The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-14
EARLY DAY TRAGEDY RECALLED
BY DAVID HoRGAN KILLING.
MURDERED FOR HIS MONEY
Fearful Fate of Wealthy Englishman
Who Was Wintering With Two
Companions on the Upper
Madison.
Especial t. Inter Mountair.D

killed by his companions, in the hills. for
the little money he possessed.
Away up in the Madison valley. about
80 miles from Virginia City, and I few
miles above the bridge. at The mouth of
the. West Fork of the river. is a place
where the bluffs make horseshoe curve
from the river and leave little bottom
exposed, which is known as Dead Man S
Flat. This is how its title vas gained.
In the early ,O's two men started TO
float down The river from the National
Park to where they could reach civilza-
ton and comfort and one OF these died
there. The time vas about Christmas.
The men had decided 10 winter N the
park-to be the first white men to ever
pass winter season in a region that was
then practically unkn WI and but little
Too Much to Stand.
But the awful silence. the deep SHOWS
and the knowledge that they We're liter
ally out of the world was more than they
could bear, and they resolved to float
down the river t. \ point from which
they could reach Virginia City and there
ENJOY some of he comforts COR which
they longed
Their names, f they were ever known.
have been forgotten, but they are in.na-
terial. For awhile they got along nicely
and. although the Madison river is in
places swift and dangerous. they sue
ceeded in reaching Pine Buttes in safety.
At this place there are a number of
big rocks in the river. and here IS where
ill-luck befel th"m. The boat was driven
onto one of these rocks and capsized.
throwing both of the men in the water.
One OF the men was a good swimmer,
and he succeeded in getting on shore
With his companion it was different He
could swim but little and the current was
too much for him. but, after being carried
down the river for some distance he
finally succeeded in scrambing onto a
large rock which stuck its head above
the water. where he held on in distress.
Rescued With Difficulty.
From this position his companion final
ly rescued him with difficulty, but when
he was got to shore he was thoroughly
chilled through and near his death. The
rescuer built roaring fire of drift wood
and did all in his power to aid his COM
panion, but the icy bath was too much
for him, and he failed to respond to the
efforts to bring the blood of life back into
his frame.
In little while he gave up the ghost in
that lonely spot on the upper Madison.
The other man, after a hard struggle
through the deep snow. reached the
settlements and told his story, and a
party soon went up to Pine Buttes to
verify it.
Everything was found AS he told them
1t would be, and the dead man was
buried in the snow to await the spring
time, when it was given decent burial
near the spot where the unfortunate man
had breathed his last. From this Incl
dent the little bottom was named Dead
Mans Flat"
Coursing down through this fat are
two little streams. One had already been
named "Pine Butte Creek" in honor of
the pine-covered buttes which overlook
the river. For many years the other
creek went unnamed, but now it is
named Dead Mans Creek" and the cir
cumstance of it's christening is as fol-
lows /:
Buys Much Food.
Over 20 years ago an Engishman, ac-
companied by two other white men, came
into Virginia City and bought a large
supply of food. stating that he and his
men intended to winter on the Upper
Madison and that he expected to hunt for
greater part of the winter in the hopes
of securing a number Of choice elk and
mountain sheep heads to carry back to
England with him when he returned to
the old country the following year
He bought only the best material that
could he secured for his camping outfit;
his grub" was of the very best and in
cluded all the delicacies that could be
secured in the market and his supply OF
ammunition was practically unlimitod
or money he had plenty. and he paid
without bubble and acted as If a la ok
Of money was the least Of his troubles.
1t was noticed at the time that he kept
it in little green iron box and the mer-
chants Of whom he bought his supplies
commented on it and told afterwards
that tho box was apparently crammei
full Of hank notes and 500 gold pieces.
Hauled to Wolf Creek.
The "eruh" was hauled by one IF Tom
Farre}rs teams to Wolf Creek. tribu-
tary Of the Madison river which joins the
strea m about 40 miles from Virginia City
and from, there it was loaded onto horses
and packed to a point where this then
unnam"a stream leaves III" mountains.
The last ever seen Of the EnaliShman
by any one. except his men, was when
he paid he driverof the rig and hade him
goodbye. The one who drove that rig,
who was then lad is J. r. Conway
now r. resident of Billings.
After the grub" was packed up to
the cabin. one Of the mon returned to
the valley and placed the horses which
numbered about Il dozen head. into a
pasture for the winter and then re-
turned to the upper Madison to re-
Join his companions
This was early in the month Of De-
remher, the exact year of which has
been forgotten. Occasionally. as the
winter Wore on. one or the other of the
men would make tho trip to Virginia
City secure the mail and anything thai
might he needed for the comfort o.
the camp.
Departure from the Valley.