Was Justice Served

 

George (Terrell) Tyrrell came to Montana after the Civil War and lived in Philipsburg for about thirty years before he got into an altercation with John Ryan in the Philipsburg Brewery Saloon, and shot and killed him, on January 7, 1893, shortly after noon. 

The story goes that: “Ryan, who had been drinking heavily, went into the saloon and requested Tyrrell give him a drink; Tyrrell refused him and an argument followed. Eye witnesses say the two men were talking rather quietly together near a billiard table in the saloon when Tyrrell told Ryan to get out of the house; Ryan paid no attention to the request and Tyrrell stepped into the back room and got a shotgun; coming back with the gun in his hands he again told Ryan to leave the house and almost at the same time the gun was discharged and the entire charge entered Ryan’s face, just above the mouth, passing upward into the brain and killing him instantly….Since his confinement in the jail Terrell has become very despondent and has said that no one felt worse about the tragedy than he does….(He) is a veteran of the late Civil War. About three years ago he was attacked with rheumatism, which had incapacitated him from active work, and those who have known him for many years say he has grown old very rapidly of late and for some time has not acted naturally. John Ryan had also resided in these parts for several years and was known as a hard working man, but was most disagreeably abusive and quarrelsome when influenced by alcohol. When sober, however he was quiet and inoffensive. He leaves a wife and eight children….” stated the January 10,1895, Philipsburg Mail. 

John Ryan’s funeral was held at the family residence two days after the shooting and a large group followed his casket to the Philipsburg cemetery. His headstone gives a birth date of October 6, 1844 and an incorrect death date of January 4, 1895. His wife Mary is also in that grave without a headstone, according to City File cards. 

The coroner’s jury, composed of F.A. Taylor, James McDonel, J.C. McLeod, Conrad Wipf, M.E.H. Gannon and M.E. Edwards, returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts, and George Tyrrell was to be tried at the next term of court. 

Research found articles in The Mail in 1887 stating George who had recently worked at the Kaiser House Bar was assisting G.A. Kellogg in surveying The Hill and in April 1889 where he was “down sick with a cold” 

On January 17th George waived examination before the District Court so he was to be held in jail until his trial. 

The headline DEATH OF GEORGE TYRELL with the following story graced the March 14, 1895 Mail: “George E. Tyrell, who was confined in the county jail awaiting trial for the killing of John Ryan was found dead in his cell at 7:30 o’clock Monday morning, having succumbed to a violent attack of nervous prostration and physical exhaustion. For two weeks preceding his death Tyrell had been very weak and unable to eat or sleep [as] his nervous system became in a violent state. He was so feeble that on Wednesday last week when he was arraigned in court the bailiffs had to assist him up and down the court house stairs. Jailor C.H. Coy went to Tyrell’s cell about 7 o’clock Monday morning and found the sick man sitting on the edge of his couch in the act of putting on his shoes. After leaving Tyrell’s cell Mr. Coy made his usual morning inspection of the jail and returned to Tyrell’s cell about 7:30 to summon him for breakfast. On opening the cell door the jailor found Tyrell sitting in about the same position as he had left him a half hour previous only he was leaning against the bedpost and on approaching him he discovered the man was dying. Mr. Coy immediately summoned Under Sheriff Argall and they placed him back on the bed and as they did so he breathed his last. Dr. Power, after making an examination declared the death natural and no inquest was held…..The deceased was 56 years of age and a native of Illinois. He has been a resident of this state for a quarter of a century…no one seems to have any knowledge of his family connections, though it is said he has a brother in Waverly, Iowa who is an editor of a newspaper in that place….Tyrell worked at Hope Mill before his health failed him and of late had been barkeeper in various places in town. Tyrell’s trial was to take place in District Court yesterday.”

