Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-13
CARROLL MYSTERY
Report That a Murder Was
Committed There.
STORY IS MOI CREDITED
A House That Had Been Closed For
Four Days Was the Cause OF
Much Speculation.
STORY is NOT CREDITED

There were all kinds of rumors afioat
last night over a mystery a. Carroll, in
which it was claimed murder was COM
mitted. An Inter Mountain reporter nap
pened down there between 6 and O'CLOCK
last evening. In the boarding houses
could be heard the mystery discussed
pro and con. According to me his'
rumors, a certain house just east Oh the
Gavin house, on Main street, IN "hlch
a mar named Clinton and his VIE re-
sided, was the scene of the mystery. NO
sign of life could be detected around the
place for four days and nights. Inc
sheriff was notified and an entrance et-
fected. All the contents were there. Tn
table was set. On the wall and moor
were patches of blood, and the SUPPOSE
ton was that the man had murdered his
wife, threw her into some slump and de-
camped. This was the substance OF the
first stories heard by an Inter
reporter. An inquiry was at once begun.
1t was claimed by some that MI. Flnnl-
gan and Mr.. Gibson, night watchmen at
Carroll. had seen ghosts about the place
for four nights, and they were the ones
who had caused the house to be opened
up by the sheriff. Within a few minutes
Messrs. Finnigan and Gibson were found
on their beaets in front of the Gavin
house. They disclaimed any knowledge
of the mystery until told by the reporter.
Mr.. j. G.. Malloy, the night Waterman at
Lower Carroll, when seen at s o'clock
last night, claimed he knew nothing of
the affair, other than the house was not
lighted for four nights, and he would not
1n,,o +hn,,1ht nf tho I 1ln1nSS now rp"lnd-
ed by the unusual story.
At the coIty Jail in the city it was
learned thZ Sheriff Conley was called
and went down and made an examina-
ton of til house.. 1t was furnished, with
the table set, or, rather not cleared since
the last meal. Some dark spots were
found on the~alls and floor, which
might nave been blood, but he did not
think a crime had been committed. 1t is
learned today at an early hour that Mr..
Clinton is somewhere in Anaconda. He
was among the men who walked out at
the time of the converter labor trouble.
1t is claimed by some that Mr.. Clinton
not having found employment, his wife
was sent east several days ago, and four
days ago he locked up the house and
came up town, and is stopping with
friends, but his whereabouts are un>
known.
Last night at 9 o'clock an old gentle
man from Carroll came to the jail to in
quire about the case. He claimed it was
reported in Carroll that Clinton had been
arrested for the murder of his wife, but
he was assured by Under Sheriff Morgan
that such was not the case. At Carroll
last evening all kinds of fairy and ghost
stories We're going the rounds, until it
appeared as though a real murder had
been committed.
A:-u cute 80 III YN,o~J- NsVDr;o,
said last night that Clinton had his head
cut in a fight, or some other way, a short
time ago, and on the same night left for
home in an intoxicated condition, and it
is more than probable that in this way
the blood came upon the wall and floor,
by the man moving and staggering
around the house. He does not believe,
from what he has heard of the case, that
a crime has been committed.
Two arrests have been made in con-
nection with the Carroll mystery. John
McAlinden, commonly called McLinden,
was arrested last night in a Park avenue
saloon. He is the husband of the miss
ing woman. Pat Swift, who has roomed
with the McAlindens at Carroll, was also
taken in. He was arrested in Butte last
night as a witness, and was brought back
today. Neither of the men nave much
to say. A bloody sheet, bed spread, pill
low slip and handkerchief, found in the
house, are now in County Attorney Duff
fy's office. Meanwhile, the investigation
is going on by all the officers. Some peo-
pie claim McAlinden and the missing wo-
mar are not married. She is well known
in Anaconda. Her first husbands name
was w. j. Kearns. He left her in 1894,
At one time she conducted the Montana
Union Section house at Anaconda. Later
she ran a boarding house where Mac
Callum & Clotier's new block stands.
Her little boy died there. McAlinden