The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-10
IS TAKING NO CHANCES
Sheriff Waite Brings Back the
Three Murderers.
THREATS OF LYNCH
Cowboys Were Waiting for the Party
on the Overland Route-The Feel
ing Is Running High Against
the Men.

Special Dispatch TO the Standard
Helena, Oct 9.-Sheriff ]. ID. Waite
Fergus county, arrived here this morn
ing from Billings with VIM. and James
Calder and ID. Fisher. the three men
recently captured near Forsythe for the
murder in Fergus county of Farquhar
McRae and John Allen. The sheriff
Is taking the men to Lewistown for
trial Oficer and men left tonight
over the Great Northern for Fort Ben
ton. where they will take the stage for
Lewistown. Sheriff Waite is alone. but
he takes every precaution in the way
of shackles and does not fear in his
ability to safely land the men In the
Lewistown jail
The sheriff did not dare to take the
men overland to Lewistown from Bill
lings, as reports of an attempted
lynching were common on the streets
OF Billings. 1t was reported that a gang
OF cowboys was laying in wait on the
Billings-Lewistown trail for the men,
proposing to give them short shrift. The
feeling Is pretty high against them,
and in order to take no chances the
sheriff decided to take them via Ben
ton. He anticipates no trouble between
benton ana LeWlStOWn.
Sheriff Waite says that the account
OF the AFFAIR printed in the Standard
was substantially correct. McRae and
his herder. John Allen, were killed i'm
cold blood and their bodies thrown in
the Musselshell near the Hude ranch,
60 miles above the Musselshell mouth.
Then the murderers started for the
Northern Pacific, with McRae's sheep,
proposing to sell the animals and leave
driving the sheep along the trail.
James Calder, the younger of the broth
ers, and ID. Fisher lay the crime on
William Calder. They both tell prac-
tically the same story. They said he
not only did the killing. but forced them
TO help load the bodies into a wagon
and take them to the Musselshell.
where they were dumped into a pool.
The bodies We're wrapped in a large
piece of tarpaulin. Then the three
started for the railroad with the sheep.
VIM. Calder denies the story of the
other two. He says that he Is sure that
McRae and his herder are still alive.
He claims that he hired out to McRae
to help drive the sheep to the North
ern Pacific. McRae left him with the
sheep and with Allen went on ahead,
Ito steal another band" to quote CAL
ders words.
Regardless OF william Calders' de-
nials OF knowledge or the crime and his
efforts to be non-committal. the sheriff
got him to commit himself. Just be-
fore he took the men from the Bill
lings' Jail he told William that he had
decided to go via Helena and Benton.
why don't you go overland?"
asked he.
Because party is waiting on the
trail to lynch you" The man quailed
for the first time, betraying his feel
ings. He is not permitted to talk to the
others for fear they may agree to tell
a different story. The sheriff believes
that all three were implicated in the
murder and that a conviction can be
secured. The bodies have not been
found yet, but Mr.. Waite believes they
will be in a few days.
He has a party at work hunting the
river and they will continue the search
down the Missouri IL they are not sue
cessful in the Musselshell. The fact
that the crime was committed Sept. "a
and not known for a week is explained
by the fact that Flat Willow, the scene
of the murder. is about 100 miles from
Lewistown and removed from direct
communication except by a tri-weekly
mail.