The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-10-10
ROGER BURKE KILLED
IN AUTOMOBILE WRECK
Continued from Page Onel

Continued from Page Onel
was extinct. The rest of the party
while badly shaken up and cut and
/ bruised were not injured to any eX
tent.
Rodger Burke, the victim of the ac-
/ cident, is well known in PlentywOOd
and Northeastern Montana, coming to
this city when Sheridan cohnty was
first created and was employed as
chief deputy by Mrs. Johnson in the
Clerk q Recorders Office.
Rodger had been employed as edi-
/ tor of the Pioneer Press for some
time after leaving the Clerk & Re-
4 corder's office. going from here to
! Scobey, where he was engaged as
editor and publisher OF the Scobey
Sentinel, together with Numie Scott.
After selling that paper to the farm
ers of Daniels County, he was editor
of the Sidney Herald for time. Com
/ ing back to Scobey about a year ago,
he became editor of the Daniels COun-
ty Leader, a Dolin publication. Later
when that paper was sold to Bill
i Stevens and Sid Bennett, he resigned
to be succeeded by Burley Bowler and
went to Red Lodge to become the
editor of the Carbon County Chronicle
which Joe Dolin had established at
that point. About six months ago,
Mr.. Burke returned to PlentywoOd tc
become editor of the Sheridan COun-
ty Farmer when DR.. Storkan turned
that paper over to Governor Dixon
and Oscar Collins, coming here it is
said at the solicitation of the gov
ernor himself to wage a campaign
against the Farmer-Labor party OF
this section of Montana.
Roger Burke had many friends. His
was a pleasing personality and q
witty Analysing mind that endearec
him to his associates. He was 3
writer Of much merit and hac
natural ability that was worthy
of much loftier purpose than that
to which he had devoted himself since
becoming editor of the Sheridan COun
ty Farmer.
The body was taken to Sidney Wed
nesday afternoon, accompanied by
Numie Scott, where it will be laid t.
rest in the old home burial grounds
INQUEST Is HELD
Tuesday afternoon at 800 o'clock
| Coroner Nelson called an inquest a
the Court House to discover the
manner in which Rodger Burke came
to his death, County Attorney Erick
son conducting the examination Of
witnesses.
At the hearing witnesses tesuheC
that the car was moving at a speed
of lis to 20 miles when the accident
occurred, that the lights were good
and that the car slipped off the grade
while approaching the bridge They
testified the car hit the side of the
bridge and rolled down the embank
ment. All witnesses told practically
the same story Of the way in which
the accident happened and disclaimeC
any knowledge of intoxicants being
in the car on the trip, but it is sale
by those who claim to be familiar
with the facts that the driver haC
been drinking previous to taking the
party to Scobey and he is noted fol
his wild and careless driving. Ar
examination of the bridge. the place
of the accident, and condition of the
car after hitting the bridge, by a rep
resentative of the Producers News
would indicate that the car was trav-
cling at least 40 miles an hour at the
time of the accident. The machine is
almost a total wreck, the front being
caved in, crank case cracked and fen
ders almost torn off on both sides
The wheels on the machine however
stood the strain and the steering APP
paratus was uniniured.
JURY'S VERDICT
The Coroner's jury, presided over
by Coroner Nelson, and composed OF
George Wright, Louis Moe, James
Wagner, Fred Ibsen, J. A. Johnson
and ]. G. Debing, after hearing the
testimony and examining the body
came to the verdict that Roger Burke
met death in an automobile accident
by strangulation.