The daily sentinel., 1903-05-08
MAY BE
MURDER.


the fact that last Tuesday night, two
weeks ago, which would make the
date April 81, they heard some shots
being fired in rapid succession in the
northern part of the city. On that
particular night there were several
parties out charivaring and it was
thought that some of the more injudi-
cious were expending their exhuber-
ance by shooting off revolvers. 1t
will be remembered that in the issue
of this paper the following day.
warning was given of the danger of
using firearms on an occasion of that
kind.
1t now appears that there was some
other cause for that shooting than
the charivari party. 1t was only a
few days after that the Sentinel was
appised of the discovery of some blood
stained garments in a vault belonging
to house located on Rood street be-
tween Foarth and Fifth Streets. At
the time, the informant of this paper
asked us to keep the matter quiet and
we did SO, but we believe that some
thing should be said in relation to
the matter, as a crime may have
been committed and if not. no harm
can come from attempting to throw
light upon the shots and the bloody
garments which were found.
The morning after the shooting,
Mrs. Althea NJ. Atherton, who resid-
ed in the little white house this side
of Gail Murray's residence went to
the vault located on the property she
was occupying and was Mortified to
find bloody garments lying in heap
upon the floor. There was coat and
pair of pants and some undergar-
ments all covered with blood. The
woman was thoroughly frightened
and retreated to her home and said
nothing about the matter Tor the first
portion of the day. Later in the day
however, she went to the home of
Mrs. Barber ON the same street, in
fact the next door. in the other small
frame building, and told her sof the
discovery. They then recalled the
facts of the shots being fired in close
proximity to their homes the night
previous and they became thoroughly
scared. Other neighbors were told
about the matter. Mrs. Barber and
Mrs. Atherton then went to the vault
and placed the clothes behind some
boards. The next day, Mrs. Ather-
ton, being much worried about the
matter, went out to look for the blood
stained garments and found they had
been removed during the night.
The removal of the blood stained
garments deepened the mystery and it
SO preyed on the mind of Mrs. Ather- |
ton that without saying a word to any
body save Mr.. Boyd of the Blue Barn,
who removed her trunks, she left, |
saying she had been so overcome |
about the matter that the sooner she |
could get out of the town the better. |
She left at once for Bozeman. Mon. |
tana.
The neighbors who heard the story |
before the departure of the old lady |
have been considerably agitated over
it ever since the night of the shooting /
and the discovery of the bloody gar
ments the next morning. They think
that some sort of an investigation
should be made of the affair.
The sheriff's office has been inform
ed of the matter today and they have
begun quiet investigation.
The woman. Mrs. Atherton. was
about sixty years of age, and was
by birth. She told her
friends that she was drawing PEN
sion. although she was a southerner
and had married union soldier dur
ing the war. She became so worked
up over the matter. that although she
came here with the intention of max
ing it her home, she left forthwith.
She told Mr.. Boyd that she had
son whom she had been expecting for
some time and that she was afraid
he had been murdered.
Parties the next morning after the
discovery of the clothes, found blood
marks all along Rood street and on
he crossing at Fourth and Rood.
Among those who saw these blood