The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1889-03-21
WILLOW CREEK TRAGEDY
DOOLEY DIES FROM THE EFFECT
OF HIS WOUNDS.
Aiir0y Held to Appear Before the
Grand Jury ON Charge OF Mur-
der Ante llOrten Statement
Other Particulars.

Pc. Dooley died last Thursday at ]
O'Clock, having survived about fifty houl
after receiving the fatal wound from til
rifle ball fired by Milroy. Dooley was
man OF iron nerve, and although he wa
nearly 60 years old, he still retained tha
strong determination of mind that h
was noted for throughout his eventfr
life. The funeral took place from tn
Dooley ranch last Sunday, and was Del
haps the most largely attended that eve
occurred IN the valley, There we're fort
teams and twenty-five horsemen follow
ing the remains to Drummond. wher
they were joined by delegations from
Helena, Deer Lodge and Butte. The re
mans were sent to Lynn, Massachusetts
for lnterment, where his relatives reside
The theories regarding the row be
tween Milroy and Dooley on the mornin.
OF the shooting are becoming more
numerous every day, and to sum up tn,
truth from hundred different stories !.
an utter impossibility; and, indeed, th<
real facts IN the matter will hardly eve]
be known to the world. Dooley's sworr
statement on his death bed will. o1
course, be accepted in evidence at the
trial. The following is his ante mortem
deposition, now on file in the district
court:
TERRITORY OF MONTANA, }
County of Deer Lodge. ! S.
L, Patrick b. Dooley, of Willow creek,
Deer Lodge county, Montana, after being
hrst duly sworn according to law, depose
and say: believing 1 am about to die
from a gun shot wound received from
the hands of Theodore Milroy, my neigh
Dor adjoining me here on Willow creek:
F1rst-Yesterday, Tuesday, March r.
1883, was informed by my hired man,
James Perkinson. that my young stallion
broke away while he was watering him.
and broke into the field or pasture of nv
neighbor, Theodore Milroy. I was in
formed that after my horse escaped into
the pasture aforesaid, that Mr.. Milroy
was driving him down to his corral with
his horses. After was told of this fact
went down and got my saddle-horse,
Hippy, and rode down toward Mr.. Mil
roys corral. He, Milroy, came riding to-
ward me with gun in his hand. Iasked
him If he saw my colt. He answered me-
but L cannot recall the words, and at
the same time got off from his horse-I
think on the wrong side, and got off right
at the horses shoulder, rested upon his
knee and rested the gun upon his left
arm and fred at incl from under the
horses breast, and shot me through both
left and right breast. I had no gun with
ne at the time this occurred. I think
Ibis shooting took place between and 9
o'clock in the forenoon. Mr.. Milroy has
repeatedly threatened to take my life and
'ome to my house here in presence of my
wife, children and hired man, and one
line, in the summer of 1888, came at |
hight in the presence of John Purt]e
nd John Lynch to the front door of nv
louse, here on Willow creek, and there
I'd then threatened to kill me in the
'resence of said John Purtle and John
4-nch. Believing I am about to die, I
nalke this statement under oath in the
resence of witnesses.
ls1GNED:] PATRICK 3. Doo1EY.
WITNESSES Gnosan GRi on: u u. GIass, MoSss.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
his 18th day of March, A. D. 1889.
D. Fl. ME1.1AN,
Iotary Public in and for Deer Lodge
county.
The Mllroys' side of tho story, as pub
shed in the New Northwest, is that he
as avoided all contact with Mr.. Dooley
ossible, and sought all means to avoid .
rife. Their farms adjoined. There has .
cen trouble about a road and the boun- ;
ary lines. He offered to give the entire
round for road that would give Dooley
outlet, and had County Surveyor .
avis establish the boundary lines. He t
IS felt II constant peril of his life but '
7oided carrying arms, and has run away
ayeid collisions. On the day men, e
oned he had gone to his horse band to
It into the corral a couple of horses to p
eak for work. When returning, near
s corral about 50 rods inside his line h
ID near his own corral he saw Dooley
ID Perkinson approaching on horseback =.
d calling him to halt. His horses ran
to the corral and out. There was no fl
allion OF Dooley's with them. He rode
his house close by, got his gun, told
} employe, Swetson, to come out and
a witness If anything occurred. and I;
ile again trying to get his horses in g
> corral, Perkinson rode toward him y:
1 began firing on him with pistol. bl
rode off little distance, but fearing &C
could not get out of range, slipped of III
horse and kept covered. Perkinson +,
ID five shots at him in all. Dooley o.
ned sideways and drew gun on him sl1
en- he (Mi!roy) fred. He thinks they de
re- about 40 or 80 yards apart at the tn
e. He heard Dooley say to Perklnson ass as
was shot. Perkinson rode to him. ~;
heard Dooley ask him if he couldn't Si
Mllroy, and the latter replied that he NJ;