Glacier County chief., 1940-09-13
John Hancock Murder Mystery Amoll
dissolved Grimes of Montana Histod
Who killed John Hancock?

f1tltIla TIE morning u jail ~, 1SOS
His skull was Dashed open and his
where he fell. A decoy letter had led
him to the scene OF the spot. His vie.
lovingly called Tho Kid" who was
the beneficiary of Hancock'S $4,000 in
SuranCh policy, was subsequently found
tC have been keeping company with
another man, a supposed friend to her
husband.
Who was the killer?
Was robbery the motive which in
spired the premeditated murder?
Who was the messenger who deliv-
cred the decoy letter?
Did the murderer hope to secure
possession of the rich ore, worth sew
eral thousand dollars, which was in the
cellar OF the Hancock house?
Such were the questions taken up
by Coroner Edward l.. Flaherty and
his jury of six following the discovery
Of the murdered mans body.
At st. Johns Hospital
The scene Of the crime was in front
OF st. Johns hospital, just 10 feet east
OF the main entrance, and the manner
in which 1t was accomplished indi-
Gated that the assassin was someone
who had been intimate with the victim.
Clues were everywhere, but police and
investigators had trouble pinning them
down.
Coroner Flaherty estimated that the
murder had been accomplished at APP
proXimately IL O'Clock in the evening.
When the body was found the next
morning, hospital attendants were
summoned, and police were notified.
They were mortified to find two ugly
wounds on the right side of the mans
might have been made by a heavy
hammer or the back of an ordinary
Ratchet.
No evidence of struggle was mani
fest. The man had been slugged from
the rear
Mrs. Hancock. approached by Off
GERS, stated that some time between
10 and II o'clock the night before a
man or boy came to the family home,
asking if Mr.. Hancock were home. She
replied that he was, and the messen-
ger handed her note which he re-
quested her to hand to her husband.
My husband was sitting in the par
lor playing cards" she said, and l
handed him the note which was signed
Nurse and which stated that George
Sutherland. friend OF his, was III at
ST. Johns hospital and wanted Mr..
Hancock to come and stay. with him
during the night The handwriting OF
the note was good but the spelling was
bad. My husband took the note and
after reading it threw it into the stove.
He stated that he was going over to
the hospital. helped him put on his
wraps, and as near as I can remem-
Der 1t was between 1920 and II
o'clock"
Present in the household at the time
was Miss Carter, tall and attractive
brunei, friend of Mrs. Hancock. At the
time the messenger arrived, evidence
disclosed. Hancock had been playing
solitaire and the two women were
reading.
The following day a coroner's hear
ing was held at the Lewis and Clark
county courthouse. OF the inquest the
Helena Record of that date states:
Farce and tragedy were strangely
blended at the inquest With the large
courtroom and gallery packed and
jammed by her dead husbands frienas
and with their sullen eyes fastened
upon her and her Self-confeSSed para
mour the veil of secrecy was with
drawn from the story of Mrs. Han
cocks liaison with Richard Holt"
Mrs. Hancock was the first witness.
Her testimony Corroborated that OF
her first explanation to officers.
Admits Love Affair
She admitted OF knowing Holt and
Of meeting him many times at drink
ing parlorS. She said she was 80 years
old and had been married about 10
years. She testified that Hancock was
home all Friday, but she was out of
the house. between $3.50 and 4:3O when
he went to the postoffice, bought some
stamps and mailed a letter.
She admitted that Hancock objected
to certain company she kept, and she
said she had promised to obey his
wishes. She admitted that Harry Sim
mons had called on her, not frequently.
She stated that she had sworn out a
complaint at one time charging him
with attempted statutory assault. She
denied she had other men callers.
Holt was subsequently brought in
from the anteroom and placed on the
stand. He was A years of age and had
been under arrest as a suspect since
the time of the crime He denied that
he had ever met Hancock at the Han
cock residence, saying he did not call
there to see Hancock. He admitted he
called frequently and sometimes spent
the entire night there.
He explained, after a long interrcga-
ton. he always asked Mrs. Hancock
candidly If Hancock were out of town
before he made his visits.
The witness told of frequenting
noodle joints with Mrs. Hancock: that
he had eaten and drunk with her at
the Weiss cafe. and had drunk with
her at the Atlas saloon. The witness
denied that he had said he was crazy,
sinking crazy" about Mrs. Hancock
and that Hancock might meet vio-
lent death. He admitted that he had
correspondent with Mrs. Hancock-a
fact which the lady denied, and SUBJ
sequently was held for perjury on the
count.
The inquest developed into one of
the most sensational dramatic and
tense of any in the annals of the city's
crime. At times the spectators were
certain OF the guilt of one party. then
later were fully convinced Of the guilt
Of another
Union Leader Testifies
S. S. Walker, president of the Helena
miners union, was then called to the
stand the following morning. He said
that he had first worked for Hancock