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.
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