The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-08-29
SHELL SHOCKED
VET KILLS THREE
WHiTEFiSH MAN ESCAPES TO
MOUNTAINS FOLLOWING
TRIPLE SHOOTING

Whitefish, Aug. 24.-Three per
sons were shot to death here to
day by a shell shocked World
war veteran who escaped into tn,
hills, armed with a rifle and car
rying a pack.
The dead were:
Mr.. and Mrs. Oscar Halderson
owners of Saltwater inn, where
the Staying took place, and FREQ
T. Smith, Hamilton, Mont, who
was mortally wounded while try
ing to disarm the slayer.
A sheriff's posse went to the
scene, 16 miles west of here, and
discovered the slayer, George
Vann, had escaped in an automo
bile. He later was seen in the
vicinity of Olney, heading off into
the timber country.
Playing Cards
Vann and Halderson were play
ing cards in a cabin adjoining the
Saltwater inn dance hall when
some wild urge apparently over
came Vann and sent him on the
path to kill.
Halderson was shot at the ia.
BILE, his hand at cards scattered
in front of him as his body slump.
ed over. Mrs. Halderson, who was
in the room, ran toward the
dance hall, screaming. A bullet
from Vann's gun struck the wo-
man and her Iifeless body was
found midway to the dance hall.
Vann, face twitching and eyes
flashing wildly. appeared in the
doorway of the dance hall. The
merrymakers stopped and as the
apparently demented man advanc-
ed into the room, fled through a
rear door.
Smith, a representative Of a
Hamilton, Mont, seed firm, was
among the crowd.
MortaIIy Wounded
Slipping ND to the raving slayer,
Smith, a man of about so years,
sprung at Vann. In the scuffle
that ensued, Smith was MORALLY
wounded. He died enroute to a
Whitefish hospital.
Belief that Vann suffered a
mental alteration as his illness
progressed was strengthened in
authorities minds by the report
that Vann held up a party on
the road near here Saturday, fin
ally chasing them off with rocks.
Vann IS known as a crack shot
with a rifle and has an enviable
record as a hunter. Authorities
regarded him as an extremely
dangerous man.
A few hours after the Staying,
Vann was seen near Olney, armed
and equipped with a pack, as if
he was going on an expedition
into the mountainous country in
this district.
A posse was hastily organized
and started in pursuit, but had
difficulty in picking up a trail.
Smith leaves a wife and two
sons at Hamilton, according to
advices received from there to-
night.
Kalispell, Aug. 25.-Search fof
George Vann, slayer of Mr.. and
Mrs. Oscar H. Halderson, propri-
etors Of the Saltwater inn near
Olney, and Fred P. Smith, rep
resentatiye Of a seed company at
Hamilton, was at a standstill Mon
day night when sherifFs forces
reported all trace of the murderer
was lost in the timber and under
brush near Olney.
Vann killed Halderson during a
card game dispute and Mrs. Hal
dergon was slain as she came to
the aid Of her husband from an
adjoining room. After Staying the
H~aldersons, Vann killed Smith
when the latter attempted to dis
arm the murdered as Vann threat
ened merrymakers on the dance
floor.
After the triple murder, Vann
jumped into his auto and dashed
toward his home at Olney. There
he Is reported to have equipped
himself with a pack and headed
for the mountains. A forest SER
vice employe told officers he saw
the man carrying the pack and
rifle and headed for the noun
tains. Vann was reputed to be a
crack rifle shot.
Three residents of Olney Mon
day told officials they heard a
shot in the direction Vann was
believed to have taken in his
Tight into timbered country. A
patron at Saltwater inn
'eported the slayer had said be-
ore he left the dance hall he did