The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-08
AN OLD TIMER GONE
City Marshal Downing Died Suddenly
Yesterday Morning.
A HIGHLY RESPECTED MAN
The Funeral VIII Be Held Sunday
and the Officers VIII Attend
Anxious Applicants for
the Position.

Great Falls, Nov. THE people OF
this city were astounded this morning
to learn of the death of City Marsnal
Downing. who passed away quietly and
suddenly at 2 a. m. Several days ago
Downing was struck by a street car
and seriously injured before the car
was stopped. He was carried TO MS
residence ON Third avenue north and
has been confined to his room ever
since. Yesterday he was feeling par
ticularly smart and announced his pur@
pose of coming down town to-day Tor
the first time since the accident. About
/ o'clock this morning he was taken
seriously i'll. Physicians were called.
but he passed away after an hour OF
apparent suffering.
Mr. Downing was 81 years of age. and
had been a resident of Northern Mon
tana for 16 years. He came to Font
Benton from Colorado in 1879, where he
engaged in contracting, nearly all OF
the best buildings for which the old
river town is really famous, being
erected under the supervision of Mr.
Downing. Later he removed to Great
Falls, and when the Legislature created
Cascade county he was appointed ITS
first sheriff. holding until the expira-
ton of his term and winning the es-
TEEN of all. He then retired from pol
itics and became interested in the
Queen of the Hills mining property at
Neihart. Silver was high then and at
one time he could have sold his inter-
est in the property for $3.50, 900. The low
price of silver and the shutting down
of the mines caused the loss of for
tune, but Mr.. Downing never gave up
and ever worked for the interest OF the
county and city. Last spring Mayor
\. rNftx l1|a1
and he continued in the duties OF his
office until he met with the accident
which resulted in his death this morn
ing.
Mr.. Downing leaves a wife and one
child, a girl IL years of age, who have
the deep sympathy of all in their affiic-
ton. He was a member of the Mason
ic lodge and of the A. o. u. w. 1t has
been decided to hold the funeral on
Sunday, when the occasion will be
made memorable by a public funeral,
the city officers taking an active part
therein.
The office itch prevails at this time to
an alarming extent. The news OF the
death of City Marshal Downing had
hardly reached the mayor before appli-
cations began to roll in the mayors
Office for the vacant marshalship. In
deed it is alleged that no less than half
a dozen applications had been made
before high noon to-day. 1t is safe to
assert that no appointment will be
made until after the interment of the
late marshal, and 1t is not presumed in
this case that the "early bird will catch
the worm" The mayor has peculiar
notions concerning the eternal fitness
of things, and is not likely pleased at
the rush for the marshalship by those
who have displayed so little judgment
or feeling in a case where death has
caused sadness on the part of city OFF,
Gals and sorrow and tears among the
friends and relatives of the late Mar
shall Downing
In the district court there has been
filed the answer in the suit of Cakes
ct al, receivers of the Northern Pa
cific railway company VS.. Cascade
county, an action to set aside the tax
sale of lands claimed by the company
The answer consists of 81 typewriter
pages and makes the same allegations
that are made in the answer TO SIM
liar suit In Deer Lodge and other coun-
ties. County Attorney Freeman and
Attorney General Haskell are the at
fOrneys