Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-09-20
Joe Weir Criminally Assaults the
Seven Year-Old Daughter Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Cults.
Story Of Crime That Beggars Descrip-
tiOn-Villain Not Captured
Child Still Alive.


W l. oillCSptC ILL
Deputy Sheriff Sires of Sand Coulee,
who are searching for the devilish and
inhuman perpetrator. The story is re-
lated as follows:
About five miles south of Sand Coulee
is the ranch of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
Cults, where they have lived for a little
more than a year past. Mr.. Cults will
be remembered here as a quiet, steady
young man, who tended bar a time at
the Park hotel and afterwards worked for
a time as night bartender for Archie Nc
Partly on account of his wife's health he
purchased the ranch some time ago near
Sand Coulee from j. b. Murray of that
place and his wife and family resided
there while, in order to earn money faster,
Mr.. Quits was most of the time in Great
Falls. Recently he has had IA
situation at the Boston and Montana
smelter. AT the time he purchased the
ranch from Mr.. Murray, a man named
Joseph Weir was hanging around the
ranch doing chores for his board, and
Mr.. Cults, partly out of charity, allowed
the man to hang around ever since, Civ
ing him his board for such slight serv-
ices as he gave in return, although it is
said that he was warned by Mr.. Murray
that the man was undeserving and gen
orally worthless. Weir is we'll known to
the police here, as he was run over by a
wagon some years ago aud for a consider
able time was an inmate of the poor
house, where he had an operation per
formed on his jaw by DR.. Gordon. which
left a deep scar on the right side of his
face.
Last Sunday Mrs. Cuts left the ranch
to come into Great Falls and see her
husband and left Weir in charge Of the
house and her little 7-ycar-old daughter.
The latter had the misfortune to he born
deformed and was not only deaf and
dumb and blind, but was paralyzed SO
as to be unable to move or turn herself.
When Mrs. Cuts returned she noticed
that the child was apparently suffering,
but this was not unusual. Monday the
Child was so much worse and apparently
feverish that she sent for DR.. NcCann, but
it was Tuesday before the physician ar
rived. Ihe result of his examination
disclosed a state Of affairs too horrible to
be described, and almost PAST belief.
The helpless child had been tne victim
of a criminal assault. Tuesday night
Weir returned to the house and the
frantic mother and a 10 year old boy, d
nephew of the family, taxed him wit
the crime and assaulted him. It is said
that the tiend acknowledged his guilt,
and that the boy with poor judgment
prevented the mother from using
a shot gun on him then and there.
Yesterday morning Deputy Sheriff
Sires notified the sheriff and police OF
thls city to look out for him, a. ne had d
warrant for mis- arrest, and Belt and
other points were notified and giveu Il
close description Of the fugitive. During
the forenoon yesterday Deputy Sheriff
SlTes and Postmaster Gillespie got trace
Of Weir in the vicinity Of Great Falle.
lie was met by parties who knew him
yesterday near the sand hills, about two
miles southeast of Great Falls, and tolc
them he was going TO Walker
ranch. However, he made 10 appear.
ance there and it is presumed that
he is in hiding somewhere around this
city. When the details Of the diabolical
crime got TO be known in Sand Coulee
about noon yesterday great excitement
prevailed and about fry men started
in all directions on horseback to scour
the country in search of the miscreart,
and 1t is a pretty safe prediction to make
that the county will be saved some ox-
pense if they should catch him in the
present state of public feeling.
1t is not thought possible hy the Off
GERS here that Weir can escape from the
country. He is too we'll known and the
scar IN bis face and the fact that he ia
knock kneed furnish means of identiti
cation that will make it very difficult for
him to avoid arrest.
The poor child who was the victim Of
his monstroua brutality ia not expected
to live. A telephone dispatch received
hy HE TRIBUNE at a late hour last
night says that it is still living, but its
death is expected at any time.
Last night. about midnight, DR.. J. l..
Wettman returned from Sand Coulee,
where he was called in consultation with
DIR. Mccain at the bedside of the little
victim. While he found her horribly
injured, he does not think the result will
be necessarily fatal. He confirms the
details of the unspeakable crime as given j.
above, and says that it the fiend ia cap
tured anywhere in the vicinity of Sand
CouI ee, his hours will be short in the
land,
1t has been learned positively that
Weir vas seen by C. B, Pyle of this city
yesterday morning near the sand hills
south of town. Mr.. Pyle was going to
Sand Coulee and met Weir, whom he
is casually acquainted with, and spoke
to him. lie had a bicycle with him
which hid broken down and he was
trying to fix it. At the time Pyle did not
know anything Of the crime which had
been committed, but wber he reached
Sand Coulee and learned tho particulars
he promptly sought the deputy sheriff
and gave him tho information.
Officer Hamilton feels certain that he
saw Weir at 2 a. m. yesterday at the
depot when the east bound train came
in, but il he was seen, as seems certain,
at the sand hills later in the day, he