The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-16
The Flathead Murderer Riddled
With Bullets and Thrown
Into the River.
Details OF the WantOn Crime for
Which He Paid the PEN
atty.
Justice Shepherd, Who Released tho Mur-
dsrer, Departs Suadeniy COrrup-
tion Openly Charged.

MissouLA, May 15.--fSpecial, THE coro-
ner's jury holding an inquest over the death
of Thos. Burns found verdict. that no
came to his death by n gunshot fred bv
Jack Jnrden with felonious intent, and
Jurden was held for preliminary examina-
tion, which took place Tuesday before
Justices Lane and Shepherd. The state
was represented by X. l.. Clinton. of Dem
ersville, and the defense by Judge Reeves,
Of Missonla, and Grant Swaney, of Ashley.
The particulars of the shooting as brought
out by the prosecution are as follows: On
last Thursday morning, at about half-past
five, Burns was walking across the sidewalk
from the Cliff house to Clifford q stannard's
office, Jurden following him, and when
some hree or four feet behind him took
from his pocket a 45-calibre revolver
and holding it in both hands fired. hitting
Burns in the back. At about the same time
Jurden dropped the gun to the sidewalk.
The murdered man dropped to the ground
was carried into the Club saloon and ex-
pired about an hour afterwards. When
placed under arrest Jurden claimed that
his revolver was accidently discharged
while he was in the act of removing it from
his hip pocket to his breast pocket. He
said to Mr.. Lewis, II have accidently shot
an innocent man.
There is hardly doubt that Jurden in
tended to kill somebody. but that he shot
the wrong party, and that the affair was
caused over a woman named Maggie Graves.
From the testimony of several witnesses
this would SO indicate. DR.. Sanders testi-
fed that when he came to attend the
wounded man, Frank Kerbach. q
saloonkeeper, and who, with Maggie, had
been placed under bonds as accessories to
the crime, approached him and told him to
do all in his power for Burns; that the
cause of his being shot was over Maggie,
and that he gave Jurden the gun to do the
act with.
Mr.. Lewis testified that Jurden came to
his place the night before and wanted to
borrow dollar; that he told him that he
woman over there that he WAS going to get
away from certain man, that he had done
it before and would do it again. Tom
Dunn, barkeeper at Foy's saloon, was the
only eye witness to the shooting, and testi-
fed as above narrated.
The large room in which the trial was
held was crowded all day long, some 3OU
people being in attendance. The cour ,
after hearing the testimony and arguments
discharged Jurden, and he was Immediately
re- arrested on the charge of murder.
There was great Indignation in Demers-
vile over the discharge of the prisoner and
it was openly charged that corrupt methods
had brought it about, and subsequent events
gave additional strength to that charge.
The rest of the story is short. After
being released JurdenWas subsequently re-
arrested on Tuesday. That night while
being guarded by an officer, he was seized
by mob of unknown men, taken down to
the rivers edge, shot to death and his
body thrown into the water. Justice
Shepherd was notified to leave town, and
in less than twenty-four hours he
had cleared out. The officer and his assist
ants were frightened into refusing to say
anything about the matter. In answer to a
dispatch received late this afternoon, Sher-
if Houston left tonight for the scene of
the trouble and it is safe to say that he
will get at the bottom facts at once and not
stop until the matter is fully unraveled.