From Rough Neck To Law Enforcer

 

Gus McDonald Photo cropped from "Dirty Dozen" picture from Lou Ann Fessler Sichveland collectiom

Angus “Gus” A. McDonald (4-18-87 to 9-9-1962) was born to John and Louise. He attended the Philipsburg schools and Gus was one of the “Dirty Dozen”. One of the escapades the group was known for was when there was a dance in Drummond and without an easy method to get to the function, they borrowed a railroad car and easily pumped it down the valley to Drummond. Hearing about the missing car, the sheriff (Fred Burke) put out the warning that if the car was not back at the Northern Pacific Depot by morning, the known culprits would be hauled off to jail. The message did not take long to reach the young men and they hitched a horse to the car and pulled it back up the tracks and put it in its rightful place by morning. 

Gus enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 15, 1917, and while on leave according to the Philipsburg Mail, July 12, 1918: “An automobile party comprising Angus McDonald, Frank Fulkerson, Miss Esther Miller and the Misses Viola and Blanche Kneale had a miraculous escape Sunday afternoon when the machine they were driving in overturned just this side of the “Speedway” on the road to Anaconda. …Miss Viola Kneale had an arm broken and was rendered unconscious while the other members of the party were bruised and badly shaken up. Passing autos took them to a hospital in Anaconda where their wounds were attended to. The automobile was said to be going better than 60 miles an hour when it passed a raised culvert, which caused the machine to swerve completely around and struck a bank which caused it to turn over several times, pinning the occupants underneath. Passing autoists released them. Angus McDonald was driving the car which is badly wrecked.” 

Gus was discharged from the service on January 17, 1919. “Gus and his friend William G. Gregovich stood up for each other as witnesses when Gus married Blanche Kneale and Bill married Miss Elsa Brunn… at the parish House of St. Philip’s Catholic Church on December 24, 1920. Blanche was a teacher at Granite and planned to complete the school year… The two grooms would return to mining at Sunrise. .” I do not know when this marriage ended, but she was still Mrs. Angus McDonald, when she attended the funeral of her father, the week of April 9, 1926. 

During prohibition, in December,1922 ”…three stills, several gallons of whiskey and a large quantity of

corn, sugar, and corn meal were confiscated. One alleged moonshiner and one alleged bootlegger were placed in jail and warrants were issued for two other men. Two stills of eighty gallons and sixty gallon capacity were found going full blast in a cabin near Tower, about a mile northeast of Philipsburg, Tuesday afternoon. Five gallons of the finished product was confiscated and twenty four barrels of mash or about 1,200 gallons, destroyed. The operators of the two stills saw the officers coming and ran up the hill through the trees like a pair of frightened jack rabbits and got away, but warrants have been issued for their arrest. According to Sheriff Burks, the roar of the blast furnaces could be heard long before they got to the location of the stills. Both stills were operated by gas burners and pressure tanks. Four burners furnished heat for the eighty gallon still and two for the smaller still. Moonshine whiskey was running from the coils at a rate of five gallons an hour…” Of interest is the fact, none of the alleged moonshiners and bootleggers were named. 

It was almost a year later, the cases came to trial, in Judge George D. Winston’s court and one of the three charged was Gus. His charge was unlawfully manufacturing intoxicating liquor. The following jurors returned a verdict of not guilty: Fred Cyr, Maurice Weaver, George P. Nelson, W.F. Bentz (my Grandfather), Ernest Maehl (Angus’ grandfather), Freeman A. Taylor, Joseph McDougal, Vern A. Carnegie, Julius Swanson, James Mellen, W.A. Griffith and W.E. Metcalf. A poll of this group disclosed that two felt him to be guilty: Swanson and Griffith.

In 1928, apparently deciding to be on the other side of the law, Gus ran for Sheriff of Granite County and won with 742 votes against Nate Burt Sr. Gus continued winning the sheriff election every two years until he: “…quit his job as sheriff and has joined up with Uncle Sam to fight the Jap’s and other axis powers. McDonald joined the Army in Missoula Saturday [February 14th]” according to the March 6, 1942, Mail. 

On January 7, 1941, Gus had married Clarice Superneau and the Granite County Commissioners appointed Clarice to fill the Sheriff vacancy until the end of his term, stated the above paper. Other persons applying for the position were: H.B. Kaiser, Fred Cheeseman, Fred Superneau (who was under sheriff and Clarice’s brother) and Harry C. Herron. The Commissioners felt Clarice would otherwise be left without an income, with Gus leaving in this manner. 

