Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-07-20

man. however, gave the letter TO Sher.
man who opened IL and found 1t read
Dear shertff-Let those kids go. They
amt done nothing. I am all right
The posse returned from the river
and reported it could find no trace
of bodies so Jim Calder and Fisher
varied but finally they admitted the
startling, grueSome truth. They had
cremated the bodies of McRae and
Allen
The night after they left McRaes
cabin they crossed the MusselsheI at
Hudes 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
and 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.
had been sent Sheriff Waite and he
came after the prisoners. He was
forced, however, to continue to Billings.
Jeff Sherman, hearing lynch talk and
being a man who believed that In the
new order of things law should take It's
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 Lewistown
by stage, arriving there Oct. 10.
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 rage. No one was safe
from his threats, his vile language, his
abuse When his parents came to see
him he cursed his mother in such
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 evil |
dence, told a new tale He declared |
that Fisher had killed Allen. But this |
lid no good On March 25, 1899, Billy |
Calder was found guilty Of murder In |
he first degree and so was Fisher. |
They were sentenced to hang.
changed his story. He claimed he had
led and that Billy had done both the
murders. This, of course, brought Fish
r a new trial It also cost Jim some
hing. He had violated his agreement
o tell the truth for the state, the
curt held, and the state therefore
lid not have to keep its bargain 70
i've him only two years. He was re-
handed and later, with Fisher, faced
rial on the murder count. However,
hat is not the main story.
Billy Calder was not ready to die. He
sed every device possible and forced
nA RI tho cfcfa rfrqfTf
hat body, however, finally upheld che
Jwer courts and, on Feb. IL, 1890, re- i;
uned its verdict to the district court.
When the final verdict was given I
illy's rage knew no bounds lie had :
cen framed. Everyone was against
i'm. His father -in-law had engineered
le murders. No one was fair. 1t was =
fault but his own. Vilest y
ouse poured from him steadily at
'ery person who came near him. U
When taken into court Monday, :
arch IL, 1890, to hear his fate, Billy
as manacled and Jailer Nichols and
oecial Deputy Mike Riser each held C
! arm Mike Riser carried a sponge Il
one hand. He was under orders E
ON the court that, If Billy started to b
peat his abuse, to stick the sponge O
to his mouth Il
1.-THE sooner q man like you Is gone,
e better" the court remarked in ef-
ct. II sentence you to be hanged y
arch 49, q
And so, the case came to its end N
d law, for the first time, executed a =
IN In Fergus county.
Asserting that he never had any ~
ing to do with the crime In any u
amer, Billy Calder walked calmly
his death. 1t is said that he re- h
arked coolly to the deputy who tied st
e knot about his throat. what IL
axes your hands shake? I'm the one w
los going" m
Sheriff T. M. Shaw, who had re- Of
iced j. D. Waite, supervised the M
nging and, as one paper naively in
ote, "for an inexperienced man did st
very good job" d.
All I can say is that I am limo to
1t," were Billy's last words. W
Perhaps he believed them but, the tr