Lower Valley Gun and Knife Fight Ended in Death

Philipsburg Mail headlines on December 30, 1910 carried the story that there was a tragedy at the Miller and Lockaby Ditch Camp on the afternoon of the 9th. The camp was located about three miles south of Hall in the Alex Wight field. Between three and four in the afternoon, Miller went after Lockaby with an axe and Lockaby shot to protect himself according to the report that Lockaby phoned in to the sheriff office, from Hall, before he started off on foot to Philipsburg to turn himself in. 

Lockaby arrived in Philipsburg in the early morning and County Attorney Moore and Judge F.D. Sayr took the morning train to investigate. At the time of printing the Mail had no other information as Lockaby did not wish to “make a statement for publication.” 

The January 6, 1911 Philipsburg Mail published the following: “…According to the testimony given at the inquest Geo. A. Miller and William Lockaby, {age 50} were partners in a subcontract on the Thayer Ditch, their camp being located several miles south of Hall. Miller tired of the job and Wednesday evening he and Lockaby settled up their affairs between them, Miller stating that he wanted to go to Idaho. Everything was adjusted amicably between them and all that remained to divide was a lot of groceries amounting to $24 and in which three parties owned equally. Miller did not want the groceries and told Lockaby he could have his share. Thursday morning Miller left camp to take the train to Drummond. On his way to Hall he met two men coming up who had been sent from the lower camp by another contractor to work at the head of the ditch. All three stopped and talked and the two inquired of Miller if he knew of a place where they could stop while working up there. Miller told them they might be able to stay with Lockaby as he was alone in camp. Miller went on to Drummond but on the afternoon train he returned and went back to camp. Lockaby asked what brought him back and Miller replied that he thought it over and concluded that the two fellows should not come to camp and eat up his grub and that he had come back to see that they didn’t. Lockaby started to cook lunch for Miller and while doing so Miller continued to talk about the two men, who then were out on the ditch at work, that he would kill them both before they should eat up his grub and that he would kill Lockaby too, if he took them into camp. The more he talked along this line the more violent he got. Lockaby tried to quiet him but it did no good and finally Miller stepped out of the tent to the wood pile and in a moment came back with a double-bit axe and made a pass at Lockaby who dodged the blow and jumped over the bunk. As he did so he grabbed up his gun and shouted to Miller to let up or he would shoot, but Miller kept on coming with the axe uplifted. Lockaby fired as he run until he had emptied the gun. He saw Miller fall just outside the tent but kept on going until he got to where the other men were at work. He told them what had happened and asked them to go and do what they could for Miller, and that he was going on to Hall to telephone the sheriff and give himself up. 

Miller was dead when the men reached the cabin, they covered him with a canvas and left things just as they were until the coroner arrived. Lockaby sent word to the sheriff from Hall that he was on his way to Philipsburg and arrived here early Friday morning. He went right to the Sheriff’s office and surrendered himself.” 

Judge Sayr acting coroner and County Attorney W.F. Moore went to Hall Friday morning, impaneled a jury; viewed the remains and the scene; and brought Miller’s remains to Philipsburg. The autopsy revealed Miller had been hit four times: once on his watch, one grazed his skull over the left eye, one entered the left breast and one entered the right breast, puncturing the lung. Both bullets were found under the skin on his back. The jury was comprised of: Frank D. “Sandbar” Brown, J.J. Carmichael, J.E. Barret, Peter Larson, William McRen and Napoleon Robishaw were satisfied that Lockaby was justified and had acted wholly in self-defense. “He was promptly given his liberty.” 

Nothing was known about Miller’s relatives so the remains were buried in the pauper section of the Philipsburg cemetery.