Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-07
NJ ,. THUR
DENIES IT
Interview WITH THE ACCUSED
MURDERER.
HAD VISITED WITH DOTSON
SAID THAT HE KNEW NOTHING
OF THE KILLING UNTIL HE
SAW THE PAPERS,
STATE HAS A STRONG CASE.
Many Witnesses Will Tell Damagine.
Facts Regarding the Mysterious
Killing of Dotson.
Special to the Inter Mountain.

Speclal to the Inter Mountain,
Anaconda, March 7.-James Macarthur.
accused of THE murder of Oliver Dot.
son, was seen by an Inter Mountain re.
porter at the county Jail about noon to.
day. The prisoner was not inclined to
be very talkative, yet he declared thai
the last time he was at Oliver Dotson's
mouse was on February 4, when, he
sald, he and Dotson Went to Helena tu~
sether. He was not prepared to make Il
clear What events had transpired in hfS
career between that date and the 2CtH
OF February, the day The cla.m ms ITO have
arrived at Berry's ranch, near Florence,
except that he had worked a couple Of
days at Missoula ON his way over
After hs arrived at Berry's place, Nc
Arthur stated that he had been ha.r:na
the laitter put up some wood, and tried
to make it appear that he did not hear
OF Dotson's death until he saw the ac-
count of Ut in the paper last Saturday.
Also he did not know officers were look
ing for him.
Sheriff Mcmahon did not get up in
time this morning to catch the train
for Deer Lodge, SO he will stay over
un.1l tonight. He stated to the reporter
that he has two witnesses who vii!
swear positively that they heard a shot
fired i'm DOtson's cabin on Friday Feb-
ruary s. One of thin saw a man am
swering McArthur's description coming
down the road from Dotson's place about
twenty minutes later, which would have
given him just about long enough tima
| after the tragedy to arrange the gun
| on The WALL as he did.
Stockman by the name of Parker
also saw him about 4:3O p m. of tho
same day. The stage driver runnin3
from Avon to Washington gulch remem.
bers taking Macarthur over the roai.
The operator at Avon also recollects
when he got off the train there on thu
morning before THE tragedy happened.
The might after the killing the outlaw
went to farm house some distance
away and asked for lodging and break
fast. He explained that his pale cond-
tion was caused by his hand being hurt
in saw mill at Bonner, and to carry
out his story had it tied up in a hand-
kerchief.
Evarhall, where it was learned of the
frendiiness existing between he and the
Berry family.
The clue was followed up. and, as
stated yesterday, Deputy Sheriff Robins
son located the man at the Berry ranch.
He spent two nights near the house eN-
pecting that Macarthur might come out
of the house and he could get him, bus
he failed to show himself during that
time.
There is no doubt that Macarthur was
harbored by the Berry family. Every
day the feminine members would be at
the depot at each incoming train. get
the daily paper and through this means
endeavor to keep Macarthur posted on
the movements of the officers. Deputy
Robinson kept himself in the background
all this time. but every movement of the
family was carefully watched.
Sheriff Mcmahon related the whole
experience of the arrest this morning. He
said that after the Berry house was sur
rounded by Officers Conley, Robinson and
Bishop, he started to make an entrance,
and Deputy Kendall volunteered to go
in with him. He forced the door ops1,
and found Mrs. Berry in the room With .
lamp in her hands. He told the lady he
was an officer and cautioned her not to
move. She obeyed, and explained where
her husband was. His room was enter
ed. He was in bed. and tod the sheriff
after a brief conversation that Macarthur
was up stairs. He was assured by Berry
that Macarthur had no fire arms. but
acting on the proposition of safety, he
had Mrs. Barry ascend the stairway to
McArthur's apartments directly in front
of him. holding his arm over the woman'S
shoulder with a 45-calibre revolver IN
his hands. He called to Macarthur to
throw up his hands, which he did, and he
was soon placed in shackles. Before the
officers took him away from the house,hs
bade the Berry family good bye, and
kissed the oldest daughter. Nina Berry,
for whom he had particular fOndness.
McArthurs real name is James Fam.
ming, and is said to have a brother -e.
siding at Grand Forks.N. d. County At.
torney Simpson of Powell countyis ex-
pected in the city this afternoon to ar.
range for a preliminary hearing.