The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-22
coWARDLY MURDER OF sUPERlN-
TENpENT At SHELTER.
WANTED MACHINE TESTED
Lynching Averted by Speedy Arrest
Of Murderer-Jail Now Pro-
teeted by GIards.

Anaconda, July 2O.-Fatally wound
ed by two bullets from the murderous
revolver of John McGeary of this city,
William ]. Evans, ST., consulting en-
gineer and superintendent of machin-
cry for the WasIoe smelters, died at
st. AIMS hospital at 1910 O'clock
last night He was surrounded by his
family, who were awaiting death,
which steadily and inevitably ap-
preached, hour by hour, and minute
by minute.
John McGeary, the assassin, who
fired the shots, is locked in a cell at
the county Jail and apparently does
not regret his dastardly act. AS a
motive for the crime, he says that Mr..
Evans would not adopt an improved
piece of machinery which he, Nc
Geary, had invented, for use in the
concentrator building.
The shooting took place few min
utes after $3.50 o'clock in the morn
ing, at the carriage shed. Mr.. Evans,
accompanied by Chief Engineer Chas.
H. Repath, had just arrived at the
works from uptown and drove imme-
diately to the carriage shed. There
they alighted and McGeary approach
ed Mr.. Evans and engaged him in
conversation. Mr.. Repath paid no at
tention to the fellow, and walked on
to the Office. AS he passed out of
hearing these words, spoken by Mr..
Evans, reached his ears:
"You will have to see Mr.. Esta-
brook, superintendent of the concen-
traitor, about that. l have nothing to
say regarding it"
This fragmentary sentence was all
that he heard. About Is minutes lat
er the occupants of the office build
ing and the outside workmen nearby
were startled by two shots, fired in
rapid succession. A moment later Mr..
Evans was found lying face downward
on the ground, weltering in his own
blood. At the same time McGeary
was seen bounding down the hill in
the direction of the city with smok-
ing revolver in his hand.
Some of the men stopped to assist
the wounded man and others started
in pursuit of the murderer. At the
bottom of the hill a rifle was secured
and heart-rending chase was being
run. The man who had the rifle, and
whose name has not been learned,
took two shots at the flying man, and
the last came so near him that he
threw up his hands and surrendered
to the pursuers, who were headed by
E. R. Merson, time-keeper on the hill.
A few minutes later Under Sheriff
Morgan, who had been informed of
the shooting by telephone, arrived and
took McGeary into custody.
Mr.. Evans was driven to the hos
pital in a buggy.
On the way to Jail McGeary ex-
claimed:
'The stupidity of that man Evans
came near getting me killed a short
time ago, and now can't work."
A few moments later he cried:
"My God, this will kill my old folks"
Mr.. Evans had by this time been
removed to the hospital, and Drs.
Spellman and Mckenzie made every
possible effort for his relief. One of
the bullets entered the body in the
middle of the back, the other higher
up, barely below the back of the neck.
An examination proved the wounds
to be of the most dangerous kind.
DR.. Murray Of Butte was telephoned
for, and arrived at noon on special
train. His family at Great Falls were
notified by wire and. leaving there
about noon on special train, arriv
ed at 6:15 in the evening.
Several hours before their arrival
the physicians had despaired of Mr..
Evans life and made the greatest
efforts to keep him alive until the
family arrived.
John McGeary. who shot Mr.. Evans,
is single man and resides, together
with his aged father and mother, with
the family of his brother, M. H. Nc
Geary, at 716 East Fourth street. An.
other brother, Pat McGeary, also lives
in Anaconda. Thomas MCGUIRE, man
ager of the DAILY Bitter Root stock
farm. is a brother-in-law of McGeary.
At the county iail the nrisonar m a do