The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-29
CAPTAIN T|LLY IS MISSING
The Party Treacherously At
tackled by Natives.
THE WORST IS FEARED
A Helena Man Who Has Made Splen-
did Record in the Philippines.
Breveted Major for Meri-
torious Work.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena May 2S--The dispatch from
Manila telling of the disappearance of
Captain G. H. Tilly of the signal corps
at Escalante, island of Negroes, after
landing with a party to repair the cable
and being treacherously attacked by
natives, was an unwelcome piece OF
news in Helena where he had resided
for Is years and was very popular. The
local office of the Western Union, where
Captain Tilly was employed prior to
enlistment in the signal corps, received
a rumor from Chicago this afternoon
of his being missing. Later telegram
from General Greeley, the head of the
signal service, and the associated press
dispatches confirmed the news.
Universal regret is expressed and mis-
many Helena friends are hoping that
he has been captured and not killed, as
feared. Few Helena men in the service
of their country in the Philippines are
held in higher esteem than George II.
Ti1ly. The splendid record he has made
since reaching the Philippines has been
very gratifying to his friends, and ev-
cry one is hoping he will come out all
right He is 81 years of age, unmar-
ried, and a native of Jamaica, Long
Island, where his father and several
brothers and sisters reside.
In 1881 he came West to Chicago.
where he was employed by the Western
Union as operator until the great tele-
graphers' strike in 1888. He went out
on the strike and the following year
came to Montana, locating first a t Bill
lings, where he was employed several
months by the Northern Pacific tele-
graph department.. In the fall of 1884
he came to Helena and up to the time
he resigned his position as night chief
operator of the city office of the West
ern Union to organize part of a COM
pany for the signal corps he was con-
tinuously in the employ of the tele-
graph company. He stood well with his
employers and was equally popular
with the men in the office.
James Swan, the manager of the
Western Union office here, heard with
deep regret the news from Manila. He
speaks in the highest terms of Captain
lilly. AS
HE was a good man." said Mr.
Swan, honest, faithful, painstaking
and reliable, He never would ask a
man to do anything he would not do
himself. He was a man of splendid
habits and stood very well in the COM
nunity. Soon after the war broke out
he rendered his services to the govern
ment, and when President Mckinley
appointed him lieutenant of the volun-
teers signal corps he threw up his posi-
ton, good one, and set about organ
tzing part of a company. He entered
Zealously into the work and picked out
good men. | understand that he had
some difficulty about being allowed to
sail on the same boat from San Fran
cisco with the Montana boys. but so IN
domitable was his determination to go
at once that he succeeded in getting
the necessary orders and went with the
LIST regiment as far as Honolulu, occu-
plying the same berth with the late
Lieutenant French. From Honolulu he
sailed on the Rio de Janeiro to Manila
Where he was Immediately given re-
sponsible work. He was appointed
captain because of meritorious work
and was recently breveted major He
was in charge of all the cable work on
the island and also filled the position of
censor, If it should prove that he has
lost his life, his death will be loss
to the service, as well as a sad blow to
his relatives and friends"
Mr. Swan said that shortly before
leaving for the Philippines Captain TIL
y made his will disposing of several
thousand dollars worth of life insur-
ance and other property He remark
ed-When told that he had no cause to
fear he would be killed that he was not
SO sure, he was just as liable to fall as
any of the others. and he Intended to
prepare himself for the worst. He was
for number of years one of the lead
ing members of the First PRESBYTERIAN
church here and a devout Christian.
There will be considerable uneasiness
IN Helena until the truth respecting mis-
whereabouts is known. Captain Tilly
was under orders to return home as
soon as relief arrived and this would
h q hNA = sr,1
in the Philippines.