Gus served as president of the Montana Sheriff and Peace Officers Association and won the individual police championship trophy for pistol shooting in Shelby in 1952. He was a member of the Northwest Championship Pistol Team from 1939 until 1942. To this marriage was born two children: Darell Gene on September 29, 1944 and Colette on August 22, 1947. They lived their entire marriage in the original house of Dr. Power and Darrel then lived there until his death in 2021.

Nicholas, Alex and Josephine Ringeling

 

Spoken of earlier as a Vigilante, N.B. Ringling (Ringeling) was in the headlines of the January 26, 1906, Philipsburg Mail, with the sale of mining claims in Butte. He held half interest in two placer mining claims near the Pittsmont shaft, for over twenty three years, and though it was considered of little value he had continued to hold onto the claims. The Amalgamated Copper Company, were co-owners of claims only 500 feet away. Mr. J. J. Stewart of Butte, agreed to pay N.B. $100,000. A cash payment was made as a down payment and the remainder was to be paid in four quarterly installments ending in 18 months. Although N.B. felt the price really too low he had the need to provide comfort to his aging mother, so agreed to the price. N. B.’s brother, A.B. Ringeling, was involved in the re-organization of the Philipsburg Silver Cornet Band and served as their secretary and as a trustee. In the same issue of the Mail, is the announcement, A.B. Ringling was elected president of the newly organized Stockmen’s Association. Vice president was Albert Shuh (Schuh), Treasurer A.A. McDonald and Secretary C.H. Eshbaugh. Next A.B. was re-elected as Chief of the Fire Brigade and because the treasury was in negative territory a committee was formed of Ringling, Fairbairn, and A.S. Huffman to revise the Fireman’s Hall rental schedule. This was where most of the town dances and social functions were held. Continued research reveals he was elected as an alderman, and he was elected president of the City Council at the May 3, 1897 Council meeting. 

Alex was also involved in mining in the Frog Pond basin as I found the following: “Mrs. A.B. Ringling left last week for the Frog Pond Basin, where her husband is engaged in mining. Mrs. Ringling contemplates remaining all winter.” Mrs. A.B. (Josephine) was born in Southington Connecticut on March 18, 1861 and arrived in Philipsburg in 1891. One year later she married Alexander and was very active in Philipsburg life. She became proprietress of the Grand Hotel and Restaurant, originally owned by Charles Stringle, in December 1896 and was often involved in catering meals for the Fire Brigade and Philipsburg Band where Alexander played Tenor Drum. Because of the “Times” she was always referred to as Mrs. A.B. and even in the census was listed as housewife, including after she became Deputy Montana Fish and Game Warden for the Philipsburg District. The Federal census states she had one birth but no living children. 

Death came to her from Pneumonia after she was fishing on Georgetown Lake on October 28, 1925. Her Death certificate lists her occupation as housewife even though she was still employed as the Fish and Game Warden, with maiden name and parents name listed as unknown. 

 Alex, educated as a Stationary Engineer was involved in Silver Mining and served many years as Chief of the Fire Brigade. When he became infirmed they altered his duties and continued electing him as chief. His death came October 8, 1928 at Yenter’s Hospital, in Philipsburg. 

Nicholas Berthoud Ringeling, “Montana’s oldest mining engineer and resident of Granite County for the last fifty years”, died on his ninety first birthday, at a friend's home at Georgetown Lake, February 6, 1940. Born in St. Louis Missouri on February 6, 1849, he was educated in Missouri and then attended Washington University. Next he traveled to Freiburg, Germany and attained a mining degree at their world famous mining school. In 1875, he moved to Butte and was an associate of Marcus Daly in the early 1880’s and ran a mining office with a partner named Kellogg. 

N.B. came to Philipsburg about 1890, opening a mining office and then, became involved with Hope Mining Company. During the years, he acquired many mining properties and in his later years spent his time working the claims. He was a very large, handsome man and his athletic build served him well as a fencer and boxer. He trained in his early years under a renowned English Boxing champ named Tom Allen. His horses, racing dogs and game cocks were the finest in the area and he made a handsome sight when he drove the streets in his Connolly Buggy. 

