The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1912-09-26
SALTWATER RAkCHER MUIR
DERED IN COLD BLOOD
Shot Thru Head Twice by an Unknown
Assailant Just After Dark on
Tuesday Night
GEORGE ". BURTON IS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION

Fred Lcng, a rancher living On a
homestead en- the Saltwater river,
Is miles west Of the city, near Lup-
fer, was murdered Tuesday night by
being shct twice thru the head by
someone who attacked him in the
darkness.
The report sent in to the sheriff's Of
flee was that Mr. and Mrs Long were
doing up the work for the night land
had just gotten thru with the milk
ing. 1t was between and 8
O'Clock, and was fairly dark Mrs.
Long had just gone into the house
with the milk and Mr.. Long was
putting a saddle away in an out
house. In coming out of the house
she heard a scuffle near the out
house, and her husband yelled to
get gun quick. While she was in
the house getting the gun she heard
some shots fired and going out to
investigate, found her husband ly-
ing dead with two bullet wounds in
his head. The man who committed
the deed had fled to the woods.
George w. Burton suspected
Word was Immediately sent to
the Sheriff's office in Kalispell and
Sheriffs Ingraham and Clifford hur-
ried to the scene in an automobile
to look into the situation, and in
this they were very successful, for
yesterday afternoon they placed un-
der arrest George w. Burton o.
this city around whom they have
woven a chain of evidence so strong
that they feel positive they have the
guilty man.
Evidence Weaves Around Him
1t was learned that Burton and
Long have been bitter enemies fol-
some time over the disposition o1
some personal property and thi,
Burton does not deny. 1t was also
learned that on Tuesday night Bur.
ton bought new As calibre auto.
matte revolver at Jaqueth & Johns
This is an odd size the Officers
say and probably there is not an.
other one like it in the county Bur.
ton has of late been employed as
night watch at the Somers Lumber
company mill and on Tuesday night
he had another man work for hin
up until II o'clock. On the ground
where the murder was committed
was found eight empty As calibre
shells and a mask made out of E
blue bandana handkerchief. Foo
prints in the wet earth were alst
carefully noted.
Burton Arrested.
With all this evidence in hant
Chief OF Police Ben Hotter was de
tailed to place Burton under arrest
Burton lived in a shack in the Ram
sey addition where he has beer
patching it. When Hotter entered
the house. Burton was in bed ant
apparently asleep. He refused tt
shake hands with Hotter, or b,
friendly, and when he made M
move to remove his hands from un
der the cover, Hotter thought tha
he might be concealing a gun ant
Immediately tcCk the drop on him
and compelled him to withdraw hi
hands from the covers very gently
He had no gun, but when question
ed as to where the gun was tha
he purchased the night before h,
grew surly and told the Officer
that was his business. Burton wa.
locked up in Jail for safe keepins
while the officers searched his shacl
for farther evidence.
The gun was found hid away un
der the rafters and showed that i
recently had been used. The foo
prints made by his shoe tailed will
that on the scene of the murder,
the officers say, and another new
bandana handkerchief was found i,
the shack like the one used for /;
mask.
Burton is a former fireman OF
this division, and still belongs t,
the B. of L. F. and E. He was lai,
off year or so ago, and since thel
has been holding down a homestea,
which he proved up on last spring
During the past few weeks he ha