The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1892-01-23
A Very Strange Case.

Inter Mountain: A rather sensational
episode came to light Thursday by the
receipt of letter from T. A. Short, who
was reported to have been murdered last
September in Jefferson county. T. A.
Short was very we'll known in Butte,
where he had resided for years and had
accumulated considerable property.
When he left Butte last August he gave
E. J. Tebo of Tebo & Curtis, a power Of
attorney to look after his interests here.
Nothing was heard from him until some
time in September, when Mr.. Tebo re-
ceived letter from the justice of the
peace at Bedford, in Jefferson county,
stating that man named Short had
been killed by railroad man named
Woods. Mr.. Tebo telegraphed to the
justice to give the body decent burial
and send any papers found on his person
to him. On September 10, 1891, Mr..
Tebo received the following letter, dated
Bedford, Jefferson county:
E. j. Tebo, Dear Sir-The body of Mr..
Short was buried at Bedford today. He
was shot by one Peter Woods, who
worked on the section here. 1t appears
that the deceased had been on a pro-
tracted spree and was suffering from the
effects of it, as shown by his frequent
outbursts of shouting, talking of Christ
and Salvation and preaching. The day
before he was shot he came over from
Townsend on train and was put off at
this place. About 5 o'clock next morn
ing he went to the section house here,
knocked and was admitted. He made
some nose while inside and was found
dead at daybreak about 800 feet from
the building. Woods gave himself up
and claims he acted in self defense.
The verdict of the coroners jury was:
''Came to his death by gunshot wound
inflicted by 80 calibre revolver in the
hands of Peter Woods, feloniously."
Nothing of value was found on his per-
son. A letter from YOURSELF requesting
his return to settle some land matters in
Butte, was the only paper found. If he
has any relations please inform me OF
their address and ! will convey to them
what / know of the circumstances OF his
death. Very truly yours,
JOHN H. FISK,
Justice of the Peace.
Mr.. Tebo applied for letters of admin
istration. The property owned by Short
in Butte consisted of one-quarter in
terest in the Ramsdell quartz claim and
three houses. A notice Was published
requesting all persons having claims
against the property to present them
and the public administrator had ap-
pointed appraisers to value the property.
Thursday, as stated, Mr.. Tebo received
a letter from z. A. Short at Salesville,
Mont. He was in blissful ignorance Of
the fact that he had been killed and
buried, and requested Mr.. Tebo to send
him some money. In explanation Of his
long silence he stated that he was laid
up since last September from the effects
of broken leg. 1t is rather strange
affair, and the supposition is that the
man who vas killed in some manner got
hold of letter addressed to Y. A. Short.
What his name was will probably never
be known.
Woods, who did the shooting, was con
victed of murder in the first degree and
received life sentence. AS he was in
dicted for the murder of z. A. Short,
who is now proved to be alive, his
chances for release are very good.
When Mr.. Tebo received the commu-
ncation from the Jefferson county JUS
tice he concluded that the man killed
was his friend z. A. Short. Mr.. Tebo
would probably have investigated the
matter more closely had it not been for
the fact that the description of the hab-
it's of the man killed tailed exactly with
that OF Z. A. Short. The latter was con
vivial in his habits and occasionally in
dulged in spree, and it was this fact
that led Mr.. Tebo to believe that the
body was that of his friend.