Memories for the Week of January 27, 2016

100 years ago

January 27, 1916

Cow Creek murder still

causing trouble

Blaine County officials trying their best to slip one over on Phillips County

The question of which county will have charge of the murder case on Cow Creek is not yet settled and probably will not be before the first of the month. It is claimed by the officials of this county that the killing took place in Blaine County, the officials of Blaine contend the trouble was in Phillips.

Deputy Sheriff Brooks of Zortman, who was called the night of the shooting to take charge of the affairs until the tangle could be straightened out, arrived in the city Saturday from Zortman with Bernie O'Rilley, who is charged with the shooting. Mr. Brooks reports a very strenuous time and says he held the crowd that was at the dance there four days awaiting orders from here or Chinook, and when the officials from Chinook did arrive, they refused to have anything to do with the case, claiming it was a Phillips County case.

The dead man, in charge of the Liveryman Sauceman, arrived here Thursday night about one o'clock, and the remains have been in the R. V. Tucker undertaking parlors waiting instruction from officials.

The story of the trouble in last week's paper was just about correct, the only thing we did not mention was the fact that Secrest was abusing his wife when O'Rilley tried to stop the trouble with the result he became tangled up in a fight with Secrest, resulting in the death of the latter.

75 years ago

January 23, 1941

Effect of war on Agriculture to be discussed here

Community committeemen of the Phillips County Agricultural Conservation Association will attend a meeting in the court room at Malta to hear a discussion on the possible effects of the present war situation on Agriculture. Margaret M. Kropp, secretary of the PCA, advises that there will be no compensation paid community committeemen for attending the meeting.

FBI fail to Identify man's body

Identity of the body found in a haystack near Bowdoin last December remains unknown despite aid from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. County attorney Fred C. Gabriel announced yesterday. Gabriel has received a communication from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover referring to specimens sent to Washington D.C. to investigate.

From the right hand of the deceased, fingerprints were taken and photographs of the pattern were sent to Gabriel. The patterns were searched through the main fingerprint files of the bureau's identification division, but no identification could be made.

The county attorney's office has received word from Mrs. E. F. Collins of Lexington, N.C., offering proof that the body is not that of her son, Jack, who worked on the Roy Kindle place near Bowdoin last summer. Mrs. Collins received letters from her son late last month. The man whose body was found in the haystack by Walter Simpson last Dec. 21 had been dead for several months prior to the discovery. Though clues are few, authorities are still working on the case.

50 years ago

January 27, 1966

Note: The weather in Malta this week in 1966 did not get much above negative numbers...the high being 1-degree for the week.

John Deere Day to be February 14

John Deere Day in Malta will be Monday, Feb., 14, according to Lochiel Edwards of the Malta Mercantile Company. Among the events of the day will be a film on the John Deere line, an open house with equipment on display and the usual lunch and refreshments at the store beginning at 11:30 a.m.

49th Parallel Days in Malta

Bob Jacobs of the Malta American Legion Post this week announced the 49th Parallel Days will be held in Malta this year on May 21 and 22. This is an annual joint observance between the American Legion and the Royal Canadian Legion of Canada. The events alternates between the U.S. and Canada each year.

The highlight of the meeting will be a talk in Malta Sunday evening by Tim Babcock, Governor of Montana. There will be a dance Saturday and a memorial "drumhead" service Sunday afternoon.

Plans for the 49th Parallel Observance were made Sunday when a delegation from Malta conferred with Legionnaires in Swift Current. Attending from Malta were Bob Jacobs, Paul Stengel, Clarence Beyer, Elmer Feigel and Nyles Humphrey.

25 years ago

January 30, 1991

County weathers decade with 3.8% loss in census

Phillips County population shrank like most of Eastern Montana during the decade of the 80s but compared to other surrounding counties, things weren't all that bad.

The county as a whole showed a 3.8 percent decline in population, according to census figures released this week. Locally, Dodson showed the biggest percentage loss while Saco actually showed a percentage increase.

Here are the figures at a glance:

Area 1990 1980 PCT.

County 5,163 5,367 -3.8%

Dodson 137 158 -13.3%

Malta 2,340 2,367 -1.1%

Saco 261 252 3.6%

10 years ago

January 25, 2006

One that didn't get away

Brennan Simpson, 13, of Saco, caught a near record 16-pound walleye Sunday while fishing with tip-ups at Fort Peck Lake. It measured 33 inches long. The official state record walleye weighs in at 16.63 pounds. Brennan is the son of Audie and Suzi Simpson.