View source for Towner Savage


1882 [[Towner Savage]] arrives from the Black Hills with his "house keeper".

[[13 August 1884]] Towner Savage is giving champion checker player [[Judge Walker]] considerable challenge.

[[4 Sep 1884]] Paid $1.50 from the County general fund (along with a lot of others). And 2 such payments out of the jurors fund on [[3 Mar 1885]].

[[18 Mar 1885]] A fire left Mrs. [[M. McCanna]] homeless and Towner, [[Major Borchart]] and [[Sam O'Connell]] took up a subscription for her, raising $150.

[[31 Mar 1885]] Towner empanelled on a jury in a lunacy case.

[[5 Apr 1885]] Savage brings a suit against the County Commissioners to enforce payment of some warrants on which payment has been stopped. A demurrer to the compplaint was entered.

[[13 May 1885]] Among those applying for exchanging warrants into bonds. [[3 June 1885]] 11 people exchanged warrants for bonds, Towner's had the most at $8700, out of a total of $32,700.

[[1 Jul 1885]] Among those who are frequent bidders at sheriff's sales of property delinquent on taxes.

[[1 Jan 1886]] On list of recent construction, he is listed for a $2000 dwelling house and a $700 fence.

[[27 Feb 1886]] Case against the Dawson County Commissioners argued in [[District Court]], judge has reserved his opinion. [[1 Mar 1886]] the judge found for the plaintiff to compel Dawson county to pay some general fund warrants totaling $800.

[[8 Aug 1886]] Report lists his damage to a frame building from a recent fire in a nearby building to be $200.

[[18 Aug 1886]] Listed as an alternate delegate at Republican meeting.

[[9 Feb 1887]] One of three property owners who lost buildings in a fire. His lost was covered by an insured value of $1200.

[[11 Apr 1887]] Work begins on a new brick block owned by Towner and [[Major Butler]]. [[Maples and Stuart]] have the contract. By [[11 Jun 1887]] the brickwork is done and the roofing is next.

[[8 Apr 1889]] Towner begins work on repairing the artesian well for the [[court house]], which stopped flowing the previous summer. He doesn't think the uncased well caved in, but that escape cracks developed. He is putting 400 feet of 2 inch pipe down the hole. His hoist broke at 300 feet. Contract price is $100. He's bragged that he will get the job done or leave the country. 2 days later a flow was establshed, although the hole still needs cleaning out, the supply is sufficient for grounds keeping.

Lost an appeal of a case against the county on technicalities.

[[25 Jun 1890]] A letter for him has not been picked up at the Post Office.

[[16 Dec 1890]] Towner Savage and Ben Smith have purchased the brick store property on Main Street formerly occupied by Lee Eisenberg.

[[27 Jun 1891]] Mrs. [Alicia Brown]] died at 3am at the home of Towner Savage. Funeral to be held in the same place this afternoon (Sunday) at 2pm. Mrs. Brown was his housekeeper. He is popularly suspected of poisoning her for her money. But she had given this money to her nurse, Mary Burns.

Towner marries Mary Burns. He is popularly suspected of doing so for her money.

[[16 Mar 1893]] He and his wife sold 4.5 acres to [[Charles Daly]]. $400.

[[6 May 1893]] Meeting held about selecting a site for the town to purchase for the new [[State Reform School]]. The recommendation was to buy 40 acres owned by Dr. [[E. F. Fish]], directly south of Tom Savage's place. It was decided to solicit subscriptions to raise the funds. Dr. Fish has already pledged $100 if his property is selected.

[[31 Jul 1893]] Meeting at 4:30 pm at the [[Miles City Club]] held to publically support the [[First National Bank]] in light of the closing of the [[Stockgrowers Bank]] today. Towner was present.

[[22 Sep 1893]] Towner left this morning on the train for the World's Fair in Chicago. He returned in the evening of [[9 Oct 1893]] on the train from Chicago. He had an excellent time, best part was that it only cost half of what he expected.

[[14 Oct 1893]] Savage purchased the brick building previously occupied by Brann's butcher shop at sheriff's sale for $1750, subject to a $3725 mortgage. Lot 6, block 43.

[[28 Oct 1893]] Present at the ditch meeting.

[[7 Aug 1894]] Has land reassessed at $640 (part of a long list).

[[30 Sep 1895]] Mrs Towner Savage was bailed out for $10,000 by [[Jepp Ryan]], [[H. G. McIntryre]] and Col. [[George Sheetz]]. [[County Attorney]] [[Loud]] filed "an information" against her last Monday for the murder of her husband. Towner Savage was suddenly sick at 1 pm [[8 Apr 1895]] and was dead in less than two hours. Mrs. Savage had been sick for some time past and had taken some medicine in the morning which she claimed was poison. When told of it, Mr. Savage laughed at the idea and took some of the medicine and was soon dead. There is speculation whether it was suicide or not. Trial is set for [[7 Oct 1895]]. Savage left an estate valued at least $50,000, consisting of a farm under the ditch, 3 principal business houses in town and there are no debts.

Late October, 3 people in Montana were on trial for murder at the same time, a record, including Mrs. Savage.

[[30 May 1897]] Attorneys in Miles City are looking for heirs of [[Mary Burns]], possibly a son living in the [[Black Hills]]. About 1882, Towner Savage came to Miles City from the Black Hills, with a woman who claimed to be his housekeeper. About 1892, she died suddenly, rumour had it she was poisoned by Savage. At the time of her death, she had $3000 in cash and $600 in Pennington County (Black Hills area) bonds, which she had given to an old Irish woman, her nurse, for safe keeping. Savage later married this woman, for the money, it was said on the street. He proceeded to try to poison her as well, but she grew suspicious and he was given a dose of his own medicine, literally and figuratively, and he died. She was tried for murder, but acquitted. She has since died however. The bonds and cash were found among Savage's affects and an attempt is being made to find Mary Burns' son, the rightful heir.