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The Fort Missoula Rally - Fall 2010
Vol. 33 No. 4
Missoula History Minutes
60. Fire and Murder
On August 14, 1892 a major fire was sweeping through Missoula. Two men named Lyons and Burns had arrived a few days earlier and had spent most of their time in the saloons. On the morning of August 15, Lyons was arrested for pawning the ring of a Paul Goldenbogen. Burns then found Goldenbogen in front of the Exchange Saloon and shot him in the right side.
The wounded man reeled to the front of the sidewalk where Morris (spelled Maurice) Higgins (C.P. Higgins' son) was walking to help fight the fire. As Higgins turned at the sound of the first shot Burns fired again and hit Higgins in the forehead. Higgins died at noon that day. Burns was arrested and because of the admiration for the Higgins' family, talk of lynching was heard throughout town. However, the sheriff kept the peace and Burns was hanged, legally, on December 16.