The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-18
BALL LODGED IN MORRIS
WAS LOOKING FOR DEER
Nj. Miles Carried His Rife Prepared to
Shoot 81 . Moments Notice. When
thu Limb OF . Tree Suddenly
Struck the Safety Clip.

A shocking and distressing fatality
occurred near the old town Of Highland.
20 miles south of Butte yesterday. in
which John Morris. an employee of the
city water company. lost his life.
r. H. Miles is the unfortunate man
who carried the rife which. IL appears.
fate discharged, the bullet going
through the body of Morris. After the
man was shot he still remained on his
horse. and together the men rode
about a mile and a half distant to Mr..
Lewis cabin above old Highland City.
There the wounded man was placed
on a bed. Mr.. Lewis made him a cup
of coffee and he drank IL and ate some
lunch. The two horses Miles and Nor
ris had ridden were hitched to a wagon
and Mr.. Lewis drove to his city. A
mattress was placed In the bottom of
the wagon bed and on It the wounded
man vas placed and made as comfort
able as possible for the long ride to
this city. Mr.. Miles accompanied Nor
ris on the journey. They left High
land at 1925 and reached Butte at 5
o'clock. Six miles from the city Nor
ris died. and instead of going 10 the
hospital. for which place they had
started, the wagon was driven to Sher-
mans undertaking rooms. where the
body now lies. The story OF the occur
renee is better told by Mr.. Miles him.
self, IN last night made the following
statement to a reporter of the stand
ard:
II am foreman in charge of the city
water works reservoir i'm Basin gulch.
John Morris had worked for me since
last May. He was one of the best men
that ever worked for me. We started
or horseback yesterday morning for
the Fish creek tunnel to measure up
some work that Lewis and Kelly had
one for the water company. Morris
took a shotgun and / a Savage rife,
according to the custom of our men
when they go into the mountains. as
occasionally we see some game. We
reached the tunnel and found that KEEL
ly n Lewis had not quite finished
the work, and We agreed to go on
to the head of the fiume to adjust the
headgates preparatory to the spring
freshets. Johns horse walked faster
than mine did and he kept in the lead
all of the time.
I'm places on the trail there is a
heavy growth of spruce. and at some
points ii Is difficult to pass with n
horse. In Spring gulch the snow is
about a foot deep. John noticed deer
tracks and called my attention to them,
at the same time saying Keep your
u in readiness, Frank, for we may
see a deer at any time
My gun is OF the hammerless pat
tern. but underneath the lock is a small
clip. which Is about the same as a trig-
ger. / cooked IL Inc carried II across
my arm, holding 1t so as to bring IL into
use at a moments notice. We had now
come to a place where a couple of large
spruce trees had fallen across the trail.
II was necessary TO go around one, turn
abruptly to cross the fiume, and then
make another short turn. To insure
safety ] was Just about to lower my
gun so that the muzzle would be point
ed downward when in some way a limb
of a tree struck the safety clip under
the lock on my gun and discharged Ii.
John was about 20 feet ahead of me.
He cried out: oh, Frank. 1 am shot
/ jumped off my horse and ran up to
him and asked him IL he was badly
hurt. He said, oh, no. / guess not; I'll
ride on bach to Lewis cabin.' We both
rode back to the cabin and John was
placed on the bed. He didn't think he
was badly hurt. We hurried about m
rugged up our horses into a team and
started for town, Lewis coming with us.
Before we started John told Lewis and
Kelly about the accident and he also
ate a lunch which Levi made for him.
Our journey was necessarily slow. as
the lime kiln hill road is covered with
snow and travel is bad.
Coming dow into the fiat John be-
gan to complain of severe pains in his
abdomen. He said to me. Stay with me,
Frank: I guess I'm pretty badly hurt
I assured him that i would not leave
him. I began to notice that he was.
growing weaker and I covered him up
with the quilts we brought along. He
rapidly sank and died near the Six Mile
house."
The bullet entered the left side just
above the hip and lodged under the
skin Just below the pelvis.
John Morris was 80 years of age, a
native OF Kentucky. where his parents
now reside. They will be notified of
the death of their son. He had no rela-
tives in this state. He had a sum OF
money, which he gave into the keeping
of Nj. Miles yesterday. Mr.. Miles has
worked for the company for several
years and Superintendent Carroll said
last night that he was n of the most
valuable men he had in his employ.
Mr.. Carroll expressed much coincidence
for Mr.. Miles in his sorrow. The state
ments of the dying man in the presence
OF Mr.. Lewis dispels any faint OF sus-
picion which otherwise might have rest
ed upon Mr.. Miles. The inquest will be
held in the morning at 10 o'clock In
Sherman's undertaking rooms.