The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-05-17
KILLED BY MISTAKE.
Search for Kidnapper Results in
Death Of Joe Hamilton.

Search for Kidnapper Results in
Death Of Joe Hamilton.
Newe OF q sensational hunt for Q
kidnapper aud the accidental shooting
OF one OF the men who took part In the
search, was brought to town Wednes.
day morning by w. F. MILFORD who
returned from the scene of the tragedy.
The victim of the shooting was Joe
Hamilton q former sheriff OF Cascade
county. an old time resident who had
q wide acquaintance 10 this part Of
Montana.
The death OF Hamilton was q tragic
incident in the search for . despic.
able criminal who stole the dead body
Of the HsrAeId Conrad baby about .
year ago, for the purpose of extorting
money from the grief. stricken parents.
Mr.. Conrad received Q letter Tuesday
morning from the kidnspper, advising
that the remsins of his child would be
returned If he paid q, 800 to the writer.
Instructions vert given that the money
vas to be left At q designated spot
about q mile west of Floweree, where .
lantern would be found burning at 10
o'clock Tuesday night, and Mr.. Con-
rad wss notified to be there At that
time accompanied by not more than
one other person.
The matter was placed In the hands
of the Cascade authorities by Mr..
Conrad, and the sheriff's Office in this
city was also a dvised of the situation.
A local posse vas organized here,
consisting of Under.Sheriff Crawford,
Merritt Flanagan, Geo. w ackerlin, w.
G.. Byers, Chas. Crepeau and W. F.
| MILFORD, who left for Floweree by
automobile after shutdown Tuesday
evening. When they arrived at the
place there was nothing 10 sight except
q saddle horse near the road and ex.
amin alton of the animal showed that
he had been recently ridden and that
an empty gun holster was attached to
the saddle.
After waiting around q short time
however, the Fort Benton posse dis.
covered the headlights of an automo.
bile coming from the direction of
Great Falls, which followed the road
down to q nearby coulee where IL
stopped. A member of the Fort Ben
ton posse, w. G. Byers, went down
the coulee to r~econnoiter, the identity
OF the arrivals being unknown, and he
was Immediately covered by six or
seven guns in the hands of the visitors.
he soon satisfied them that he belong
ed to the Fort Benton posse, and the
latter was informed that the party
came from the sheriff's Office At Grea,
Falls to assist in trapping the kid
NAPIER. Then the story of the acct
dental shooting was told.
It appears that Harfeld Conrad and
a friend left Great Falls for the place
named by the dnapper, but could
find no lighted lantern there. The
s%earchlight of their automobile, how
ever, showed the figure of q man lyine
down on q knoll about a hundred
yards distant, and as the man ros
up and made motions toward them
they took quick aim with thei1
guns, feeling sure it was the kidnap
per, and shot him.
The victim proved to be Joe Hamil
ton, who left Great Falls horse back II
advance of the Conrad automobile, tt
assist in trapping the kidnapper
Arriving at the place, Mr.. Hamilton
is supposed to have turned his saddl
horse loose and secreted himself Il
await developments, but with q mos
o deplorable result. The kidnapper wa
= apparently hiding in q coulee clos
at hand, in which . lev lantern va
: found by the searchers, but the ar
pearance of Mr.. Hamilton before tn
appointed time, and his mysteriou
actions, apparently warned the kidnsE
per that there vas something doing
a and that he had better seek safety !
flight. No trace of him, except th
y lantern, was found but the search
being continued by the authorities.
For soreness of the muscles whethe
y induced by violent exercise or injury