Because he never married, he lived alone in his residence on the upper end of Broadway, after his mother and two brothers died. A picture of him with the Barr Family and their daughter Kathryn Hoben shows a very large dapper man, dressed in a fur coat. Funeral services were held in Anaconda on February 8, with burial in the family plot at Mount Moriah Cemetery, in Butte, next to A.B and Josephine.

A Philipsburg Vigilante Affair

The Philipsburg Mail Archives had a short article in the May 25th issue about “The P'Burg Vigilante Case Thrown Out of Court” from 1888, which reminded me I had ran across that article years ago and could not find any follow up to understand the happenings. So I set about delving into the Library of Congress Newspaper archives. Seems that the Philipsburg news media did not really wish to discuss the happenings but other news papers in the state carried articles of the story. 

Almost a year earlier, the July 30, 1887 Livingstone Enterprise published the following article: “Between twenty-five and fifty masked citizens at Philipsburg last Friday morning before daybreak, took Louis Demars, Samuel Tolman and Fred L. Currie from their lodgings and marched them out of town. Near the outskirts of town a rope was put about the necks of the two former and they were drawn up but let down again, and admonished never to return to Philipsburg. Currie kept on walking but Demars and Tolman returned the same day and swore out complaints against a number of the alleged assailants, whom they claim to have recognized. It seems this trio had incurred the ill will of the citizens of Philipsburg, by jumping certain mining claims. Monday morning James Patten, Mike Shovelin, M. Burke, N.B. Ringling [Ringeling], Joe Napkey, L. Porter, Charles Porter, Joseph Valley, Hugh McDonald and Mark Sullivan charged with being implicated in the affair, were arraigned at Deer Lodge to answer the charges against them. They pleaded not guilty and the trial was set for Wednesday, when all but Chas. Porter were placed under bonds of $1,000 to appear before the Grand Jury at the next term of court.” 

 The July 28, 1887 Helena Weekly Herald stated: “The Philipsburg Affair. From Deer Lodge July 27-Special to the Herald-The case of the Territory against (The above named men) on the charge of riot, came up for trial before Judge Emerson this morning at 10 o’clock. The defendants are charged with complicity in the recent mobbing affair at Philipsburg and are the same that were arraigned last Monday. …When the case was called the prosecuting counsel withdrew the charge of riot and entered complaint against the defendants for assault with intent to do bodily harm. The case was then continued until this afternoon when the parties will have a hearing on the latter charge.” 

Research does not reveal the afternoon case, nor follow-up until The Butte Semi-Weekly Miner May 16, 1888 carried the following: “…The Ku Klux Cases so called because the indictments were framed and it was sought to try the defendants under the United States laws against conspiracy to assault which was framed during the reconstruction days, The offense alleged in the indictment is that the defendant, Ringling and others, in pursuance of a conspiracy entered a cabin of Sam Coleman and Louis Demars’, the owner and locators of the Charles Clarke (?Sp) No. 2 lode mine in the Flint Creek District and assaulted them with pistols, guns etc., put a rope around their necks and threatened to hang them, ordered them to leave and never return to the district and by force attempted to compel them to sign a deed conveying all of their interest in the mine to one of the attacking party….It having been decided previously that the defendants should be tried separately Mr. Ringling was arraigned and pleaded not guilty…a lengthy legal discussion followed and that the indictment was erroneous in that it alleged the witness was the owner and locators of the mine, which allegation was not borne out by the records.” 

 Apparently five people were the original locators and the argument was that although the defendants insisted the claims were located in May and that on July 22 they were deeded over to the two defendants, the deeds were produced but because they were dated August 1 they were ruled out. After about four hours of legal battling it was moved that the jury be directed to return a verdict of not guilty. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty and the prisoner was discharged and his bail returned. 

Obviously the other defendants cases were then dismissed as they had all been charged with the same offense. I am assuming since N.B. Ringeling had been a Mayor of Philipsburg and was very influential in his managing of more than one mining company, the choice to have his case go first held great weight. Most interesting is how a case of a mob threatening citizens with a lynching was manipulated to rest on the fact that the prosecution did not have a proper deed to the claim the dispute was based on.

