The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-12-28
BLANES IT ON CROSS.
Cay Says He Did not Fire the Shot Which
Killed James Maekey on May
n, 1898.
HE ASKS ONLY FOR A FAIR TRIAL.

A Talk With the Man Whom the Meagho
County Officers Have Hunted All
Over Creation.
II mover shot Jim Macltey" said
william Gay In talk at his cell IN the
county Jail yesterday, "MaclSey was
on one side OF the rife pit that Harry
Gross and | had dug-thc side that
Cross was on. There arc plenty Of wilt
neases that | could nnd to whom Cross
admitted afterward that he shot
Muckcy, lie seemed 10 be proud Of the
fact. n I can get anything like fair
show this thing will not be half 90 bad
as II looks now 20 some people, over
In Meaghcr county I cannot expect
much, but I win try for a change OF
venue. In Mcagher the papers have
made me out 10 be a. desperate, and
the Consequence ~ the people are all
against me. As for jim Mnckey. he
and 1 were good friends while / WAS
at Castle. ! worked at Castle for two
years and was getting along all right.
Then ! got into the trouble with n. r..
Benson JVer some coal lands had
been working 1n He attacked nae Bit
tcrly In his paper and said the mean
est Kind Of things about me. II got 80
I could not get work anywhere"
Gay is a ready talkcr and an inter-
esting one. Hc uses none OF the lan-
guage usually attributed TO the tough.
A man OF ordinary build and weight.
he does not look like one to inspire the
terror that II seems he was capable OF
doing. He is not bad looking man,
either, though his face indicates great
determination. His eyes are the most
pronounced feature OF the man. They
are gray. and when they look at a man
they appear TO be looking clear through
him. The pupils are OF a yellowish
hue and somewhat bloodshot.
My intention" says Gay. was "a
find that lost mine In the Mojava des-
ert, make "A good stake out OF II, and
go down into Mexico. ! heard OF the
lost mine through friend Of mine
named johnson at Salt Lake. He did
not know who l really was. as ! went
| by the name OF Lorey His brother
in-law and another man had found the
mine many years before. IL was d y
! ing the time OF the Indian troubles
one OF the men was killed by the In
| dians. Johnson's brother-in-law wen
back TO Salt Lake, where he died, Befor
his death he told johnson about II
Johnson said nothing about II for
long time, but finally mentioned th'
ma tier to me. ! decided TO go and looI
for It, and / Was supplied with a fin'
outfit." Cay believes he would have
found the mine had he not been cap
tured. After he was behind the barn
at The Needles he heard Of something
which. coupled with what he already
knew. convinced him he was on the
right track. lt was a trackless desert
however, that he had 10 cross 10 reach
II. Hundreds Of men had perished IN
their efforts to cross that barren waste
and but for his capture IL is not adto-
gether certain that Gay and the old
man who was travelling with him may
have shared a similar fate. With the
prospect before him IL Is not unlikely
that he would have preferred To take
| the chances. however. He Is man
who has lived most of his life out
doors and In the west. lie has been
Injured to hardships and might have
succeeded where others failed. sun
the hardships he underwent during MS
Journey from Castle after the shooting
there. he thinks. has somewhat I'M
paired his former vigor.
Cav blames Gross with all the
trouble al Castle and all that has oc.
curred since. He and Gross were only
wanted I'm Wyoming for robbery, and
that would have meant simply term
of years. though he declares they Were
innocent of that crime and II would
| have been impossible To convict them
lie SAYS he begged Gross not TO dl
amy shooting before Deputy Sherin
RAIDER was killed. Gross. however, wai
a fighter. both with his guns and viii
his fists. and was just the Kind OF mar
10 do what he did. AS Tor Mhckey'
SAYS Gay. 81 wouldn't have shot MN
even If had seen him, which ! dldn !.
"Gf | had remained at bingham,
continued Gay, II might have stald
there twenty years without being
found out. Then. again, ! mightn l.
some fellow may have come along who
knew me and who would have given
me away. II | had had the money
might have gone on and been out Oh
the country before now, but ! suppose
they would have found me some time
or other. But ! got into that minlng
venture and the company always
treated me well, so | staid. Most OF
the population around there were Mor'
mons. | went 20 a number OF thell
dances. The Mormons are u great
people for dancing
since his capture. Gay says. he feels
frfer than he did while being hunted
ou over creation. Tie had had Il
watch everybody for fear AN Officer
would be ON him at any moment
"Now." he says, Il feel that II car
only get "A fair trial Il VIII not be SO
bad after all.