The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-22
THE ROBBERS

Caught Mapping and Taken b,
Surprise - Captured after
Firing One volley.
They Deny being Connected witt
the Pfouts Robbery.
George G. Fitschen returned from
Missoula yesterday where he had al
interview with his brother Martin
Fitschen, under arrest for the Ste
vensville robbery. Mr.. Fitschen say.
that the reports heretofore published
of the affair are erroneous in many
respects, particularly those portion.
connecting the robbers with the Mon
tana street robbery in this: city. HI
himself is convinced that his brother
had no hand ia that robbery. He
says that he was with his brother un.
til very near 5 o'clock the evening Of
the Pfouts robbery and he don't be.
lieve that Martin could have reached
Hamilton & Co.'s store in time to par
ticipate in the robbery after he left
him. He also corrects the statement
that Martin Was under cover during
the three days following the Butte
robbery and says that he was on duty
In the saloon every day during the
week up to Friday night. Dec. 7th.
While in Missoula he examined
the fire arms captured with the rob-
ber-, and says the 38-calibre re-.
vOlver which was stolen from his sa-
loon was not among them. He also
says that no horses were captured
with the men, and that they were on
foot when captured and when they
committed the robbery. Martin
stcutly denied being connected with
the robbery here, and said that he and
Beck left Butte to go to the Coeur
d'Alenes with Clark, who represent
ed to them that he had claim there
which would pay $40 per day to the
man. He also said he had some
horses in Bitter Root Valley
which they would ride to the mines.
When they reached Missoula he said
the horses were too valuable to use
on such trip; that they were worth
$500 and upwards head. The party
stayed in Missoula couple Of days,
during which they were on a spree ,at
the termination of which it was
discovered that they were all out of
money. 1t was at this juncture that
the scheme of robbery was first
broached by Clark, who said he
knew where an Indian had some
money deposited. which they could
easily get if Beck and Fitchen would
stanu III Will lilu. Altar gOOu
deal of talk he was induced to join
in the enterprise, and the robbery
was committed. They walked all
that night on the Rock Greek trail
and rested the next day. On the
night of the 18th instant they went
to sleep in their blankets in shell
tered place among the rocks on the
trail, Clark sleeping in the middle
between Beck and Fitchen. About
daybreak the next morning Fitchen
was awakened by Clark poking him
in the side with his elbow, saying,
"Sh-! I heard somebody hollow !"
Immediately af5erward he saw sew
eral men, not ten feet distant from
them, all pointing guns at them.
and heard the command, "Hold up
your hands," Beck and Fitchen
threw up their hands, but Clark only
threw up his left hand, while he at
tempted to raise his right in which
he held a cooked revolver. Before
he could fire the pursuing party fired
volley which sent at least a dozen
bullets flying around the robbers
heads, one of whi :h struck Clark in
the chest, killing him almost in
stantly, and as he fell back his own
revolver was discharged in the air.
The pursuers Immediately sprang
forward and disarmed the other two.
All the money recovered was found
on the body OF Clark. and amounted
20 only $500 IN excess of the amount
stolen from Eddy, Hammond 4 Co.'S
store at Stevensville. Fitschen ap-
peared to know nothing about the
stallion stolen from d. J. Stannard
last summer; but it is more than
likely that Clark had been operating
extensively in horse stealing, and
had that and other horses cached in
the valley. If so Under Sheriff Bod
ley has probably recovered them be-
fore this time, as he was Oh their
trail when last heard from.