Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-14
NOTHING NEW
IN TRAGEDY
INTER MOUNTAINS EXTRA TOLD
WHOLE STORY ON NIGHT
OF THE CRIME.
MRS. TAFT WILL RECOVER
AND IS ABLE TO TALK.
Tells How Paustian Accomplished
Fiendish Deed-Mrs. Paustian
Returns to the City.

During the time that has elapsed since
Saturday evenings terrible tragedy no
new facts have been brought out. The
story of the most startling crime ever
committed in Silver Bow county, as told
in the Inter Mountains extra, issued a
short time after the commission of the
deed, has not been changed by the de-
yelopments of the past SO hours. Much
interest was taken in the terrible event
and for an hour or more, late saturday
evening, the presses of the Inter Noun
tain Numbered off thousands of copies OF
the extra. so great was the demand Tor
the edition.
Mrs. TAFT will recover. The wound in
her head is superficial, but she Will carry
to her grave. as a memento OF the aWful
experience of her life, the scar Of the
wound, which came so nea" to endlnS
her existence. She was very much I'M
proved yesterday and had somewhat re-
covered from the shock, suft.2len- 10 ais
cuss the shooting.
"When we arrived at our home it was
not quite dark she said. AS we drove
up to the house Paustian ran out OF the
buggy shed, a short distance from the
house. He. had a gun in each hand. MY
husband was out of the buggy in an IN
slant and started to run for the mouse.
AS he did SO Paustian commenced nrlng
at him. My husband called TO him:
For God's sake. Charlie, don't kill me.
1 never had anything to do with your a.
fairs. Spare me for my Wife
IL nave come to kill you both, Paus-
tian replied. and with that he continued
shooting. / got out Of the buggy ana
started to run for a cabin about a GUAR
ter of a mile away in the hope of secur-
ing assistance. Paustian saw me and ran
after me. He soon caught up with me. I
pleaded with him to spare my life, but
he deliberately loaded the gun before my
eyes and shot me. l do not remember
what happened after that
Mrs. Paustian arrived in the city last
evening, and spent the evening with Der
friend, Mrs. TAFT. at the hospital. I'm
mediately after the decree of divorce was
granted Saturday afternoon, she was
taken to the home of soma friends, who
live near the reservoir. This was done
in order to get her out OF the way Of
Paustian. The place is somewhat remote
and she did not learn of the havoc
wrought in the home of her friends by
her husband until late Sunday afternoon,
Then she Immediately returned to the
city. Naturally. she is very much
wrought up over the trouble that has sc
suddenly come to her and her friend.
"While 1 expected that my husband
would try to kill me, I did not think he
would attempt to do what he has done
said She. HE has often threatened my
life. and that was the reason I got Gut
OF the way nllleuldlely after the Ill
vorce was granted. Mr.. and Mrs. Tat
befriended me. but they never encourag.
!. ed me in getting a divorce. I could no
live with my husband because of hi:
, abuse. On one occasion when l was stop
} ping at the TAFT home my husband came
! to see me and pleaded so hard and prom
! Used SO faithfully to behave himself tina
! I went back to live with him, but in {
} short time l was compelled to leave him
J Il want to deny the published state
I ment that I am engaged to be married
I to Mr.. Gretz, the man VINO drove me t.
my friends home near the reservoir. Mr.
Gretz worked for Mr.. TAFT and I knev
/ him well. We are friends, but beyont
I that there is nothing between us. and tn
! statement certainly did me a great in
} Justice"