The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-19
MYSTERY IS CLEARED UP
Richard Baker Hit Cavanauph
With an AK.
IN A CRITICAL CONDITION
Cavanaugh Has a Compound Fracture
of the Skull He Entered Bakers
Cabin While Drunk and Made
Himself at Home.

The mystery concerning the manne.
In which Thomas Cavanaugh, foreman
Of the Parrot, was injured
was cleared up last evening. or at leas
is believed to have been. If the stor,
of his assailant is true, Cavanaugh wal
responsible for his own undoing. Satur
day morning C~avanaugh was taken 4
st. James hospital by Mike Quinn and
Jack Colbert to receive surgical atten.
ton for a compound fracture of the
skull which, they told the sisters, hi
received from a fall of ground in the
mine. Subsequently IL was learned Cav.
anaugh received his injury from alto
gether another cause. 1t was learned
he was injured at the hands of another
person. and there was much mystery
concerning who that person was and
what was the motive.
The police took the matter in hand
yesterday, and learning Cavanaugh was
supposed to have had a considerable
sum of money on him, robbery was at
once hit upon as the motive for the
assault. 1t was stated to the officers
thai ~Cavanaugh had been paid off Fri
day and had received a check for s1s5.
AS he had no money on him and his
$500 '1S 6CAAS "hNil ldhtl ~ III HOS
pital, the robbery theory was strength
ened. Two facts caused suspicion to be
directed toward Colbert and Quinn for
a time. They were, the fact that the
two men had told the sisters that Cav
anaugh had been injured in a mine ac-
cident. when they must have known
that was moi the case, yet failed to re-
port them to the police, and the further
one that CavanauEh's brother told the
officers Colbert had said his wife had
seen Cavanaugh having trouble with a
man early Saturday morning in the To-
cality of the Hesperus lode.
Knowing Colbert was not married. the
circumstance was taken as a very sus-
picious one. and the two facts taken to.
gether was the cause of officer Barry
being detailed to go to the mine where
Colbert was working and bring him to
police headquarters.
He soon showed the officers he was in
nocent. He informed the officers that
he and Quinn had found C~ayanaugh in
a critical condition and had taken him
TO the hospital. Fearing he would not
be admitted If the truth was known,
they said he had been injured in the
mine Colbert further stated he had
not said his wife saw the assault, but
had said Quinn had old him his wife
saw II. Colbert was let go and Mrs
Quinn was seen. She informed the Off
GERS she had seen C~avanaugh having
trouble with Richard Baker, or a man
who proved to be Baker, near the lat
ter's cabin about 6 O'Clock Saturday
morning.
Last evening Sergeant Leyden laid
for Baker and arrested him when he re-
turned to his cabin. Baker made no
bones about being the cause of Cava-
naugh's condition. He said he woke up
SATURDAY morning and found Cava-
naugh sitting in his cabin. Cavanaugb
was drunk and had helped himself to
the edibles. Baker was none too well
pleased at the intrusion and in none
too good a temper inquired of Caya-
naugh what he was doing there. Cav
anaugh became abusive and when Ra-
ker ordered him out Cavanaugh pitched
into him. C~avanaugh was a big, husky |
young man, while Baker is an old man
ana C~aVanaugh was getting the best Of
him when Baker grabbed an ak to de-
fend himself. Baker did not deny strik
ing Cavanaugh with the ak, but said
he thought he only hit him with the
helve and did not suppose he hurt him
seriously.
The police investigation had deveI-
oped the fact that Cavanaugh had been
1n a drunk Friday evening. They
tound where he had been trusted for
wine, inc knowing his habit when
= NNN vas AoA " Set lIDSltu DuI 10 D9V !
he cash If he had the money. and also
knowing him to be rather ilI-tempered
when drunk, they came to the conclu-
ilon robbery had no part i'm the assault.
rms conclusion was further strength
med by the fact that Baker made no
attempt to get away, but was found to
been about town all day yesterday
md Saturday. Taking Bakers frank
manner of telling his story into account
Is well as Cavanaugh's well known
lab1ts when drunk, the officers came
o the conclusion that Cavanaugh wan
Iered into Bakers cabin and that the
acts were as Baker stated them. Baker
vas taken to the county Jail to be held
n a charge of assault in the first de-
rec.
Cavanaugh is in a critical condition
nd may not survive his injury. He is
a very bad compound fracture
I the skull which, in the trephinine
peration performed by the hospital
necessitated the removal of
pieces of the skull bone.
Last evening Cavanaugh was much
over his condition of the dav
etore and although the surgeons were
able TO state what his chances of
are, it was stated they were
better than they had been on ]
aturday. s
Mrs. Cavanaugh, who. ii was stated I
esterday could not be found. had been I
I Anaconda visiting her sister. She !
yesterday and was with her !
during the day. I
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