The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-09-17
PRICE TAX ES POISON.
Tragic End of the Life of Cunningham's
Murderer.

Tragic End of the Life of Cu~nningham's
Murderer.
BUTTE, Sept. 12.-Charles G. Price
committed suicide in a cell of the coun-
ty Jail early yesterday morning. Last
December Price was arrested for the
murder of his uncle. p. j.. Cunningham,
in the streets of Butte. The exact mo-
tive was always a mystery. During the
trial, in his defense, which was very
weak, Price claimed that Cunningham
had cheated him IN a number of bust
ness transactions, and also that he had
been the cause of his wife's unfaithful-
ness. 1t was developed, however,
that Mr.. and Mrs. Price had
never been legally married. A
document was produced, signed by each,
the mar and the woman, agreeing to live
with each other as husband and wife,
but there were no witnesses to this doc
ument. Mrs. Price herself was not put
on the stand. Witnesses for the prose-
cution testified that Cunningham had
seemed as familiar with Mrs. Price as
was Price himself, and that Price had
apparently not objected. The trial was
concluded Saturday and at II o'clock
that night the jury rendered a verdict of
murder in the second degree, with a
recommendation for mercy.
At 6 o'clock Sunday morning Price
was found in his cell in an unconscious
condition. He had taken a big dose of
poison. All possible efforts were used
to revive him. but without regaining
consciousness he died at 1890 o'clock
Sunday. He left a letter to the sheriff,
but it explained nothing, also one to his
wife.
Price was one of the prisoners who
escaped from Jail last February with
Crowley, Burke, Stafford and others, and
was found several weeks afterward Sc
creted in the attic over Miners union
hall. As to who hid him there, and
never beer learned. At the time
believed hat Price knew the murderer
of the late w. j. Penrose and had been
assisted to escape for fear he would di-
vulge some secrets. In TACT the officers
offered inducements to Price to tell what
he might know of the Penrose mystery.
and about those who assisted him to es-
cape, but if Price knew anything he
never divulged it.
The following is the letter addressed
by Price to his wife:
Sept. 10, 1892. My darling, my dear
est: The jury has brought me in guilty
of murder in the second degree with a
recommendation to mercy.
My darling, what will become of you
and the little one, | know not. | prefer
death to being penned up in "A living
tomb. We were once happy together.
but our happiness was of very short
duration n u lives were O made
miserable by the brute that has long
gone to perdition. You know, my dar-
ling, as well as | do, that l have told the
truth in my evidence. but because
Mrs. Schultz has perjured herself
| must suffer for her crimes. She is a
base colded- blooded liar and | call upon
almighty God to curse her. 1t is sad
and unfortunate. my dear, but now what
will you do? Oh, God! l pray that you
may yet become happy again. Our
poor child is surely the child of
misery, baptized with tears. Bring
the little n up as good as you
can dear. Do not let her know her ia
ther was branded as a murderer. Tell
her he died when she was little. Oh,
dearest. to think hat | should have
brought all this trouble upon you. l
have ruined you and myself also. May
God keep you, my darling, and protect
you.
But little l thought when last l saw
you that that would be our final inter
view. / now go before a higher tribunal
and God will judge me Alright. Pray
God to forgive me for the act l am now
taking. | know he has forgiven me for
what / nave been tried for. May God
bless you my darling sweetheart. l
must bid you good bye. Think of me as
well as you can. l know you can not
forget, but oh! forgive me.
Your once happy and devotedhusband
CHARLIE,