The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-23
BUTTE News.
DIED OF HIS INJURIES
John Currie Succumbs to the
Blows Dealt by Besley.
SHOWS LITTLE CONCERN
Death of Currie Does Not Affect Hesley
to Any Great Extent - Wife
Calls Him "a Jealous
Old Brute"

John Currie, instead of Curry as the
name was first given, the man who
was dubbed by John Hesley yesterday
morning, died at st. James hospital
at $3.50 o'clock yesterday forenoon and
Hesley is held under a charge of muir
der at the county jail.
When Currie was taken to St. James
hospital DR.. Alexander examined his
injury. What he found dispelled what
little hope he had previously had of
being able to save the mans life. He
found that three plates of the skull had
been literally shattered, the fracture
extending from above the right eye
up over the temple and then straight
back. 1t was more than 10 inches in
length and in places the bone was bro
ken into bits. On raising the bone to
relieve the pressure on the brain a
clot of blood as large as a baseball
was found on the brain. This and the
broken bits of skull were removed, but
nothing further could be done, as the
man was in no condition to withstand
a trephning operation. There was ut
terlyn hope for him, and he died with
out ever rallying the slightest.
The story of the trouble between
Currie and Hesley as told by Hesley
shortly after the assault and publish
ed in yesterdays Standard, was sub
stantially correct, as the facts which
were pretty thoroughly established yes
terday go to show, only a. few unim-
portant details being omitted from his
relation of the circumstances.
From the, investigation made by the
authorities yesterday it appears Cur
RE was acquainted with Celia Decker
w hn
siderable unenviable notoriety, who
lives with her mother next door to
the home of Hesley in Mahoney street
and it was through visiting the Deck
ers that Currie made the acquaint-
ance of Mrs. Hesley. When Hesley
went home from work Wednesday
evening to find no one at home and no
supper awaiting him, he was much
put out, owing to the frequency with
which the same thing had occurred
lately. He went away and stayed till
10 O'Clock. In the meantime Currie,
accompanied by his friend, Mike Con-
nors, and w. j. Counihan, called on the
Deckers. When it came time for Mrs.
Decker to retire she invited them to
take their leave, and they transferred
themselves to Hesley's house, where
Hesley, on his return, found them
drinking beer with his wife and 10
year-old daughter Hesley addressed
sat down and chatted with them, till
at length the hour of midnight arrived
and he commenced to think the Wis
ltors were outstaying their welcome,
and as he had to go to work in the
morning, he arose, remarking that it
was time for him to go to bed, expect
ing them to take the hint
just as he arose Hesley caught Cur
rie and Mrs. Hesley making Sleeps
eyes at one another. He instantly flew
into a rage, ordered the men from the
house and struck his wife a blow that
knocked her down. The men ran out
of the house and Hesley followed pick
ing up a stick of cordwood in the yard
as he went. Overtaking Currie, he
dealt him the fatal blow and was re-
turning home when he met Connors
and gave him a welt also. Counihan
had made good his escape. Hesley
then returned home and proceeded to
give his wife Cudgeling with the
same club he had used on two of her
admirers. The woman was given a
pretty hard beating, but was not seri-
ously hurt. Hesley had just finished
with his wife when the officers arrived
and arrested him.
The police yesterday found the club
Hesiey used in Draining Currie. 1t is
round stick of cordwood, two and a
half or three inches in diameter and
about three feet long. Morris Thomp-
son, a 15-year-old boy, witnessed the
assault. He told the police he saw
Hesley overtake Currie, and as he did
SO he seized his club in both hands and
swung a terrific blow on Currie's head.
Currie staggered, but recovered him
self and ran on to the Copper State
saloon. AS though satisfied, Heslcy
turned to retrace his steps after deal
ing Currie the blow. Going but a few