The herald., 1898-01-12
Hope Deferred Drove the
Man Mad
A BUTTE BANKER MURDERED
BY A MAN HE HAD MANY TIMES
BEFRIENDED
The Slayer Arrested and Struggled
Out of Town to Avoid Danger
of Lynching

Associated Press Special Wire
BUTTE. Mont, Jan. fitzpatrick A.
Largey, president of the State Savings
bank and one of the best-known citizens
of Butte, was shot and killed in the
bank building about l o'clock this after
noon, by Thomas j. Riley. Riley en-
tered the bank five.or ten minutes before
committing the bloody act He called
Largey to the cashiers window, ana
the two talked for five minutes or more
They were conversing in ordinary tones
and there was nothing to indicate that
their talk was otherwise than friendly
Suddenly Riley drew a gun and shot
through the window at Largey.. Ihe
bullet struck the latter in the left arm
and shattered the bone. Largey stopped
down, and had he continued in that posi-
ton ne might have escaped with MS llie'
as he was protected by the counter
However, he rose parly, and as ne oio
so Riley fired second shot. The ouliet
struck Mr.. Largey sciuarely IN the lore-
head and he fell over on the noor DEAD
The murderer started for the front door
on Park street, and as he passed the
tellers window he took a shot at those
behind the railing. The bullet narrow
IN missed Frank Holmes, one or the
clerks, dug a hole in his desk ana went
through glass in ONE of the windows on
the Main-street side of the building.
Riley then rushed out of the Park-Street
door. thrusting his pistol into his pocket
as he did So
William Huselton, a customer OF the
bank, was outside the railing when the
shooting occurred. He made a rush for
the man. but, deferred by the sight of
the weapon. did not grab him. He fol-
lowed Riley, however. Tie murderer
hurried west on Park street, totloWed
by Huselton, who kept calling out 10 az
rest the man. Officers attracted by the
shooting did so, and he was taken to
Jail.
He fooled me too long" exclaimed
Riley. when he arrived at the county
jail. "and l killed him. He kept prom
ising me work. but he did not give me
any. and l could not stand ii any long
er. Now, if you want to hang me for it,
all right. Give me a quick trial and
end it,"
The murderer has but one leg. He lost
the other in an explosion of the powder
warehouse at the Montana Central
wards and has since worn cork leg.
Largey was manager of one of the
companies whose warehouse exploded
and caused the loss.o of fifty-eight lives.
In contradiction to his statement that
Largey refused to help him, it is well
known that the banker frequently
helped him. He secured employment for
him a number of times, but Riley was
unable to hold position any length of
time. Largey also occasionally sup
piled him with money.
1t is asserted that the killing was the
result of conspiracy or an understand
ing to kill more than one man who had
managerial or proprietary interests in
the two warehouses that were the
scene of the explosions.
These warehouses belonged to the
Butte Hardware company. of which
Largey was manager. and the Kenyon
Connell company, of which w. r. Ken
Won was the head. Suits for damages
aggregating a quarter of million of
dollars were brought. and several ver-
diets were secured. but the explosions
and subsequent attachments had ex-
hausted the resources of the Kenyon
Connell company, while the Butte Hard
ware company had gone into liquidation
and the judgments are unsatisfied.
Riley was taken to Deer Lodge peni-
tentiary this afternoon, in company with
Bob Caldwell, another murderer, to
prevent lynching, which looked very
possible. They were smuggled out of
town in the poor farm ambulance.