Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-06-01

went to the scene of the crime and
/ began a new investigation.
I Study of the bodies revealed that the
women and one of the men had been
shot through the back with rifle bull
let's. The other man had been struck
in the head with an ak. The girl,
however, had been drowned.
These facts gave a peculiar slant TO
the case. It was obvious that the adults
might have been killed and then trans
ported to the river, but the girl must
have met her death In the Judith river.
That meant authorities reasoned, that
she was alive when she reached the
river. And, no one had seen girl
with the man with the Balm wagon. So,
with that man cleared, who could have
done the killings?
Graves May BE Seen Today
The bodies were buried on the banks
of the Judith where their graves are
until this day. Homemade collins were
contributed by Thomas Garlick and
the women of the ranches dressed the
bodies and picked bouquets OF wild
flowers for the graves.
coroners Jury Of Abe Hogeland,
W. H. Simons, j. L. Hooper, Sullivan
Wareham, Paul MoraSe and George
w Sample found a verdict OF death
at the hands Of a person or persons
unknown" Roundup went back into
full sway and, the sheriff turned to the
task of trying to determine who the
killed persons were.
Peculiar things trap murderers. In
this case 1t was a chance conversation
between Abe Hogeland and L. 8. But
Ter when they met at the Horseshoe
Bar ranch on Warm Spring creek 8
few days after the burial OF course
they discussed the murder and Butler
mentioned that he had encountered
the man with the Balm wagon near
Won Tobel springs. saw where he
burned some stuff. Barrels think,
from the irons" Butler stated.
Abe Hogeland was thinking over the
case. Suddenly he said Irons? Are
you sure they were barrel irons? Gould
they have been trunk irons?"
by gollyl" exclaimed Butler, come
to think Of 1t. they might have been.
Let's go see"
When the men completed their ex-
animation Of the campSite and the
old irons in the. fire at Won Tobel
springs they rushed to the sheriff
you want to get that man with the
Balm wagon, Bill" they told him. He's
your mani"
But Sheriff Clary was obstinate. He
was unwilling TO believe the man had
anything to do with it. The two men
argued with him. At last they con-
WINGED him.
Look" they said, In effect. "The
man with the Balm wagon was the only
stranger In the country at the time OF
the murders. We viii admit that when
he camped with Morgan, the freighter,
he had no bodies with him, there was
no evidence that his outfit was other
than his own. But, suppose he already
had destroyed part Of the outfit. burnt
1t up right after the killing, so what
was left would look like the outfit Of
Just one man and not group Of peo- |
There are trunk irons and part OF a I
bird cage, stuff a family would have, |
N that fire at Won TobeI springs.
ut didn't look as If the bodies were |
robbed but, If those folks were In a |
party and had an outfit such as this /
nan was driving, they might have had
lash and the killer could have taken
The cash and let the little odds and
ends alone.
And the girl. Well, she didn't have
% be drowned In the Judith. The killer
,ould have drowned her In the spring."
In the end they convinced the sheriff
hat 1t was worth his time to check the
nan with the Balm wagon again. With
/ deputy he left for Great Falls, the
cute the man must have taken. AS
DON as he reached Stanford he learned
hat he might be on the right trail.
There was the Balm wagon, the team
md the led pony The man had traded
hem, at q loss, for a fast team and
buggy. The sheriff and the deputy
Dushed on at once 10 the Falls.
There they contacted Sheriff Down
ng and asked If he had had any re-
'orts on stranger showing up In town
nth a suspicious amount Of money.
The sheriff of Cascade county had
leard of no such person but he called
n his deputy, 10 Hamilton.
Sure" replied 10, at once. "a fellow
Tho did Just that came back to a
roman In the restricted district here
few days ago. She was telling me
hat she had thrown him out more than !
year ago when he spent all her
money and that he had come back, ]
aid her everything he owed and had