Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-09
4 RELIC OF
EARLY DAYS
Z UHH hA"E
Hn1 IIhA0
!.
BALCAIN PETIT WAS A WELL
KNOWN CHARACTER IN
BUTTE.
OWNED CONSIDERABLE
VALUABLE PROPERTY.
Whisky and the Faro Table Were
Responsible-Died in
Howell.

Balcain Petit, relic of early day
prosperity and one of the best known
Characters in the city Of Butte, was
found dead in his cabin on Wyoming
alley, just south of East Park street,
yesterday afternoon, as briefly stated in
last nights Inter Mountain.
Thomas Bainbridge made the discov-
cry and found the body of Petit lyIns
beside an Old stove with his head in q
market basket. He had evidently been
lying there for three or four days. The
condition OF the cabin was something
frightful. The floor was thick with an
accumulation of greasy dirt, the dishes
Were filthy, and the bedding used by
Petit was literally caked with grease
and dirt. Taken as a whole, a more.
filthy place could not we'll be imagined.
| The body was removed to Richards
undertaking rooms and Coroner Brown
Will hold an inquest tonight.
Petit was about 5S years of age, ana
at one time was looked upon as a
wealthy and influential citizen He came
to Montana about twenty years ago and
was the first undertaken in the city OF
Butte, his shop being located just op-
posite the site now occupied by the
Auditorium building. He accumulated
considerable money. in the business ana
commenced to buy Butte real estate. He
purchased a lot of property on East
Park street, east of Main street, and
also considerable property on West
Broadway.
His troubles probably began with his
wife, from whom he secured divorce.
In 1892 he had trouble with a man named
Gordon Sherman in an East Park street
saloon, and Shot him in the abdomen,
the bullet puncturing the intes'tines and
dropping into one OF his shoes. Laper-
otomy was performed and Shermans life
was saved. 1T developed upon investl-
cation that the bullet had been detected
by button on the clothing of Sher-
man and after slightly puncturing the
intestines dropped into the shoe.
Petult mortgaged his property for $15,-
900 to pay the expenses incidental to the
shooting, and as Sherman recovered
Petit was in Jail only short time. He
then began drinking to excess and gam
bling, and it was not long before he was
''broke' and became a common drunkard
and, a charge on the county. Before
Petit sunk to the level of a common
drunkard he was "a plunger in the gam
bling games in which he took part, often
+ playing several hundred dollars on the
| turn of cawd. During the past few
/ years he had been troubled with asthma,
and this, in conjunction With his heavy
drinking, is supposed to have resulted
in his death.
/ Sherman, the man who was shot by
| Petit, is now an inmate of the insane
| asylum at Warm Springs. Two years
ago he was found crawling on his hands
and knees on the fiat, with both of his
feet frozen. He was in demented con-
dition, and after his toes had been am
/ putated he was sent to the asylum. II
4 isdsaid that Sherman in company with
! man named Bob Stagg, went to Sheriff
Reynolds several years ago, and for the
\ sake of the reward Offered for The arras,
and conviction of man who killed three
I Cinnamon in Horse canyon, wanted to
! SWEAR the life Of an innocent man away
A man named Fredericks was arrested
in San Francisco some time afterwards
for killing a bank cashier, and he con-
fessed that he had killed the Cinnamon
1 but he was not the man whom Sherman
4 and Stagg wanted to deliver up to JUS
/ tice.