The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-06-01
ISAAC M. MURPHY DROWNED
in MILK RIVER TUESDAY

. ing in Milk river Decoration da,
3 Although full particulars OF the av
z full tradegy will never be known tn
best we can learn at this time is tha
Ike was doing some assessing dow
the river near the old John Me1
chant ranch, now owned by j. Z
Wilkes, and had finished at the Car
Blanchard place and told Mr.. Blan
chard he would cross the river a
the old ford and assess Mr.. Wilke
before returning to Malta, thereb
saving the long trip around to tn
) bridge.
He left the ranch home of Mr.
5 Blanchard about seven o'clock ant
, was seen by several going up th'
river to the crossing where he me
his death, which is supposed to hav'
) happened shortly after eight O'Clock
; Ike had crossed at the Wilkes rancl
about ten days ago and upon leaving
) the Blanchard ranch asked if he
could cross at either place the Will
es crossing or the Blanchard cross
) ing he had formely used, left fol
Mr.. Blanchard, he not knowing the
river had risen several feet during
the night. Ike perferred the cross
ing he had formerlyused, left for
the Wilkes home.
Mr.. Wilks was doing some work
in one of the buildings close by the
river and thought he heard some
one call and went out and looked
around and thinking the sound he
heard came from coyotes resumed
his work thinking nothing more of
the incident until a riderless horse
appeared some time afterwards.
AT this time it was not known who
owned the horse and neither was it
thought man had been drowned
until after several hours search and
inquiry it was found the horse be-
longed to Mr.. Murphy and that he
was going to theWilkes ranch to
finish up the job of assessing in
that locality.
About the only theory for the ira
glc end is that Ike started his horse
in the river not realizing how high
the water had risen and in trying to
get his horse to go up stream again
st the swift current caused the ami
NAL to lose his balance and turn
over in deep water and the bunch
OF assessment books Ike carried
over his shoulder it is thought they
| etSlCN 10 q Weight anu LlldL Hc SHIk
almost Immediately
About four o'clock Tuesday after
noon one of the Wilkes boys left the
ranch with the horse for Malta ar
/ riyeing here shortly after seven
O'Clock and notified the two brothers
| Arthur and Dave who with a serch-
ing party left immediatly for the
| river.
Car after car loaded with friends
0 fthe deceased left Malta Tuesday
evening and night and fast as car
would return another was filled and
started for the scene of the accident
with friends ready to do anything in
their power to rescue the remains.
The first car to reach the river was
the one driven by Louis Nybo with
Dr. Blankenhorn and T. V. Sharp
following. Ropes and graphing
hooks were used freely in dragging
the river which gave up nothing to
the searchers and during the entire
night men patrolled the banks with
lanterns and flashlights in hopes of
finding the remains of their friend.
Upwards Of thirty men spent the
night and they were relieved by as
many more anxious searchers in the
morning. Yesterday dynamite was
used freely imam effort to raise the
body but with no more success than
that OF the graphing hooks. Late
yestarday afternoon motor boat
Was placed in the river and this will
be used until the body is recovered
and the serching will be continued
by the friends Of the deceased.
Death is sad when it visits the
home and removes our loved ones at
any time, but in this case it seems
'Aost deplorable. Ike Murphy was
young man dearly loved in Malta,
and we doubt If he ever had an
enemy. For many years he acted as
deputy postmaster under Mr.. St.
Hill and in this capicity learned to
know everybody who got mail from
the office and he was always the
same, kind and obliging, ever ready
with pleasant word for ALL When
Phillips county was organized Mr..
Lee appointed him chief deputy and
after the field work was done he
assisted in the office during the Win
ter months
NO more popular young man
ever held public office in the city
he so dearly loved and where he
spent nearly all of his young man
hood days.
Recently Mr.. Murphys aged par
ents moved to Malta from North
Dakota and reside in the pretty
bungalow the boys erected for them
in south Malta. The aged people are
nearly prostrated with grief and
they were not told of the tragedy
until early Wednesday morning, as
it was hoped the first renort was NOT
true. The blow falls hard also on
the seven brothers, David, Arthur
and George Murphy of this city; ]. H.
OF Joliet, n. d.; Fl. A, of Edmonton
Alberta; J. S., Of Wren, Ore; and
Alec of Pipestone, N. D.
Ike Murphy has been clerk of the
school board for a number of years
and was prominent member and
officer in the Masonic lodge.
The genial presence of Ike Muir
ply will be greatly missed in Malta
and surrounding country and to the
sorrowing family the sympathy of
the Antirn r0n1 nnpitu /,