Show alt murder helena mont july 1 clay pugh was hanged at boulder thirty miles froba belena le Lena today for tho murder ot chouncey W west a conductor on tho montana railway the tragedy occurred near butte october ath last buith was stealing ride on train and west put him off attlio conductor swung round to signal the engineer t go ahead pugh shot him twice tn the back pugh was tried in jefferson county on a change of venue and convicted aarl th he pleaded self defense aai t acl to the supreme court for lew trail thie last week to have his sentence commuted likewise failed the condemned nan walked to the place of execution with a cigarette in his mouzli and smiled and joked ahne being pini nl S A al blooded butte july 1 which clay pugh paid the penalty wee in his compty on lie ath of last october chaunce Chau oce W west a wen known conductor on the butte anaconda A pacific railroad WAS the victim west was in charge of an ore train running to anaconda and pugh tried to beat his way he was put off the train but again climbed on and west started tor him with the intention of again putting him on pugh jumped from tho train and according to the testimony of eyewitnesses eye witnesses pulled a gun and fired twice both shots taking effect in back the injured man was removed to lie li but only lived short time west was prominent in circles in alie state and one of alio beet known railroad men in the west he formerly lived in ogden and salt lake and several brothers are prominent citizens of ogden he lett a wife and four grown the murder waa one of the moat cold blooded ever committed in this county and alie murderer thinking he could bot beet justice in silver bow through his attorney asked lor a change of venue whick was granted and the was sent to Jef terron county A stub borely contested trial resulted in the jury bringing in a verdict of murder in the first decree judge showers sentenced pugh to hang on juno but a respite was granted by governor Kick ards until today tp allow an appeal to dixs taken to atie eu court last week tha supreme court declined to interfere and a petition was circulated eliat the sentence bo commuted to life imprisonment bover nor Kick ards refused to grant alie commutation dueh wae anxious for the day alie liangqing lia nging and said lio preferred to hang to aping iping to the penitentiary for life he is a of henry clay travene Tra vere judge of a court in iowa and was also related to several prominent men in thijs hie widowed finci aged mother and one brother live on in davie county iowa |