Why Did Lonergan Kill Duffy

Because the prominent position and subsequent demise of Mr. Duffy was pertinent to the history of the area, I believe he is worthy of discussion.. The first reference found was: “J.C. Duffy and wife to Michael Day $800, placer claims No. 21, 22, and 23, finraes, tools etc., in Wilson District” in the New Northwest, September 10, 1875 edition. The wife listed here must have died prior to 1899, when he married Lena McDonald. 

The first reference I found of J.C., involved in the Miner’s Union was in the March 19, 1897, Philipsburg Mail: “J.C. Wilson, who was recently elected to the position of financial secretary of the Granite Miner’s Union, has resigned and in his stead James C. Duffy has been elected. No extensive mention of his qualifications is necessary to be made, as almost everybody in the county knows the gentleman and his ability to creditably fill the office is equally known.”

J.C. ran for the office of State Representative for the County of Granite, in 1898, on the Democratic ticket, but lost to L.C. Parker, 575 to 610 votes according to the Philipsburg Mail, November 18, 1898. 

 “Mrs. James C. (Lena Mae) Duffy died at the home of her mother, Mrs. A.C. McDonald, in Granite Feb. 5, 1900, after an illness of about three weeks. Mrs. Duffy was only seventeen years and eight days old… A child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Duffy several weeks prior, but only a short time was Mrs. Duffy permitted to enjoy the blessings of motherhood. When her father, the late A.C. McDonald, died two weeks before, Mrs. Duffy was very ill; her condition so critical that she was not informed of his death, although it occurred in the same house. Survivors were: her mother, husband, infant and two sisters. 

In 1910, J.C. was elected to the office of State Representative for Granite County, and about that same time he became the Deputy State Game and Fish Warden, for the local district. For no apparent reason a fellow Irishman shot and killed James, on a Saturday afternoon, January 8, 1916. 

The shooter, Michael Lonergan was a well known miner from Granite and employed by the Granite-Bimetallic at the time of the incident: “The shooting took place in front of the post office about 3:20pm, just after Duffy had left the post office with mail in his hand….As the shot rang out Duffy was seen to fall on the sidewalk and Lonergan stood near by brandishing a revolver. He was excited and said that he did it, but willingly gave up his gun to Herman Hauck, a clerk at the post office...Under-sheriff A.R. McDonald was less than a block away and took Lonergan into custody a few minutes later…The stricken man was carried into Jas. Sundberg’s place where Dr. Casey made a hasty examination. A bullet wound over the left eye showed that there was no hope. A few minutes later Rev. Father D. Meade arrived and administered extreme unction to the dying man. After the rites of the church were conferred, Mr. Duffy was removed to the Silver Lake Hotel where he passed away at 6:30pm.” 

A coroner’s inquest was held on January 16th and the jury brought a verdict of death from a bullet wound to the head inflicted by a shot fired from a revolver in the hands of Michael Lonergan. According to the article Mr. Lonergan, had been down from Granite a number of days seeking treatment for a bronchial condition and had been drinking alcohol at the time of the incident. He bought the gun and shells the day before and only one bullet had been fired from the gun at the time of Duffy’s death. 

 James, born in County Donegal, Ardsmore Turaconnell, Ireland on January 2, 1866 had lived in Granite for over twenty five years and was active in the Democratic Party. The funeral for James was on January 11, from McGurks’ Hotel (The Silver Lake) to St. Philip’s Catholic Church, where requiem mass was celebrated and then on to the Philipsburg cemetery with internment beside his wife Lena May. 

The preliminary hearing of Michael Lonergan was held in Judge Sayrs’ court (January 28, 1918). Lonergan was represented by Attorney W.L. Brown and Judge D.M. Durfee appeared for the state. The prisoner waived the right to testify in his own behalf. The trial on March 15, took two days to secure a jury and they returned a verdict “of guilty of murder in the second degree and left the punishment to be fixed by the court”. Judge Winston sentenced Lonergan, to the State Prison, for a term of not less than thirty years and not more than forty, on March 23, 1916. 

