The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-31
HIS HEAD and JAW SORE
Woodward Refuses to Talk Concern
ing Crime Charged Against Him
Processes Ignorance.
From Wednesdays Daily Gazette.

near Laurel last Monday ana DrOugnC
to this city, was a tolerably o r man
yesterday as a result of the pounding
he received at the hands of his cap
tors. He had nothing to say concern
ing the crime charged against him and
when he spoke it was only to profess
ignorance as to the nature of the Of
Tense Of which he is accused and de-
clared that he could not understand
why he should be held a prisoner.
To Jailer Robbins he said the two
men who had beaten and hammered
him were the ones that should be lock-
ed up and asked that they be placed
in Jail with him. He complained of
pains in the head and was unable to
eat anything because of the suffering
the attempt at mastication caused him
to have in his jaw. Two scalp wounds,
made by his captors, were sewed up
by a doctor Monday night and while
severe are not serious.
Attempts made to induce him to
talk about himself proved futile. He
declared he did not know where he
came from or what he had been do
ing, and efforts to get him to say any
thing about his family connections
were no more successful. He did ad-
NIT, however, that he had a sister,
who he said was living in Nebraska,
and that he had a brother, but profess
sed to know nothing concerning his
whereabouts.
+. Why He Killed Rickerts.
Although he now denies his guilt,
it is said by the men who captured
him that he freely admitted being the
man who had killed the Wyoming Of
ficer and even went into the details.
He said that he was put in Jail for
some trivial offense and that the sher-
if had promised he would let him
go out for the purpose of securing
bond. After he had him locked up
the sheriff, he said, would not only
not allow him to make an attempt to
obtain bail, but also refused to per-
nit anybody to see him. This had
embittered him against the officer and
when he managed to break Jail and
the opportunity to kill the sheriff
came he awaited himself of it. He
said that after he got out he went to
his ranch and was found there by the
sheriff while he was in the barn. The
sheriff had mistaken him for his
brother Clarence, who broke Jail with
him, and had asked him if he were
Clarence, the sheriff not being able to
see him plainly. For a reply, he is
alleged to have said he shot the sher-
if, who fell from his horse. Running
out he dragged the sheriff into the
barn and then beat him to death with
his revolver, saying he did so because
he was mad at the sheriff for having
treated him so meanly while he had
him in his power. When he was sat,
isfied that the officer vas dead he took
his watch and revolver and left and
worked his way to the Burlington and
then came north.
Was Well Armed.
1t is said that he left the train on
its approach to this city and walked
around the town going from the stock
yards and thence along the foot Of
the bluffs to the north. The revolver
he took from the man whom he killed
he traded off before coming here and
when arrested had a double action
Colt and also a single action pistol
of the same make, both of the old,
long-barreled variety. Had he not
displayed sc much confidence in the
man who proved to be his undoing, il
is not likely that he would have been
captured so easily, as he is a desper-
ate and determined fellow who values
human life lightly and who would not
hesitate at the commission of any
crime SO long as he believed it would
add to his chances of escape.
Reward Did 1t.
When Owen, one of his captors, be.
came satisfied that he was Woodward
he came to the city, several lays ago
and Informed Sheriff Hubbard of his
suspicious and asked his advice as
to the advisability of trying to take
him, and also made inquiries concern.
ing the reward. The sheriff offered tc
give him assistance, but Owen declin
ed to accept the offer, saying that
Woodward would kill any stranger
whom he saw about the ranch and sus
pected Of being an officer. He also
refused to say where Woodward was
merely telling the sheriff that he had
him located and could get him. II
was then that he got the handouts
and made his plans more, fully. Jack
Berkheimer. Owens hired man. WIFI