The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-22
STORY OF THE CRIME
Details Of the Tragedy in Which
McDaniells Was Killed.
EVIDENCE IN JURY'S HANDS
Mrs. Bovee Displays No Emotion
During the Process of the Trial
She Used an Axe In the Dark
sympathy for the Prisoner.

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Boulder, April 20.-The trial of
Charles e. Bovee for the murder of
Robert McDaniells is a thing of the
past. The case went to the jury last
Saturday at o'clock d. m, and no YER
dict is arrived ait yet.
The evidence on the part of the
state as connecting Bovee with the
crime was not direct because there was
not an eyewitness to the tragedy ex-
cept Bovee and his wife. The latter
was not permitted to testify. The evil
dence or the state was confined to prov
ing the death of McDaniells and con-
Meeting the defendant with that death
II was proved that at about 8 o'clock of
lthe day of the murder the defendant
iert his cabin, about six miles from the
scene of the fight and early in the
evening came back, badly shot and
bruised and stating that Robert Nc
Daniels had shot him. Before leaving
ne said he had learned that his wife.
Myrtle Bovee, was living with McDan-
Tells In his cabin and he was going to
see her and try to persuade her to re-
turn home
His wounds were of desperate ma
hure. One bullet had struck him on
the cneek bone, one had gone through
ms right arm, above the elbow, one had
entered his neck, back of the ear. pass
ing downward and lodging in his throat
ana one had pierced the lobe of his
risnt ear his head was a bloody mass
OF bruises, the physicians testifying
tnat there were altogether more than
10 scalp wounds made by a blunt in
strument, like the handle of a revolver.
while one of his hands was badly
broken up by trying to shield his head
with 1t.
The interest of the trial conferred in
the testimony of the defendant. His
evidence was, in brief. that some time
,s1 the DAY OF the tragedy his wife
iert him without any cause; that prior
no that time McDaniells was a frequent
VISITOR at the defendants home and
was MS neighbor and friend. Some
oline after his wife had gone he learn
eu tnat she was living with the de-
ceased, was dressed in mans clothes
ana working with deceased. He de-
sired to get her to return to him and
went to two or three of his neighbors
10 get Them to go with him TO Mo-
Danlells' cabin; all made excuses and
nnaliy, on the 30th day of December
1872 ne determined to go alone. He
IeIt ms ranch about 3 o'clock in the
AFTERNOON, taking with him a rife and
d reVoiVer, as he used to do in driving
around the country and drove to within
halI a mile of the cabin where his wife
was staying. He hitched the team
ana leaving his rifle in the sled. went
10 the cabin and knocked at the door.
ncDanIelis answered the knock by
opening the door and saying Come
IN" As he entered he saw under the
DUNK In the cabin. opposite the door.
ms wife, who was standing in a Kind
OF cellar that opened there. He spoke
70 her' saying: I've come for Won
Myrtle; come home with me: l forgive
Sou, aha reaching under the bed he
talk the matter over. McDaniells sit
ing at the head of the bed, Mrs. Bo- |
wee beside him, and the defendant on n
stool in front of her.
ihey had just seated themselves |
wHen DEFENDANT noticed his wife look |
s, POI 'ieu ana lean back quickly on the |
oed. instantly turning TO McDaniells |
10 see what caused the woman's start
ne saw that McDaniells had a revolver
an MS hand pointing at him (Boyeel
ne at once arose, saying: Bob, 1 don't |
want any trouble; 1 came to get INV /
wire, and turning towards the door.
SAID: Come out Myrtle. and taIk 4,
over with me-" He started tovarS
tne door. when McDaniells said: lyon
can't have her." and fired, the bullet
striking defendant in the cheek ana
telling him to the floor.
McDaniells kept on firing at defend
ant, wounding him as above stated.
the mead with the butt of the revolver
when the defendant managed to get
hold OF his revolver and fired twice in
the direction of McDaniells.
Inc evidence for the state showed
TWO shots had taken effect in the body
OF deceased one entering the shoulder.
the other near the heart, and that the
top of his head had been crushed in as
IL by an axe
Inc defendant continued and said
mat McDaniells called to Mrs. Bovee |
20 get an axe; that he heard her go ont |
ana come In, but that he was too ex-
lausted TO know further, and that he
tiu NOT nave an axe In his hand at any
'4ine. he managed to get out of the |
'abln, down to his team and into the
SLED, when the team took him home |
ne was taken to Helena and there ar
'es'ed and brought to Boulder. where
re recovered from his wounds.
III appears, from the evidence, that II
vas dusk when he reached the cabin.
which was about 14xlS feet i'm Size and {
ighted by a single candle.
MIS-. boVee was permitted to testify
n relation to the use of the axe. and
ala uhat she went after the axe. and
eturnlng with ii struck Bovee twice s
"a the mp. Inc theory of the defense
'eing stiH struggling together on tbe
loOr, the cabin being dark from in {
uhicient light and the smoke result !
ng from the shots fired in ii. Mrs Bo-
ee could not determine which was 5
'ovee and by mistake struck McDan-
1iis on the mead crushing the skull. In =
ny event the gunshct wounds uay,a /
uilicient TO have caused death.
boVee was quite calm and collected
n the witness stand. aud the audience / n
iainly sympathized with him. Mrs >
'ovee sat in the court room while ne T
'as giving his testimony and exhibited a
Ut little. If any. emotion while the de- n
ais OF the tragedy which was cause,I :
y her acts. were given by one OF the is
ctors therein. her husband. Her SYM n