Fergus County argus., 1902-07-23
CRAFT, CONFESSED MUIR.
DERER, KILLS HIMSELF
His Body Found Near Shed of Vesseth Bros. on Road
From Landusky to Coburn Ranch Last Friday.
Though News Did Not Reach Lewis
town Until Monday.
LEFT BRIEF NOTE TO SHERIFF, CONFESSINC CRIME
Ran Away From Remains of Mcclure Whom He
Had nurdered, and After Cutting His Own
Throat, Attempted to Run Away From
the Scene of the Last Deed.

The last chapter in the story of the
terrible murder of the sheep herder,
Walter Mcclure, by w. C. Craft on
Rose creek on the 10th inst has been
written. The details of the crime will
never be known, not even from the
perjured lips of the murderer, for
he has killed himself.
Shakespeare wrote THUS con.
science does make towards of us ALL
and 1t was certainly true in the case
of Craft, for not only did his con.
science drive him to fee from the
scene on Rose creek, but when, gain.
ing temporary nerve, he cut his own
throat three days later, he attempted
to get away from this place and his
body was discovered seventy-five
yards distant.
The first news of the finding of
Crafts body was received by Sheriff
Shaw last Monday morning in a tel.
egram from Sheriff Clary of Choteau
county, which stated that "w. c.
Craft, murderer of Mcclure, suicided
between Landusky and Coburn ranch
Immediate effort was made by the Of
fcers here and by the ARGUS to OBJ
tain detailed information and 1t was
only after exasperating delays and ri
diculous excuses that the telephone
company was able to induce a repre-.
sentative of the sheriff's force in Ben.
ton to come to the phone. About
three in the afternoon the ARGUS got
into communication with Sheriff Clary
and received from him the following,
which the sheriff read from a letter
he had received from his deputy at
Landusky:
There has been a suicide commit.
ted between Landusky and Coburn
ranch on 18th. Fellow left note un.
signed in which he confessed to kill
ing of sheep herder in Fergus coun
ty named Mcclure. The fellow also
left a note addressed to you telling
you to tell Sheriff Shaw of Lewis
town. The man was five feet ten
inches tall, hair almost red, mustache
light, corduroy suit, black John D.
Stetson hat sold by Power Mercantile
Co., Lewistown. From time bool,
found on his person his name was
w. c. Craft and he has been working
for Fergus Livestock Co. for ten
months. Said he herded sheep TO;
three days after he killed the herder
could neither eat nor sleep and went
mad. Justice Manning of Landusky
has held inquest
The receipt of this message salts
fed the officers that no mistake had
been made and left little to be gain
ed by any further investigation.
Yesterday morning Sheriff Shaw re
ceived from Justice Guy c. Manning
of Landusky a communication giving
the particulars of the finding of the
body of Craft and making inquiry OF
the crime which the self-murderer had
confessed. The justice stated that the
body had been found on the 18th neal
spring within seventy-fve yards o.
the sheep sheds of vesseth Bros. OF
Bouchard creek, twenty miles from
Landusky. The mau's throat was Gu
and from appearances he had beer
dead several days. In the shed nea,
by was found saddle, bride, tn,
mans shoes. his hat. a lunch sacl
containing a piece of bacon and two
biscuits. bloody razor and a tim'
book.
On the body was found a watch
s25 in currency. sl0.41 in change ant
some few small articles.