Years ago I found a news article where Herb Morse shot Miss Vera Leyden about 1 am on September 14, 1896. The Mail stated: “It seems that young Morse, who is between 16 and 17 years of age, became infatuated with the young lady, who is employed at his mother’s hotel, and attempted to take her life by shooting. It appears from what can be learned that Morse became jealous and entered Miss Leyden’s room with a revolver in his hand and when she attempted to run he shot her in the back, the ball striking between the shoulders. Dr W.W. Spottswood of Missoula, was summoned, but after probing for the bullet, he could not locate it. Miss Leyden is well and favorably known in Philipsburg, where she has resided for two or three years. She has a married sister there, Mrs. Gus Westlund, whose husband is employed at Combination . Young Morse had been attending college in Helena, and his mother Mrs. Thomas Morse was at the Wesleyan University arranging for Herb to continue his studies when the shooting occurred. He was arrested immediately and arraigned in New Chicago by Judge Ferguson the next day. He waived examination and was held on $1,500 bail. Miss Leyden was taken to Philipsburg where she was staying at the residence of August Eck and not believed to be in any danger from the shooting.”
The outcome of an indictment or trial was not discovered at that time, so recently I began searching the archived newspapers again. The above incident was repeated in the New Northwest, September 25, 1896, with additional information that Miss Leyden was 25 and working at the Windsor Hotel as a dining room helper. The girl did not return young Herb’s feelings and was sitting up with a man named Harris when Herb attempted to shoot her. She escaped through a window and was climbing through another window when “the maddened youngster sent a bullet into her back. She may recover. W.B. Rodgers of this city has been engaged for the defense and appeared for the boy, at the preliminary hearing, which was bound over.”
In the Ravalli Republican September 23, the story was repeated with the addition “The girl was more muscular than the lad and in the struggle which ensued, worsted him. She finally jumped out the window and Morse followed and shot her in the back, just below the shoulder blade.” They misidentified his first name as John. There is absolutely no further mention of the incident which leaves me to surmise that the prominence of the family assisted in the situation “being taken care of.”
My search found many references to Herb’s family. His father Thomas H. Morse was born in 1839 or 1842 in New Brunswick to a father from Massachusetts and mother from Canada. T. H. was a New Northwest subscriber as early as Sept. 1873. He was picked as a juror in Deer Lodge County April 1876; earned $3.00 for a trial in 1887 and $2.10 in 1888. The New Northwest June 30, 1876 states T.H. was the village smithy at Pioneer and in May 1880 states he also ran a hotel. July 30, 1878 carried a collections notice from Pioneer stating “All persons in debt to me must settle in 30 days or debt will be turned over to attorney for collection. Signed Thomas H. Morse.” Then, on July 28, 1882, the New Northwest correspondent in a trip from Deer Lodge passing Gold Creek to Helmville described T.H. Morse’s place as “a neat well located little house, with pleasant surroundings, waving fields of grain and meadowland and plenty of good range for stock."
Thomas married Mary (Cox) Childs, ( mother of Charles and Alice) in 1879. Born in 1837 in Missouri she was at Grizzly/ Silver Creek near Helena in the 1870 census. They lived in New Chicago by 1885, with property valued at $5,155.00 and taxes of $110.40. In 1885 they began operating the Windsor Hotel in Drummond. Throughout 1889 Mary advertised in the Helena Independent for the Metropolitan Hotel (former Sparey Hotel) in Philipsburg which she owned. In 1897 they were paid for prisoner meals and in 1901 meals and damages for Smallpox patients. In 1913 they built a four room dwelling near their Hall in Drummond where they were now showing movies.
Herb (T.H. Morse Jr.) was born April 15, 1880.; married Martha Galivan in 1905; and was appointed Postmaster of Drummond on July 28, 1919.
T.H. died November 11, 1924; Mary died March 7, 1925; Herb died October 15, 1929 while working at the Missoula Hotel. The autopsy stated he died of natural causes. They are all buried in the Valley cemetery.
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