The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-17
MURDER At PIONEER
Phillip Allen, Fugitive, Returns to
Kill His Former Wife.
A MOST MYSTERIOUS MAN
Years Ago He Took the Life OF
James McGuerIn and Has EIud-
ed capture he ommunity
Is thoroughly Enraged.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Deer Lodge, May ia telephone
message came to the sheriff's Office
about 3 O'Clock tonight announcing a
shooting scrape at Pioneer, in this
county With the shooting Is linked
the story Of another tragedy In this
, county about eight years ago. And
with that the weird legend that the
dead again return TO life and stalk
abroad In the land. The story Of to-
nights affair at Pioneer is certainly In
harmony with tales of ancient mari
ners of specters and of evil spirits. But
this Is recital of events well known
to the greater part of the people of this
county and of incidents fresh in their
memory.
On the goth of August, 1888, at Gold
creek, in this county. about six miles
from Pioneer. Philip Allen, a rancher
living in that neighborhood, shot and
killed James McGuerin. They quarrel
ed over a calf. On that morning Allen
accosted McGuerin and said to him:
you have branded one of my calves"
and without much more conference
fired on him with rifle, killing McGue-
rim. Mounting his horse at once he
most unwarranted and cold blooded.
Immediate action was taken by the
neighbors and by the officers, as soon
as they were apprised of the shooting,
to capture Allen. but Allen was a re-
markably hardy frontiersman, used to
the mountains. daring hunter and
known to be a desperate man. and the
search was unavailing. All the noun
"a ff.xy al ka -
the killing was thoroughly searched,
and a week after the shooting. the
horse that Allen rode when he escaped
returned TO his house and the inference
was that Allen was dead, had perished
or fallen into some gorge or chasm, or
that he had gotten into the British pos
sessions, which later theory was con-
sidered quite unreasonable, and II was
the generally accepted opinion that AL
lens bones were bleaching somewhere
In the mountains or cached In the den
of some wild animal. But In the mean
time the officers kept up the search. Of
fering rewards and inquiring abroad
for some trace of the missing man, and
of him no tidings ever reached them,
Allen was married. and his wife after
waiting for some news of the fugitive
for about five years. applied TO the dis
trict court for a decree OF divorce
which was granted. and then married
William Emery, an old resident Of that
section. They have been living at Pio-
neer ever since Emery was employed
as a ditch tender for the Rock Creek
Ditch company. Tonight about or 3
O'Clock. the neighbors in the vicinity Of
Emery's house. heard screams coming
from the house as OF some woman In
distress or danger. Immediately fol-
lowing the scream came the sharp
crack OF a rife followed at once by an
other shot Rushing to the house they
saw a man with a smoking rife IN the
doorway leaving. and just inside was
Mrs. Emery with her clothes on nre
and shot twice through the bowels. The
neighbors rushed In and found Mrs.
Emery alive and conscious. She told
them that Allen. her former husband.
had returned and shot her. Allen start
ed as he did before when he killed Nc
Guerin, for the hills. A deputy sheriff
and DR.. Owings started at once for Pio-
neer. Allen will probably not be taken
alive, as he Is a desperate man. 1t
seems that the fear OF Aliens return
haunted the wife. and IL would appear
that her lurking fear was only too wei
founded. Allen Is an old man about
20 years of age. more than six feet tall.
rawboned and stoop shouldered.