I quiry at the ferry near Myers saw mil
ELECTED the fact that WILDER had takel
the Deep creek road up the river Fol
flowing this road to the mouth Of Deel
creek, they took the bottom road on to th'
mouth of Hound creek, where they wer'
informed by persons who knew W ilber
that he had gone to Cascade.
Between the mouth of Hound cree1
and Cascade they lost the trail; but con
tinued on to Cascade, stayed over nigh
) and, very early next morning, took tn
back track for four or five miles and, up
on taking sweep of the open country
with their field glass, discerned wagoI
which they had reason to believe wa
, Wilber's outfit, about half mile ava
: from the main road, camped near
house.
Pushing onward to this wagon, the
found man peeling potatoes for hi
breakfast. Officer Hamilton immediate
ly recognized the man as Wilber. Upo
seeing Hamilton, Wilber rushed toward
, his wagon for Winchester, which Ii
had there. Both the officers leveled thel
guns on him and commanded him
throw up his hands, which he did reluc
antly, his right being hardly kept fro'
= grasping self-cocker in his hip poke
His wife, who was by this time rouse
from her slumbers in the wagon, e.
claimed, "Don't kill my husband, you vi
lians!'-and other incoherent exclam
ticns. The Winchester in the wagon W;
secured and, disarming Wilber, they o
dered him to hitch up his team and d
company them to Great Falls, where the
arrived about noon yesterday and lodge
# WILDER in the county Jail.
The chain of events leading to WILDER
arrest constitute one Of the most unbrol
en- and irresistible networks OF clrcu
stancial evidence-npon which murd
:. cases generally rest-that the history
4: .s the country affords.
1t is an established fact that when til
is noticed the party consisted OF six person
travelling in a new Balm wagon, with