Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-02
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

THE killing of eleven miners in the
Strong mine. on Battle mountain, out In the
Cripple Creek district by strikers. who
dropped a quantity Of dynamite down the
shaft upon them, reminds me Of a tragedy
that occurred out in Montana some years
ago." said Walter Kirk of Helena at the
National yesterday. Pretty nearly every
body out in that country had gone quartz
crazy. for old Tom Cruise had struck the
Drum Lummond mine. and prospeetors
were as thick as hops. Two young fellows
from Pueblo, Col, named Miles and Jenner
came out to Helena and went of in the
mountains. with a small outfit. One of
them came back to Helena couple of
months later for supplies. and said they had
struck IL pretty rich. and were putting
down a prospect hole that promised to lead
10 something great. Just after he left town
a stranger came In from the east and in
quired the whereabouts OF Miles and Jenner.
He was given directions as well as the
storekeeper who sold the supplies could re-
member. and he bought 4 pretty expensive
outfit hired Elk Biadler, who was a famous
guide and bad citizen to fool with out there.
anu started off. Biedler came back in a
couple of weeks and reported that his man
had come up with the others ana gone into
partnership with them. He also said the
strangers name was Burton. and the son of
a rich miller IN indianapolis. Along about
October Jenner reached Helena. He was
In terrible condition. He said that Bur-
ton joined them as Biedier said and present
ed letters from mutual friends in Colorado.
The three men agreed 10 go in together
End everything was arranged satisfactorily.
one morninS.so Jenners story ran, Miles
had gone down in the hole to work, Burton
and himself remaining on top to work the
"lndlass and pull up the dirt bucket. All
of a sudden Burton drew a revolver and
pressed IL against Jenner's temple warn
Ing him not to move. and at the same time
held bottle under his nose. Jenner be-
came Unconscious. and when he came to his
senses again he was bound hand and foot
Burton showed him the windIass with the
rope cut and told him Miles was down in
the hole and that il would be his grave
he then went on to recite how Miles had
Wronged his sister several years before and
fed to the west, and how he had followed
him for vengeance. Then Jenner said that
Burton went to the hole and held a CONVEX
sation with Miles. in which the latter con-
fessed everything and begged for mercy
Burton's reply was to hang a bunch Of
sticks of dynamite to the windlass by a
string made of twisted paper and then
light the latter. AS the spark ate its way
through the paper the man came back to
where Jenner lay ard awaited develop
ments. Pretty soon the dynamite dropped
and in an instant the very earth appeared
to heave. Jenner said Burton swore him
to secrecy and then carried him back, a
prisoner, until they reached a wagon out
lit to whom Burton turned Jenner over as
dangerous lunatic, and paid the team
sters big sum to take him to Helena. Jen-
ner managed to prove his sanity to the
teamsters and they let him go near Helena,
as they were not going there but were
bornd Tor Butte. 1nYestiga ton proved the
truth or Jenner's story. so far as Miles
death Tas concerned, and as womankind
was petty mighty thought Of among Mon
lana men very little effort was made TO
discover Burton"