The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-02
FIRST DEGREE MURDER
The Jury Finds James q. Fisher
Guilty as Charged.
TWAS A BRUTAL CRIME
He Was One OF the Murderers OF Far
Quhar McRae and His Herder
John Allen Calder Was
the Principal Witness.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Great Falls. April 1.--At a late hour
last night the jury in the murder case
against James Eli Fisher at Lewistown
brought in verdict of murder in the
first degree after an absence from the
court room of SO hours. 1t was gener-
ally thought throughout the town that
the result would be a disagreement or
compromise verdict, as the jury. in the
afternoon, reported to Judge DuBose
that they could not agree and asked if
they would be permitted to bring in a
compromise verdict.
This makes the second man condemn
ed to death for the murder of Farquhar
McRae and his herder, John Allen.
Fisher and the two Calder brothers,
William w. and James, were the muir
derers. and in the two trials just finished
James Calder was the principal witness
for the state. He is but 10 years old, but
made very cool witness. In substance
he said:
In the early part of September he and
his brother were stopping at the Flat
Willow ranch. of their stepfatner, Sam
uel Smith, their time being largely en-
ployed in hunting: after a time his
brother directed him to go to Billings
after one James Fisher, also instruct
ing him to purchase new rifle; this he
did in due time Fisher appeared at the
ranch and all three boys engaged in
hunting. Finally William Calder in
. formed his associates that he had
scheme to make some money, his plan
being to kill McIiae and his herder, AL
len, appropriate McRae's band of sheap,
drive them to the railroad and dispose
SO Vol rs
this proposition, but by threats was CO.
creed into entering into the schame.
On the afternoon of Sept. "a the three
left the Smith ranch, stating that they
were going out to bring in an antelope
that had been wounded. They proceed
ed to McRae's some two and half miles
away, where they encountered McR2e.
They engaged him in conversation. ami
then. without warning, William Cal6fSr
raised his rifle and shot McRae in the
forehead. Death was instantaneous.
At the direction of his brother, Jimmy
then tied a rope around McRaes feet,
attached the rope to the horn of his
saddle and dragged the body to an old
chimney near McRae's cabin, about a
mile away, where the corpse was con-
cealed. William Calder then instructed
Fisher to 60 and kill Allen, the herder.
Fisher took the gun, went over the hill
TO where Allen was and soon a shot was
remark, Its off,, meaning that he had
disposed of the herder. All three went
down to the scene of the last tragedy,
where rope was put around the feet of
Allen and he, too was dragged to where
the body of McRae was secreted. The
two bodies were then wrapped in a
tafpaulin and securely tied with ropes.
They were left there until morning, the
boys returning to the Smith ranch to
spend the night. Bright and early the
boys returned to the scene of the muir
der, where preparations were at once
made for leaving the country with Nc
Rae's sheep and personal effects. The
ranch of Lou Lewis, near neighbOr,
was visited by William Calder and Nc
Rae's team and wagon secured. Then
McRae's cabin was Invested of its be-
longings and these were packed in the
wagon. A large quantity CT grub was
also loaded in. Then the bodies of the
two dead men We're loaded in and after
rounding up the sheep the trio started
on their journey, their objective point
being Miles City, where they expected
to dispose of the sheep. After going a
short distance William Calder was met
by Sam Smith, whose suspicious had
evidently been aroused. Calder e6-
planned to his stepfather that he (CaI-
der) had been employed by McRae to
drive the sheep to the railroad, he to
receive $500 therefor. Smith then went
away and the boys proceeded on their
journey, reaching the Musselshell about
2 p. m. of the next day. They at once
went into camp. The sheep were turned
out to Craze and the trio busted them
selves in constructing huge bonfire of
dry logs found on the banks of the river.
When this task was completed the
bodies of McRae and Allen were placed
thereon and actually cremated, hot,
roasting fire being maintained from
o'clock until midnight. The next morn
ing the boys took their shovels and
dumped the ashes and what was left of
the remains into the river They then
broke camp and moved on, meeting
with no noteworthy experiences until
overtaken by the posse headed by Jeff
Sherman.