Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-05-31
By CHAD WALLIN


The sun was Just breaking over
the Judith mountains the morning
of June 8, 1889, when L. s. Butler,
rancher living five miles southwest
of Lewistown on Spring creek
pushed his saddle horse up the
slope and onto the flat bench three
miles west Of town. Butler was
looking for some horses which had
strayed during the night. The dew
had not dried off and he watched
for tracks. Then he heard someone
call to him.
At a few hundred yards distance he
law a man driving Balm wagon. The
Granger had a good, If FESTIVE team
Ind a saddle horse followed, tied to
|he wagongate Contents of the wagon
|rere covered with heavy tarp, closely
Eawn.
|,ot down from the wagon, walked over
n where Butler sat his horse.
(which way to the crossing over
warm Spring creek?" the stranger
Butler started to answer but his
horse, suddenly flaring his nostrils,
Eucked as the man approached. Butler
|uieted the animal, wondering what
lad caused its fright but seeing nothing
Earning; Down the bench lint into s. sprttppg Ing
|Teth vanity anu NtSSS W. hA%S
Euth," he replied.
The stranger thanked him and then
laid, IF you're looking for some
|rravs, they're up on the bench a
|1ece." He returned to his wagon, and
.hove away.
Butler Sees Strangers Fire
Butler continued after the horses. AS
he rounded them up he gave casual
Fought to the stranger. On his return
hip he saw where the man mad camped;
|There was a fire, still Smouldering, and
|eyeral odd shaped pieces of iron still
|rere on the embers. Must have burned
10 some barrels" Butler unused. Guess
Ee found enough water here"
The spot was then known as Won
|Tobel springs If you go out the high
|ray heading west to Great Falls, you
|sill can see it. 1t Is about a mi.c west
II the railroad viaduct in a valley: to
he south, Just a couple OF hundred
|nrds from the pavement. At that time
a was a well known camping spot be-
ause Of the sweetness of the water.
Butler glanced at the fire, the re-
|-ains of the objects the camper had
|.estroyed and, thinking no more OF the
|ttuation. drove his horses home
On June IA Ed Nave, now deputy
|heriff of Fergus county. and Tommy
beckett. both repping for OUTFITS east
h the Judith river, were pushing their
basin roundup toward Samples Cross
|ng on the Judith, near Danvers. They
|rere a bit above their usual crossing
Face and decided to push the cattle
Ever without going down the creek;
I'd Nave stayed with the herd while
beckett sought to push the leaders
ITO the stream The leaders were
Estimate. They refused to go. in. Final
b. lowing and protesting; they took
b the water; Docket. ma2ie 10 u naat,o
hand the stubbornness OF the cattle;
|rvore and poured on the leather. forced
EIs horse 70 swim with the leaders.
The Body on the Sandbar
And then. half way across, he found
that made the cattle balk at the cross
|ng The body of a woman, iully
|!ressed, lay on a mid-stream sandpar;
Dorkett let the cattle go and hurried
|5arE, tn Nave. They summoned more
h the crew and recovered the body:
There were no Identification MARKS
In the body or clothing so rlaet VIZ
dispatched to Lewistown Where S neLnl
william Clary was given her oescfip-
bon.
only one woman answering that de-
srintion was known to have been IN
Fha vicinity. She was nurse ana,
ss, davs before the body was found;
Ehe had left for Fort Benton win Blu
Clecg then ranching near Dentoit;
sheriff Clary assumed that Gregg naa
murdered the nurse and thrown her
NOV in the stream. 1t was plauSlple as
he route the couple nao taken
Fort Benton ran near tne rtvH W., Ae
IN reply to the request Of the COW
nv " wha had come in with news OF the
boav Coroner F. E. Smith went 70
saTnle's Crossing. When he got there
he received shock.
-Four More Bodies Found
Four bodies Give in alb have been
found indicating the most atrocious
nurGer in the history Of Montana. OF
sanize a party. Help U.s." That Is the
Message he sent to LewistoWn.
While the cowboy was on MS way W
Lewistown others had scouteo te
attempting to see II there
Tere any clues to how the body Of the
roman had been thrown in the river.
HE men found several places where
i wagon had driven to the edge OF tne
reek and, examining the tracks, they
found that not only one, but five times,
omeone had driven to the water.
Search Of the places near where the
racks went to the water reveaieo tns
/ Young girl in addition to the body OF
the woman originally discovered.
!, The discovery, of course, blew any
theory concerning Bill Clegg's activl-
ties sky high. But, who were the peo-
PIE? Who could have killed them?
What was the killers motive?
All the bodies were well dressed. The
clothing and fingers of the women bore
!ewelry which was worth money. 1t
did not seem that robbery was the
motive And, there was not bit Of
Identification excepting the initials