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CAME HERE AS A MINER
M. Kerr Beadle, 60, former Butte mayor and prominent citizen of
the Mining city for many years, died at 9:30 o’clock last night at St.
James Hospital following an illness of one week.
He had only recently been appointed assistant attorney general of
Montana.
Mr. Beadle came to Butte 35 years ago as a Butte miner and later
a hoisting engineer. From
the ranks of labor he entered politics and held various offices, always
a Democrat. He studied law in his spare time while holding the office of
county clerk and recorder and later served as chief deputy county
attorney. He was three times
in the state legislature, once a member of the local school board, twice
mayor and later was appointed as labor coordinator for Montana under the
NRA.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Minnie Beadle.
The family home is at 1237 West Granite Street.
He was born in Indiana. At an early age he came West with his
parents and located at Helena. There he attended primary schools. Later
he attended Gonzaga University at Spokane.
Coming to Butte at the turn of the century Mr. Beadle went to
work as a miner. He
afterwards became a hoisting engineer and became active in that union,
serving as business agent for the engineers until 1927. It
was while serving as business agent that he entered politics and was
elected county clerk and recorder. At the expiration of his term he
continued in the office as chief deputy under Dave Kehoe. Admitted
to Bar
During his years in that office and for some time before, he had
been studying law. He was
admitted to the bar and became chief deputy county attorney under the
late Matt Canning. At the
expiration of Mr. Canning’s term Mr. Beadle practiced law in Mr.
Canning’s private office, later establishing an office of his own
which he maintained to his death. |
Mr. Beadle was a staunch Democrat and attended many conventions
of that party. He was ever a champion of labor and continuously active
in behalf of the labor movement. He was said to have been endorsed by
every labor union in the state for his recent appointment as assistant
attorney general.
He enlisted for the war with Spain in 1808 and was a member of
the Henry Lawton camp in Butte. He
served three terms in the state Legislature.
Following a term on the local school board he was elected mayor.
He served two terms—from 1927 to 1931.
Leaving the office of mayor he became manager for the Gold Creek
Mining company at Pioneer.
When the Roosevelt administration came into power Mr.
Beadle was appointed labor coordinator for the NRA.
Following the death of the NRA he was connected with the Federal
Housing project. He was prominent in the Townsend movement and a member
of the Butte Pioneer club.
His widow, Mrs. Minnie Beadle, was constantly at his bedside
during his last illness. In
addition to Mrs. Beadle he is survived by a brother, Edward Beadle—in
Mexico—and a sister, Mrs. Mary Halloran of Washington, D.C.
The body is at the Daly-Shea mortuary.
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