The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-12-15
OF Trouble Which Has Ended
in a
COLDBLOODED MURDER
]. v. Cunningham Is Shot Down at His
Wife's Bedside by the Latter's
Brother.

Butte, Dec. Al. v. Cunningham,
35 years of age, was shot and in
stantly killed this afternoon, by his
brother-in-law, LEVEL Felker. The
terrible tragedy occurred at the home
of Cunningham, on Big Butte, nd
was witnessed by several people. Nel-
ker claims the deed was done in the
defense of his sister, who is Mrs.
Cunningham, and whom he claims
Cunningham was about to stab with
an enormous dirk. Eye witnesses,
however, declares that the killing was
a deliberate murder and without pro.
vocation. The circumstances leading
up to the shooting Of today, date back
to the morning after Thanksgiving. At
that time Cunningham returned to
his home from town and he and his
wife got into quarrel when his wife
struck him on the head with some
blunt instrument and Cunningham
turned on her and stabbed her sew
eral times with a knife. The mother
of Mrs. Cunningham was present and
seems to have been the disturbing
element. She also took hand and
came toward Cunningham with a gun.
After the stabbing Cunningham came
to Butte, his face was covered with
blood, and he had wounds on his head
He surrendered to officers, to whom
he stated he had killed his wife. In.
vestigation showed, however, that the
woman was not dead. She was seri-
ously injured, but continued to i'm
prove, and yesterday was feeling
much better, although still confined to
her bed. Yesterday Cunningham was
released from jail, on bonds. He re-
ceived note from his wife asking
him to come and see her. He consult
ed his attorney who advised him to
take some one with him on the visit.
This he did and went to the house
where his wife received him with
marked affection, kissing him and ask.
ing him to come again. Today it
seems, he received another invitation
to come to her and again his attorney
advised him to take companion
with him. He took along a man
named McKinsley, the clerk of the
Cash lodging house, of which Cum
ningham was proprietor. Cunningham
reached his house little after noon
today, and he brought his wife some
flowers, which she admired very
much. He sat down by the side of
the bed talking to her and finally
he asked the persons In the room,
Mrs. Felker, and son, and McKinsles
to leave them as he wished to speak
to his wife alone. According to Fel-
ker's story, at this point he, (Felkcr)
saw Cunningham draw from under
his coat huge dirk which he raj sed
aloft over his PROSTATE wife. and Il
was then that Felker began to shoot.
he fired four shots, all of them taking
effect, and any one of them would
have caused death. According to Nc
kinsley, there was somewhat of a
quarrel between Cunningham and Eel
ker, in which the mother-in-law join
ed, interjecting many remarks which
rejected upon Cunningham. For in.
stance, when Cunningham offered 10
order groceries for Mrs. Felker, she
advised her daughter not to accept
them for fear they might be "doped. E"
She also is said to have talked fur.
ther in a like strain. Finally, SO
Mckinsley says, Felker called Cum
ningham liar. Cunningham said he
ala not want trouble and asked that
they leave him alone with his wife.
ana not to do anything to widen the
oreacn between them. AS Cunning
nam was sitting at the foot of the bed
Felker opened fire. After four shots
Cunningham fell over on the bed ana
then Felker ran over and pulled the
Dody on the bed onto the floor, AMI
as ne raised up from over the pros.
trate form of Cunningham he came
toward McKinsley, bearing in one
hand the revolver, and in the other
Dig dirk. McKinsley begged Eel.
ker not to shoot him, and Felker said
re would not. He told McKins,ey
vat ne had taken the dirk from Gun
fngham's hands. McKinsley says,
hwever, that Cunningham had no
KITE in his hands, and made not ono