Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1912-10-08
TRAGEDY NEAR
GRASS RANGE
MRS. CECILIA BRIGGS SHOT AND
KILLED BY HER HUSBAND,
J. w. BRIGGS.
WAS IN SELF DEFENSE
Briggs Says Woman Was Firing at
Him-Circumstances All Corrobo-
rate His Story-Woman's Career
a Stormy One-Married Three
Times-kilIed Second Husband.

Times-kilIed Second Husband.
A shocking tragedy, resulting in the
killing Of Mrs. Cecilia Briggs, oc-
CURED at the Randolph ranch, fifteen
miles southeast Of Grass Range, Sun
day morning between and 10 o'clock.
Mrs. Briggs was shot and killed by
her husband, James w. Briggs, and
from all that can be learned regard
ing the affair he was justified.
The body Of the victim and Briggs
will arrive here late this afternoon
and an autopsy will be held tonight.
How Trouble Started.
Some weeks ago Mrs. Briggs insti-
tuted divorce proceedings here, one of
her allegations being that Briggs failed
to provide for herself and her daugh-
ter by a former marriage. This daugh-
ter had been at the Henry Wise ranch,
and Briggs claimed that he paid her
board. Mrs. Briggs was incensed at
this and early last week set fire to
some grain stacks belonging to Mr.
Wise. Special Deputy Washburn was
sent down to Grass Range last Sat
urday to arrest the woman for arson,
but made a late start and did not
reach the vicinity until after the shoot
ing the following morning.
Mr.. and Mrs. Randolph came to
LewistOwn few days ago, leaving
Mr. Briggs in charge of their ranch.
Mrs. Briggs had been stopping on her
sons homestead two miles away and
had been in the habit of going to Ran.
dolphs' for butter. She went there
Sunday morning on such an errand,
not knowing, apparently, that her hus-
band was there, nor did he expect her
She entered screened off porch and
Knocked on the screen door at the en-.
trance to the house. Briggs, who was
alone there, answered. On a cot in.
side the screened off porch were a
rifle and shot gun, and as soon as she
saw her husband she grabbed the rifle
and began firing at him. This weapon
is a new one and shoots high, and to
this fact Briggs attributes mis- escape.
One bullet went through his hat, just
missing the head, and crashed into a
mirror opposite the door, Another
bullet went trifle higher, but both
"OAO oppd1 CAIly, OA q ulICCL llu0 Will
his head. At this stage Briggs got out
his gun and began firing. One bullet
hit the woman in the mead, just back
of the ear. Whether there are other
wounds on the body remains to be
seen, no examination having been
made.
When Mrs. Briggs fell, Briggs went
out and gave the alarm. Deputy
Sheriff Washburn arrived very soon
after the shooting and placed Briggs
under arrest.
The officers here were notified and
Deputy County Attorney Stewart Nc.
Conochie, Coroner Creel and Stenog.
rapher Frank Carleton went out as
quickly as possible.
OF course, Briggs is the only eye
witness to what occurred, but all the
independent circumstances corroborate
in detail the story he tells. Briggs
has resided in the county for years
and has never been considered bad
or dangerous man. AS to the decedent
1t is only necessary to point out her
record to show what sort of a woman
she was.
Woman Well Known.
Mrs. Briggs was well known, not
only in Lewistown, but in this part OF
the state. She first came into prom
inence in the early days of YogO. She
married Jacob Hoover, who discov
cred the sapphire deposits at Yogo
and their married life was somewhat
tempestuous one. 1t terminated when
the victim of Saturdays tragedy fired
through door at her husband. Mr.
II nf% II ,H$k ho Il
it is said went to Alaska. Mrs. Hoover
some years later married man
named RiOrdan in Yellowstone county,
and in 1908 shot and killed him. She
claimed, in justification, that Riordan
had deceived her, as he had wife liv.
ing when he married her, and present.
ed other matters in defense of her
action. She was tried, and on Octo.
Der 13, 1908, at Billings, found guilty
of manslaughter and sentenced to one
year in the penitentiary. Some time
after completing her term she came
back to Fergus county, and on June
"a of last year was married to Mr..
Briggs in this city, the ceremony be.
ing performed by Judge Edward Bras.
sey.
The couple lived on Briggs ranch in
the Grass Range section, but evident.
ly this marriage, like the woman's
two former ventures, was not sue.
cess. On August 30 last Mrs. Briggs
instituted suit for divorce in the dis
trict court here, her attorneys being
C. w. Buntin and e. w. Mettler. In
her complaint she alleged that the de-
fendant habitually drank to excess;
that he failed to provide the neces-
saries Of life for herself and her IA.
year-old daughter, Lessie Hoover: