The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-12
The PARTY he KILLED.
W. A. Short, Not z. A. Short, the
Victim Of the Bedford
Shooting.
-~------
Peter Woods lis Now Serving a
Life Sentence for the
Murder.
While the supposed Corpse Appears IN
butte and Becomes Heir to
His Own slSst&ts.

Peter Woods, q railroad section hand, IL
now in the penitentiary at Deer Lodge
serving q life sentence for the murder OF
one Y. A. Short. The u. A. Short for whose
murder Woods ia confined. is alive. The
man he killed was William A. short, an
old timer in Montana, having been here
since 1876. Whether the fact that Woods
was convicted u killing a man who ia not
dead will secure him a new trial Ia a ques-
tion now.
The murder occurred last September in a
railroad camp in Jefferson county. Woods
shot u man who. he says, he thought was
crazy. Tn dead man was recognized as q.
A. Short. a resident of Butte, where no had
considerable property in the. shape OF
houses. Public Administrator Murphy, of
that clty, too charge of the estate. Woods
was tried for the crime at Boulder, con-
victed, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
He was taken to Deer Lodge some weeks
ago. About two weeks ago z. A. Short
rode into Butte from Bozeman, and pre-
sented to the public administrator tangible
proof that he was not dead. Tn adminis-
traitor turned the supposed dead mans
property back to him.
Interest now turned on who was the man
w. "A. Short, who was killed. Coroner j.
II. Fisk, Of Bedford, Jefferson county, near
which town the murder occurred. took
enough interest in the case to hunt the
matter up. Until three days ago he knew
little moro than has already been published.
Learning that Short had left q bundle with
q friend by the name of Joseph Smith, a
ferryman. living q few miles down on the
Missouri, he SEM word to have it forwarded.
The bundle was forwarded as directed. In
it wele found several letters and postal
cards. Three of the letters were from
Mary Bncknaster, Of Vera, ILL.,, and we're
addressed to William A. Short. She adj
dresses him rs my son. several of the
postal cards were from army comrades with
whom he had served in Company B., Seven
was from Major Martin Maginnis and one
was from Green B. ka0m, commissioner OF
pensions. One postal card was from a
brother in North Carolina. The cont-nts
of the letters and postal cards showed that
w. A. Short had been in Montana
since 1875; that he taught school
awhile after, in MeaRher county; that he
had not been long in one place. shifting
about, fa; ming. mining, or doing anything
else he could to earn an honest living. 1t
was evident that hard luck and hard times
had OllOWe hlm, though the contents OF
the letters indicated that Short was an
honest and conscientious man. The letter
from COMMISSIONS Raum showed that
Short had made application for a pension,
having been wounued in the head before
Atlanta, Ga. The commissioners letter,
dated j uly, 1891, six weeks before Short
was killed, was IN answer to one request
ing the postofice addresses of the officers
of his, company. whose evidence he wanted
in support OF his claim. A cheap sacqut
coat, felt hat, and a silk handkerchief, all
very much worn apd of nc money value
completed the contents of the bundle. Cor
oner Fisk Immediately communicated thu
circumstances of Shorts death to hi
mother, who, until then, was no doub
ignorant Of the tragic death of her son.
The mistake of surprising the dead mar
was z. A. short no doubt arose from tn
similarity in initials, and the fact that sev'
eral people near Bedford knew there wa
such a person as the Butte man.