Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-07-19

Sherman, however, considered they
had been dumped in the MusselShell
which was in low water and that they
could be found. Some of the posse
started the search and the prisoners
were taken to the Forsyth jail.
Bodies Were Cremated
There Billy's first act was to ask
for material with which to write a
letter He wrote something then tried
to get a man to take a letter to Miles
City, drop it in the mail there. The
man, however, gave the letter to Sher-
man who opened it and found it read,
Dear sheriff-Let those kids go. They
amt done nothing. I am all right.
F.. Nc"
/ The posse returned from the river
and reported it could find no trace
of bodies so Jim Calder and Fisher
were questioned. At first their stories
varied but finally they admitted the
startling. gruesome truth. They had
cremated the bodies of McRae and
Allen.
The night after they left McRae' S
cabin they crossed the Musselshell at
Hude's on the old Miles City-Fort Ma
ginnis trail and on the far side built
a great fire of driftwood. This fire
was the pyre on which the bodies of
McRae and Allen were destroyed. In
the early morning they had scattered
the few ashes and had taken the bones
land some small metal objects such as
belt buckles and thrown them into the
river.
An immediate search was made and
some of the bones, buttons and buckles
were found.
In the interval further information
had been sent Sheriff Waite and he
came after the prisoners. He was
forced, however. to continue to Bllllngs,
Jeff Sherman, hearing lynch tax ana
being a man who believed that IN the
new order Of things law should take its
course. had moved the prisoners. Praise
| for Sherman's conduct as boss OF the
posse was given in official RECORDS
later.
The murderers were taken to Helena
to Fort Benton and then to LeWlstoWn
by stage arriving there Oct. TO-
1t was then that Billy Calder settled
down to fight for his life. He PLEADED
not guilty. When he learned that his
brother was to turn states evidence
he flew into a rage. No one was safe
from his threats, his vile language, ms
abuse. When his parents came 10 see
him he cursed his mother in sucn a
fashion that even the regular guards
| accustomed as they were to hard char
acters, felt forced to check him.
Jim Tells New Story
Jim Calder, in turning states evl,
dence, told a new tale. He declared
that Fisher had killed Allen. But this
| did no good On March IS. 1899. Billy
calder was found guilty OF murder IN
the first degree and so was Fisher.
They were sentenced to hang.
Once Billy was sentenced Jim again
changed his story. He claimed he had
/ lied and that Billy had done both the
murders. This, of course, brought Fish
/ er a new trial 1t also cost Jim some
! thing. He had violated his agreement
1 to tell the truth for the state, the
court held, and the state therefore
| did not have to keep its bargain to
manded and later. with Fisher, faced
trial on the murder count. However
! that is not the main story:
| Billy Calder was not ready to die. He
used every device possible and forced
! the case to the state supreme court.
That body, however. finally upheld the
| lower courts and. on Feb. II, 1890, re-
| turned its verdict to the district court.
When the final verdict was given
/ Billy'S rage knew no bounds. He had
been framed. Everyone was against
him. His father in-law had engineered
the murders. No one was fair. 1t was
everyone's fault but his own. Vilest
every person who came near him.
When taken into court Monday,
March r. 1890, to hear his fate. Billy
was manacled and Jailer Nichols and
| Special Deputy Mike Riser each held
an arm Mike Riser carried a sponge
in one hand. He was under orders
from the court that, if Billy started to
repeat his abuse, to stick the sponge
into his mouth.
1.-The sooner a man like you is gone.
the better" the court remarked in eff
feet. II sentence you to be hanged
March 49,"
And so, the case came to its end
and law, for the first time, executed a
man in Fergus county
Claims Innocence to Last
Asserting that he never had any
thing to do with the crime In any
manner, Billy Calder walked calmly
to his death. It Is said that he re-