One Man Dead Another Hospitalized

 Following is the story the July 15th 1938 Philipsburg Mail headlined: Huebeck Dead, Deputy Sheriff Wounded in Shooting. This is a synopsis of the article: “One man dead and another in the Northern Pacific Hospital in Missoula seriously wounded Tuesday morning as the result of a shooting affray on an upper Willow Creek ranch 18 miles west of here. The dead man is John Heubeck a “hermit” rancher, who committed suicide by hanging himself on a rafter in the attic of his ranch home after wounding Fred Superneau, Granite County Undersheriff, four times, and later engaging in a gun battle with Angus McDonald, Granite County Sheriff. Superneau was wounded when he went to Heubeck’s ranch Tuesday morning to arrest Heubeck on a warrant signed by F.F. Redman, Forest Ranger, charging Heubeck with burning brush without a permit.” Fred knew Heubeck as his ranch was below the Luthje ranch and Fred was married to Anna Luthje, so when he presented John with the warrant and told him he needed to go with him to town, thought nothing about letting John go change his clothes. John came out of the bedroom with a pair of overalls draped over his arm which concealed a short-nosed 38 calibre revolver. John fired four shots at Fred with one creasing his “rib just under the heart, another passed through his right wrist, another his left arm and the fourth lodged in the upper right leg.” Hans Luthje heard the shooting and came to Fred’s aid, rushing him to Dr Knight’s Hospital in Philipsburg and he was then taken to Missoula. Hans notified Sheriff McDonald who notified the Silver Bow Sheriff asking for gas guns and headed for the scene. Butte Undersheriff Joe Boric and Deputy Carruther’s responded bringing the gas guns. When McDonald arrived at the ranch Heubeck fired at him and when he ran from the barn to the house was fired on a second time. McDonald then broke out a window in the house and hearing no shots peered inside to see Heubeck’s feet disappearing into the attic. After calling for the man to come out of the attic, McDonald pushed open the trap door and Heubeck fired again. He had already put the rope noose around his neck. McDonald returned fire with three shots: two going high and one hitting Heubeck in the cheek and then realized the rope had been tied to the rafter as Heubeck fell. 

Heubeck had lived on the ranch for 30 years and was survived by a brother in California. Fred’s wounds healed quickly and he returned to his undersheriff position. Fred was the son of William F. and Bertha Superneau who had moved to Philipsburg from Illinois prior to 1899. The 1910 Federal census show’s the family living in the Roslind district with Maynie, age 9, William Frederick age 7, Richard age 5, Laurence age 2 and Clarice an infant. Their son George died as an Infant in 1899. Fred married Anna Luthje at the age of 29 on March 9, 1927 and they had two daughters: Mildred died at the age of 17 January 1, 1949 and Shirley “Shammie” married Herbert Abbey. Fred worked as a Mill Man and was undersheriff for his brother-in-law Gus McDonald. When Gus went to fight in WWII his wife (Fred’s sister) Clarice was given the position of Sheriff with Fred remaining as undersheriff, until the term was up. Fred died of a CVA (stroke) on January 22, 1963 after being in St. Ann's Hospital in Anaconda for 2 days. All of the family are interred in the Philipsburg cemetery.