Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1912-12-03
cORONER'S JURY FINDS LITTLE
JOE PiPiNick WAS MURDERED,
BUT CANNOT FIX GUILT.
MUCH TESTIMONY GIVEN
None Of II Sheds Light on the Manner
In Which the Victim Met His Death
Jury Recommends That the Off,
GERS Continue Their investiQ Qation
Of the Case.

After listening to all the testimony
that could be adduced bearing on the
fate Of little Joe Pipinick, whose body
was found on his parents ranch up
Spring creek last week, the coroner's
jury returned a verdict setting out that
the child had been murdered by some
person or persons using semi-blunt
instrument, the identity Of the guilty
person or persons being unknown.
The inquest was held at the court
house last Wednesday and occupied
all the afternoon. The jurors called
by Coroner Creel were Il. w. ThOmp-
son, James Mcdonnell, Il. G. Johnson,
Frank Raitt, Mike Gurnett and G. C.
Jeffrey. County Attorney G. J. Mar
shall represented the state and ex-
amined the witnesses. From the testi-
mOny of the mother and father, Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph Pipinich, their twelve
year-old son, Walter Pipinick, and
Thomas Tomick, like the Pipinicks, an
Austrian and friend Of the family,
1t appeared that Monday afternoon the
boy was playing about the house, when
about 2 O'Clock he said he would 60
and drive off some stock that had
strayed onto the place. About 4
o'clock the other son, Walter, arrived
from town and intended to bring the
milk to the city, Mrs. Pipinick being
then engaged in milking. She told him
to go up on the hill and see If he
could find Joe and he obeyed. At a
distance of about 200 yards from the
house he found the body of the boy,
with the head beaten in, and called to
his mother. She ran up the HILL gath
cred the body up and ran with 1t to
the house, falling with 1t to the floor
In a faint when she got inside. Walter
threw water over her, but failing to
revive her, went down to Park addi-
tion, where his father was at work on
house, told him OF the tragedy and
returned with him.
The father was at home at noon,
leaving at o'clock. Soon after,
Thomas Tomick came and visited with
Mrs. Pipinick for over an hour and
then left for town, returning over the
hills, as he was hunting.
doc" Sadler, a driver for the Mon
tana Lumber company, testified to
have taken load of lumber to the
Pipinick place about Q o'clock that
afternoon. Tomick was there and told
him where to place the lumber.
Tomick then left, this being about 2:3O
or little later.
DR.. Attix testified positively that
the boy had been killed by some per-
son using a semi-blunt instrument,
five cuts by such an instrument being
plainly visible.
County Attorney Marshall made an
effort to find out how the blood stains
high up on the walls of the room at
the Pipinick home came there and the
mothers explanation was that when
she dropped the body and fell to the
floor herself the blood spurted up.
The boy Walter was within two feet
of the body at the time, but there was
no blood stains on his clothing.
The Jury recommended that the case
be further Investigated and the county
attorney and officers are still at work
on 1t, hoping to bring to light some
additional facts.
Following the inquest all the parties
placed under arrest were released.