Glacier County chief., 1939-04-28
Hat Murder Glue Solves
Crime i'm Meagher County
By CHAD WALLN
Continued From Last Week

After killing Homer the man en-
tered the cabin, pulled the body to the
center of the floor and covered it with
oil-soaked bedding. After removing the
loot he touched a match to the bed
ding and went out, closing the door"
Next, he went to the barn and took
out the team, tying the horses to a
wheel of the wagon outside. When he
fired the barn the horses must have
smelled smoke and jerked loose.
Now, the man was certain he had
everything burning and all evidence
would be destroyed. Smoke from the
oil soaked bedding must have been
pouring from the broken cabin win
dows. But he did not know that in clos
ing the door he had made fatal mis-
take. Homer had caulked his cabin SO
tightly that, with the door closed, the
draught was cut off, and the fire
smothered.
THE murderer left his hat in the
cabin thinking it would be burned.
l doubt If there is another hat like
this in the country and someone, some
where must have seen it,
Major Keown reached for the hat.
L recognize the type" he said. Hats
like these were issued to troops in Cuba
during the Spanish-American war.
Some of the boys stitched designs like
these on them in imitation of the Span
ish hats"
Thank you, Major" Williams re-
piled That helps us identify our man
further. He may be an eX-soldier, a
sharpshooter. He has had several days
start, that is, if he took a start. The
killing must have taken place Thanks
giving eve. Between then and now he
may have left the country. But, I'll
stake anything he's still in the Belt
mountains.
You see, he believes himself safe.
Unless he returned to the cabin, which
is unlikely, he does not know his crime
has been discovered. He was sure about
his shooting sure about his fire set
ting and, l believe, is certain he is
safe. For this reason I am not going
to contact all outside sources but am
going to fine-comb the Belts"
Hitching fast team to light buggy,
taking the hat and accompanied by
keown, Williams drove to the Nom
brue ranch and then to all the ranches
in that neighborhood. No one had seen
the hat before. however. The men then
switched to saddle horses and, accom-
panied by Jack Payne. started up the
Belts checking ranches to the north
II was nearly midnight when the men
reached the Judge house in Neihart
without gaining any information. Tired
as he was Williams took the hat and
started the rounds of the saloons. Nei
hart then was filled with miners work
ing three shifts and Williams wanted
each one to see the hat or hear about
it. But he found no new leads that
night.
The next day was spent in fruitless
search of ranches in the neighborhOod
and again at night Williams started
the rounds with the hat. Late at night
bartender suggested that Williams
call at the tie-cuttIng camp of man
named Walker. four miles northwest
OF Neihart. Late as it was Williams
routed out KeoWn and they rode to the
camp.
Walker reused his men but none
could identify the hat. Disgusted VIII
liamS and keoWn went 10 Walkers
cabin for drink and to make plans
for further search. Fred Walker, son.
the hat which Williams then threw on
a bunk with his mackinaw
As the men were talking Arthur
Walker, l6. another son, came in from
a trip to Belt. Throwing his coat near
Williams he suddenly paused, then
picked up the hat.
Where d this come from?" he asked.
Williams caught the L know-some-
thing" tone in the lads voice
know it?" he asked.
Sure" Arthur said. "A stocky little
Dutchman had it on down at Mon
arch last Fourth of July. Id never
seen hat like it so when he took it
off while shooting turkeys I took a
good look at it. The gent was with some
of the OrietS from near Kibbey Alex
Oriet said the fellow was a war vet
and that he was going hunting bear
with him this winter"
The lead had come! Williams and
KeoWn exchanged glances. Seen this
gent Since?" one asked.
Nope answered Arthur. But say.
he might be just about 10 miles from