Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-06-26

The murdered FeOple PROBABLY Fam
lily of Immigrants-When the Grim,
Was Probably Committed.
GREAT FALLS, June 21.-TSpecial to Th'
Miner by the Rocky Mountain Telegraph
Line. .]-Great excitement has been caused
by the arrest OF James WILDER for the five
murders in the Judith Basin.
Owing to a series Of suspicious circum
stances Sheriff Clary OF Fergus and Joe
Hamilton set out yesterday in quest OF
James WILDER of this city. They found
him to-day and brought him to town,
when he was promptly lodged in jail by
Sheriff Dorrimy.
Wilber was found near Willow creek, east
Of Cascade. Joe Hamilton and Sheriff
Cary drove up in rig and found Wilber
in the place where he had camped the
night before. He had a spring wagon, in
which his wife was in bed. When Wilber saw
Hamilton and Clary approaching.
HE RAN FROM THE FIRE
at which he was cooking brea kfast toward
the wagon, with the purpose of securing a
gun. Hamilton dashed in between him
and the wagon, and with q wagon-wrench
in his hand ordered Wilber to halt. Clary
drew his revolver and also called out to
WILDER to surrender, which he did, and
then inquired on what grounds he was ar
rested. The officer refused to state, but
said he must return with them to Great
Falls.
wILBER WAS ARRESTED
here in the spring of 1887, and was taken
back to Cheyenne to answer for the murder
OF cowboy. After two trials he was &C.
quilted. The evidence was strong against
him, and it was proven that Harry Patter-
son was his real name.
Sheriff Clary, who came here after Wilber,
started out on hearing Of the finding OF the
woman's body. He crossed the Judith
river at Samples on Tuesday morning and
soon began to find clues. He found that q
man had traded three horses at Woods
ranch near Sanford for Jour others. Then
he found that man named
WILDER had traded a new Balm wagon with
Mobson OF Castnea's receiving in exchange
for it a spring wagon. Then he came here
and found that Wilbur had come here and
left one OF the horses that the man Wilbur
had got in the trade at Woods.
MURDERED IMMIGRANTS.
From information thus far received it
appears that the immigrants who were
murdered had Balm wagon and two
heavy States" horses. This is regarded
as link which, with other suspicious
facts, probably connects Wilbur with the
crime. 1t is inferred that the murder was
committed June z, and that the murderer
carried the bodies to the Judith river and
threw them out OF the wagon there.
A lewiston dispatch to the Tribune"
says the excitement regarding the discov-
cry Of the five bodies on Tuesday on the
Judith river continues. An advance sheet
OF the ARGUS" issued to-day says: 1.-The
bodies of two men, two women and child
were taken from the river, Tuesday after.
ternoon, and thoroughly examined by the
coroner. All came to their death by vio-
lence. The women were shot, one as before
described and one through the left hand
and through the head, apparently by the
eye and coming out the back OF the head.
One man was shot through the heart and
the other was killed by having
Ibis HEAD CRUSHED
with dull instrument; while the child, a
girl of about six years, showed no marks
of violence, and it is presumed she was
strangled to death.
"All the bodies were well, if not richly
dressed, and considerable iewelry, such as
finger and earrings, breast and scarf pins,
were found on their persons, indicating
that they were comparatively well-to-do
people.
cat several points on the river wagon
tracks have been found where a wagon had
been apparently backed down to the bank
OF the river, and at each point there had
been discovered blood.
mo one, as far as heard from, has any
knowledge as to who the murdered persons
we're. We have made every effort to ascer'
tain where they were from and the route
Travelled, and we give full particulars as far
as learned.
"The sheriff and number OF deputies left
on Monday and are on
THE TRAIL OF THE VILLAINS,
and we hope to be able to report their cap
ture and incarceration by next week.
The whole county is aroused, and should
the guilty party be found now a sheriff's
posse would not protect him or them from
immediate death.
I'VE have just learned that the right
forearm of one OF the men was marked
with the initials, j. K, in blue India ink.
This may lead to the Identification by
Helena people. bird cage, trunk and II
long eve glass was found at the ranch OF
George w. Leary, about three miles from
town, by J. L. ChowGer, and brought to
town last evening.
"The crime was undoubtedly committed
at that place ou the night OF June Z"
rHn rnnNrTrTr ATTnN OF RURkE.