The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-30
BROUGHT OUT BY INQUEST
concIusiveiy Shown That Robbery
Was Motive Of crime-Dead
Mans Pockets Rifled.

Japanese employment agent, whose
Custer last Monday, a. murdered.
A bullet hole in the breast tells the
cause of death and the fact that ef-I
forts had been made to conceal the
body by burying it under. a shallow
covering of earth leaves but little
room for doubt Of the manner in
which the wound was inflicted and the
purpose of the one who inflicted it.
Coroner Chapple returned last
night from Fort Custer, where he
went yesterday morning for the pur-
pose of holding an inquest. The testi-
mony adduced, while not positive.
vas still considered sufficiently strong
to satisfy the friends of the dead
man that his murderer was K. Wada,
a cook who had been employed in the
Japanese camp with which the dead
man was connected and near where
his remains were found.
" The most important evidence given
IldC u II. l.. lll1CA JAC
ton pump man at Fort Custer. The
Japanese car" as it is called by the
railroad men is on a sidetrack near
the tank and in plain view Of the lat
ter. Smith testified that May 10 he
say Inomata get off a train from Bill
ings and noticed him several times
afterward. About 5 o'clock that after
noon he observed Wada come across
the river and go to the Japanese
car" and shortly afterward leave the
a again, with a bundle under his
arm, recross the river and walk to-
ward a cluster of bushes, which he
entered. Because of his strange and
excited manner when he came to the
a car, Smith watched Mada's move
ments closely and kept his eyes on the
bushes until dark without seeing the
cook leave.
Wada failed to return to the a
that night, but reappeared the next
day and said he had been to the Crow
agency. He was about the a a
short time and then disappeared once
more and has not been seen since.
A section foreman named White
testified that he saw Wada on the
morning of the 14th and told him that
a couple of Japs were looking for
him. Wada asked where they were
and upon being told the direction in
which they had gone started after
them, but came back and left again.
White said he had laid off two of his
men, Japanese, to look for Wada on
the 14th, but they had been unable
to find him.
AS Inomata, travelled about a great
deal, White said he had not institut-
ed a search for him until May 25, be-
cause he had heard that he was at
Jerome, Wyo. Subsequently it was
ascertained that the man cen there
had not been Inomata and then a
systematic search fer the missing
one was begun.
This concluded the testimony taken
at the camp and DR.. Capple adjourn,
ed the inquest until today and it is
now In progress in this city, having
been resumed until this afternoon.
The body of Inomata was brought
to the city last night and taken to
Smiths undertaking rooms, where It
now is. 1t will be buried this even
ing.
Search Of the pockets Of the dead
man, made during the inquest yester-
day showed them to have been rified
Of everything, except rs cents in
change.
Messages were passing today be
tween the local representative of the
Oriental company and the headquar-
tiers at Portland and it is believed
that a reward will be offered for the
arrest Of wada, the alleged murderer.