At this time Lonergan’s prison release has not been found.

Bi-Metallic and Degrees of Gray

 

The Bi-Metallic Complex Photograph from the Ted Antonioli collection

                                                                       Unknown date

One cannot recite the history of Granite County without speaking about the Hope Mining Company, the Granite Mountain Mining Company and the Bi-Metallic Mining Company which merged in 1898 and was presided over by Paul Fusz until his death, February 16th 1910. At that time Charles McLure, who had always been involved in Granite Mountain, took over the presidency. The Bi-Met was in the newspapers almost weekly-be it: The mill is running at full capacity; Jack Boyd and Hank Noble are accused of robbing the mills bullion room; or the mill announced they will be shutting down on Friday causing all local businesses to announce they will be going to cash only beginning next week. As recently as the 2010’s the Mill (albeit remodeled and restored) was back up and running. Although the ore being processed was first from the Drumlummon at Marysville and later ore from Canada, good paying jobs were again available to the residents. One of the last surviving Millwrights, “Wildmeat” put the mill back into running order and trained the new employees to practice this vanishing trade. 

Every time I visit the Mill or the “Brick Hotel” next door or look at pictures of the mill in my files I hear the lines of the poem “The Degrees of Gray in Philipsburg.” This writing was composed by Richard Hugo (1923-1982), who was born and died near Seattle, but lived for a period in Missoula and taught at the University. Hugo had a skill of capturing the essence of a community by driving to an area and spending one day there. This he did in Philipsburg in 1982 and published the following poetry in 1984. (I recommend the reader slowly read each line aloud and think about their ups and downs they have experienced, while digesting the words.) 

 You might come here Sunday on a whim 

Say your life broke down. the last good kiss 

You had years ago. 

You walk these streets laid out by the insane, 

past hotels, that didn’t last, bars that did, 

the tortured try of local drivers to accelerate their lives. 

Only Churches are kept up. 

The jail turned seventy this year. 

the only prisoner is always in, not knowing what he’s done 

The principal supporting business now is rage. 

Hatred of the various grays the mountain sends,

hatred of the mill, 

The Silver Bill repeal, 

the best liked girls who leave each year for Butte. 

One good restaurant and bars can’t wipe the boredom out. 

The 1907 boom, eight going silver mines 

A dance floor built on springs 

All memory resolves itself in gaze 

in panoramic green you know the cattle eat

or two stacks high above the town two dead kilns, 

the huge mill in collapse for fifty years 

that won’t fall finally down. 

Isn’t this your life? 

That ancient kiss still burning out your eyes. 

Isn’t this defeat so accurate, 

the Church bell simply seems a pure announcement; 

ring and no one comes? 

Don’t empty houses ring? 

Are magnesium and scorn sufficient 

to support a town not just Philipsburg, 

but town of towering blondes; 

good Jazz and booze 

the world will never let you have 

until the town you came from dies inside? 

Say no to yourself. 

The old man, twenty when the jail was built, 

still laughs although his lips collapse. 

Someday soon he says, 

I’ll go to sleep and not wake up 

You tell him no, 

you’re talking to yourself. 

The car that brought you here still runs 

The money you buy lunch with 

no matter where it’s mined, is silver 

and the girl who serves your food is slender 

and her red hair lights the wall. 

As a youngster attending school in Philipsburg, very few of the students came from “rich” homes and those of us on ranches out on the creeks, even though we had very little money always had meat potatoes and gravy. Most everyone charged their groceries and some of the kids in town were allowed to go into the store, pick out a candy bar and say “charge it.” Ranchers would pay their bill in full when the cattle were sold in the fall. I remember the “Cash Only” signs when the Mines and Mills would shut down. 

Often the miner stopped at the bar on his way home and the wife joined him, with the children sitting off in the back room. The man whose lips collapsed when he laughed always sat with his two buddies on the bench in front of the Bank and when the mines shut down, the town was very quiet. But there was still logging…then it shut down too. Now the product is the up and down of tourism and the Mill still stands.

 

Crew and probably management during repair of the Bi-Metallic Mill

Date unknown

Ted Antonioli collection