The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-05-05
IT'S A SHOCKING TALE
Bob Field Now Says Young Mortimer
Killed Fleming.
THE STORY AS HE TELLS 1T
Both Men In Very Bad eox-The
Murdered Man Had No Show
for His Life With
Such Fiends.

Special Dispatch to the standard
LIvINGsToS, May 4.-The mystery sur
rounding the Fleming murder Is fast APP
preaching solution by virtue of the adj
mlrahle and expeditions manner in which
the officers have managed the case since
suspicion was directed toward Bob Field
aud William Mortimer, who are now occu-
pylng separate cells in the county jail.
Tho latter was the first 10 break under
the great pressure brought TO bear by tho
officers in their efforts to secure a confes-
SION.
Although tho county attorney, in whose
possession Mortimer's statement ia, re-
fused To talk about the matter, the
STANDAED correspondent has succeeded
in asceTtaining, in n clandestlne manner.
that Mortimer recites in his statement
that Field did the killing. Mortimer says
he knew Field intended 10 rob Fleming on
the night of the shooting, but that he did
not know !, would result in murder and
had no hand in the terrible crime. He
claims TO have been in McDonnells ss-
loon when the shooting occurred and met
Field near the scene of the murder shortly
after its commission.
Field then told Mortimer, so the latter's
statement goes, all about the killing and
in order to divert suspicion they both
joined tho posse organized to search for
the escaped assassin.
Yesterday afternoon Field learned OF
Mortimer statement and sent FOR his at
torucy. To whom lac told the following
story, which saddles the crime entirely on
Mortimer The story was reduced TO
writing and covers - pages. According
TO the story Field did not accompany
Mortimer up tho Yellowstone after the
shooting, but went up alone and accident
ally ran onto Mortimer some six or seven
miles up tho river. The balance OF the
story is told in Fields own language, as
! follows:
Mortimer called mo TO halt and asked
who was there. I told him IL was me, Bob.
/ Mortimer was on horseback, had no sad
die. no coat. no vest and no shoes. He
Was on my horse. He came out of tho
shade and We rode down 10 Young S cabin,
where he aud had been stopping for sew
| eral weeks. Wo tied our horses and
started for tho cabin and told Mortimer
about the killing and informed him had
been sent ont to hunt for the murderer.
Mortimer said: MY life is in your hands.
! uou IlNe siNs ioh dtt
safe as far as | am concerned
1--WE then went into the cabin and ! got
some Winchester cartridges that kept IN
a tobacco sack. Mortimer put GU my
/ overcoat and got his rubbers from under
the bed. After we left the cabin ! said TO
Mortimer: Il want you TO tell me tho
straight of this He then told me the fol-
lowing particulars OF the killing:
~ was IN the shack, said he, when
! Fleming came from town and was stand
ing behind the door when Fleming opened
il. Fleming asked who was there and l
jumped and struck him over the head
with tho double-biited axe that found in
the cabin. The blow was not hard enough
10 put Fleming TO sleep, the axe helve,
which was splintered, having caught in
my coat sleeve thus destroying the force
OF the blow. The blow was hard enough,
however. 10 bring Fleming TO his knees
and daze him. lie got up and caught hold
OF the door. Then pulled my revolver
and fred one shot at Fleming who turned
and ran out of the shack. just as he was
going out tho door fired two more shots
and Fleming fell. but he got up again and
ran. then came out of the shack with
the axe in one hand and my revolver in
the other and fired three times more at
Fleming. then dropped the axe and ran
To my mothers stable close by to get my
horse"
~ asked Mortimer why ho ran TO the
stable. and he said. I thought Fleming
recognized me- then asked him why he
shot Fleming when he was trying to get
away. and he said, Dead men tell no
tales Mortimer then told rue that when
he 90! to the stable he pulled Off his coat
and vest and threw them into a big box in
the barn; that he did SO because he
thought if Fleming lived he might be able
TO identify him If he had on the coat and
vest. He did not say where he had pulled
of his shoes. lie said the crowd was
gathering so fast that he did not have
time to saddle up, but jumped on bare
back aud fled up the Yellowstone.
II asked him If he met anybody, aud
he said: Yes. passed Dave Buchanan's
team and nearly scared - out Of them I;
but don't think the driver recognized me,
as was going like the d l asked
him what he did with the gun and he said
he hid il under big rock about three
miles from town, just above Carriers 5
ranch.
"As Ne rode back to town Mortimer
said he wanted to get his coat and vest
and shoes before the officer found them.
/ il they had not already got them. We
won't TO the barn and found the coat, vest
and shoes in the big box. Mortimer also
got his saddle and put it on his horse and
we came on down town and reported To
the officers. We then went to Mortimer's
, mothers house aud went TO bed, sleeping
. together"
Snit the IyFritory.