The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-02-22
after them that sounded suspicious
~ like mockery.

Onward trudged complacently
through the ever deepening snow,
and ere long a light that burst into
view in the distance as I edged
around tho shoulder of hill told
me I was not far from my destina-
ton. In Is minutes I entered the
railway station at Orc.
my competitor had cleaned all
the facts of the case and was only
sweeping up the crumbs of fnforma-
ton that go to swell an account into
sn interesting column or two. The
coroner viewed the body. examined
= few witnesses in a perfunctory
way and was almost ready to go
home when l arrived. The official
gave me the result of his investiga-
ton, however, and was soon Off for
Leadville with his companion.
"The body of the victim had been
taken into an eating house where
railway men and occasional guests
Or passengers were entertained. Oro
bad for several months figured In
the dignity of temporary railway
terminus while the road was COM
pleting to Leadville. The people
from the house fidgeted about the
passenger room a short time after
the coroner took his departure and
then disappeared. The only persons
remaining besides myself were two
men, who had moved close up to the
large drum Of the heating stove in
the center Of the room. One was a
plain looking man with black hair
and . swarthy complexion and
hands covered with machine oil. He
had taken seat on the other side of
the stove, almost out of sight, and
had deposited . lantern, with which
he had entered, by the side of his
chair.
"The other was heavy man with
broad shoulders, red chin whisk-
ers, sandy hair and coarse, forid
complexion. / noticed that he was a
very powerful individual and seemed
to be we'll known about Orc, for sew
eral times heard him addressed as
Dalton. He was the principal wit
ness to the murder, for he had oocu-
pied the seat with the victim in the
blackboard when the fatal shot was
fred.
Dalton was communicative
gentleman, one of a class of public
characters that seem to realize in
stinctively what constitutes the
meat of a column of news and re.
quires ne prodigious efforts of
pumping to develop his inforna-
ton. There would be a train down
from Leadville at 12:45 O'Clock,
which Dalton was waiting to take to
Denver. naturally warmed up to
him and soon had all the details of
that which was movable of the
murder, for had only to listen.
Dalton knew just what facts / want
cd to reach and saved me world of
questioning.
He and the murdered man had
been partners in the live stock bust
ness and owned a ranch about ten
miles from Oro. Dalton was to go
to Denver and thence to Kansas City
on business. Soon after supper that
evening they got into their buck
board. He that now lay cold and
stark in the adjacent eating house
was to drive his partner to the sta
ton and then return to the ranch.
Dalton was to take an early down
train and start on his journey east.
That was the programme when they
mounted their buokboard and left
the ranch.
1T was pretty dark when they
got within few miles Of Orc, dark
enough for an assassin to lie in hid
ing by the roadside over which they
we're passing. The two men were
chatting over their business affairs,
suspecting no evil, when suddenly a
i1Ash in the underbrush made the
horses bolt the road. A report rang
out on the damp, heavy atmosphere,
and Dalton's partner fell back with
q bullet hole in his brain.
ut did not need Dalton 3 whip to
send the ponies off at a breakneck
gallop toward Oro. Before he real.
lied what it all meant. he said, he
was in sight Of the station, and his
utmost exertion was required to
check the terrified animals and bring
them to stop.
HE called out to the first men he
saw to bring lantern.
Somebody has shot my partner. ;
THE announcement sent the little
settlement into a state of high ex.
oitement, with men calling for lights
and women deolaiming in loud 40.
cents of terror and everybody run.
ming here and there in confusion.
Lanterns we're finally produced.
The 6rst to approach WAS the man
now sitting on the other side Of the
stove, who let his light fall on the
face of the man lying extended in
the blackboard. Others crowded
around him and gazed on the blood
stained features Of the victim, whom
the intAYest of hia fellovnaen coi11d