Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-10-12
Two Of Them Have Made a
Full Confession.
THEY ARE BUT BOYS,
The Circumstances Of the Murder
Strongly Recemble Those Of
the Famous Wilbur Crime
Of 1889.

Sheriff Waite reached home a few
moments before twelve O'Clock Mon
day night and safely lodged his pris-
oners, william and James Calder and
j. ID. Fisher, in jail, the former in the
old jail and the two latter in the
court house Jail.
The story of the fiendish crime.
which is not dissimilar to the WILDER
tragedy of many years ago. has been
related to the sheriff by James Calder
and Fisher, these two laying the
blame for the crime upon William
Calder and charging the latter with
the actual shooting.
According to their story, the plans
were laid by William Calder and
suggested to his brother, James
and Fisher, who demurred, but were
threatened with violence If they did
not participate. Saturday, Septem-
her oath, the three left the home OF
the Calder's stepfather, Sam Smith,
on the Musselshell, and went to the
McRea place, a short distance below.
Here McRea and his herder. one John
Allen, were cutting out some wethers
which they were going to drive to
Elisha Clark's to trade for ewes. Bill
Calder posted the other boys on a hill
and told them to watch, and a few
moments after the boys heard a shot
which they say was Bill killing Me
Rea. Having dropped his man he
took a saddle quilt from McRea's q
horse, fastened it about the body and
dragged it to an old chimney place
near McRea's cabin. His accomplices
were then called and the three went
over the trail to see that nothing had
been dropped. Again James Calder
and Fisher were posted on the hill
and soon another shot was heard
The herder had been off some dis
tance with one of the bands of sheer
and Calder having shot him as he
had cRea, treated him in the same
manner, and going over the trail
with his partners. The bodies were
tied together and wrapped i'm d
wagon sheet and the murderers went
back to Smiths.
| The following morning the three
returned to the scene. Bill Calder
who, according to the story of the
Others, was the leader throughout
went to..Lou Lewis and got a wagon
which belonged to McRea and the
bodies were loaded in the wagon, to.
gether with food and bedding from
the McRea place, and the drive
started. The sheep numbered about
800, 600 of which belonged to McRea
and 800 to the herder. 1t was the in
tention to drive the band to Forsyth,
ship them and skip with the money.
Upon reaching the Musselshell river
Bill Calder. left his partners with the
sheep and drove over a hill toward
the river. Returning shortly he was
questioned as to what he had been
doing but replied by advising them
to mind their own business. In reply
to the direct question as to what he
had done with the bodies. he said,
"never mind, 1 am running this"
The bodies had been in the wagon
two days.
In the meantime Sam Smith and
Lewis had become suspicious and be-
gan an investigation. The trail of
blood was found where the bodies
had been dragged and upon reaching
the boys, then driving the sheep,
they inquired about McRea, the elder
Calder replying to the effect that Nc
Rea had cached himself in the wagon,
as he did not want anyone to see him
skipping the country. and that the
boys were engaged to drive the sheep
to the railroad.
Smith and Lewis found the chim-
ney place, where it appeared that the
bodies had laid, and sent to the Off
GERS here the first intimation of the
crime. Why the full particulars were
sent, instead of merely the account of
the trail of blood, has not been ex-
planned.
JEFF Sherman, when he heard of the
crime. organized a posse including
himself, Lewis, Smith and one Wilk-
inson and started in pursuit. At the