The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-12-21

Another Gang Come 10 Gsisf---qae Dead
and Two In Prissa,

10y.
Anoshsr Gang Come 70 Grisf---qae Dead
and Two In Prissa.
We published two weeks ago the account |
Of bold robbery perpctrsted by three men, |
who went into Hamiltop& Pfouts' store, Butte, |
made those present open the safe, and got |
some 81 300. Although extraordinary efforts |
were made to get the robbers, the officers
could get no clue.
On wednesday evening of last week, three
men rode up to Eddy, Hammond 8 Co.'s
store, at Stsvensville, in the Bitter Root val
ley, dismounted, entered, and drawing their
guns, ordered George Salsig, the clerk,
and two men present with him, to throw up
their hands. Salsig was then ordered to open
the combination on the safe, which he did,
delivering TO them $500 which had been
placed On deposit by an Indian named Fran
co.'s They got, in addition, about $50; also
Winchester rifle and other light property.
They then mounted and sped away in the
direction of the Rock Creek trail, to Philips
burg. Circumstances were against them.
The money stolen belonged to an Indian, Of
whom there are many in the vicinity OF
Stevensville. The upper Bitter Root is, es-
pecially in winter, what Victor Hugo would
delight to call q clil de sac. 1t is in fact six
ty-mile long pocket, from which there Is no
egress except by way of Missoula. The trail
to Philipsburg, always difficult, is ut this sea-
son utterly impossible. Yet for this trail the
| robbers started with stolen Indian money in
| their pockets. A dozen Indians were soon
| on the trail, and capture was inevitable. On
| Thursday night they were overtaken on the
trail, and in the fight that ensued one of
them, named Clark, probably the leader, was
killed. The other two, Martin Fitschen and
John Irving Beck, were captured and taken
to Stevensville.
The Miner gives the following connecting
the Butte and Stevensville robberies:
| Clark, Fitsehsn and Beck were the parps-.
traitors Of the Montana street robbery, Clark
being the leader of the gang who presented
the revolver at VIM. Pfouts' head and COM
PEELED him to open his safe, a week ago last
| Tuesday night. Martin Fitschen proves to
! be the brother of one of our most respected
citizens, George @. Fitschen, in whose sa-
loon on Main street he has been employed
at different times during the past three years,
and since August last he has been steadily
employed there as night bartender. Beck
turns out to be the well known miner,
Johnny Beck, who was working the Geneva
mine, situated southwest of the old Travonia
property, on the ed of last month, when the
shaft-house was destroyed by giant powder
explosion, and had o narrow espape from
death.
About Clark, who forfeited his life In re-
sisting the officers at Rock Creek, bnt little
IL known. 1t appears that both Clark and
Beck became frequenters of Fitschen's sa-
loon within few days after the explosion ut
the Geneva mine, and that they were there
almost constantly after night while Martin
Fitschen was on watch. Fitschen and the
day barkeeper lodged in small frame house
on Wyoming street, near Mercury, and he
took Clark and Beck there about the LIST
inst, telling the other barkeeper that they
were broke and he wanted to give them a
place to sleep. 1t was in this retired cabin
that the three formed the alliance for high
way robbery and plotted the crimes which
have in so short time resulted disastrously
to the plotters.
| The Pfouts robbery was committed on the
evening Of the 4th inst, and from that time
until the report Of the Stevensville robbery
was published in yesterday mornings Miner,
no clue was obtained to the perpetrators
The reporter last night discovered man
who saw three men come from the direction
of Pfouts' store on the evening OF the 4th
inst, and circling around through the old
placer grounds, some up Wyoming street
and enter the house occupied by Fitschen,
, Clark and Beck. It has also transpired thai
on the 9th, 9th and It'll insts., they kept
, themselves close within the house. On the
Sth inst. they all came out and circulated
freely about the town, meeting many &C
quaintances, some of whom were the officers
at that moment in search of the robbers oil
Pfouts' store. On the 9th inst Qast Sunday
they took the noon train, telling their friends
! they were going to the Ceur dAlenes. The
/ supposition Is that they left the train ut Mis-
: soula and went up the valley to Stevensville
l where they wound up their. short, but pecu
u liarly desperate and reckless career Of crime
9 | by tue raid on Eddy, Hammond 4 oompa
4 ny's store. No doubt exists in the minds o.
. the officers that they are the same men WHIT
I robbed Pfouts' store.
II
{ were arraigned at Missoula before Polio,
o Magistrate Sloane. Waving examination
o their bonds were fixed at 5000 each, failing
s to give which they were returned to jail Il
n await the action Of the grand jury next June
n The parties were well armed, rs between thu
J, three they had one double. barreled shot gun
t one Winchester rifle, six revolvers and ;
i knife or two.
Q AS they made big haul from Pfouts, ant
= were well on their way out of the country
i their stopping off at Missoula and going NJ
2 into the Bitter Root to rob is unaccouDtable
It except on the hypothesis that they gamble'
h off the first stolen money and did not know
Q the country. Fitschen Is quite young.
+ couple of years ago he was bar tender for
z, time in the Western Brewery Saloon, Dee
Lodge. He was an exceedingly pleasan
looking, well-behaved boy, and one of tn
Y last one would suspect of turning out for I
!. highwayman. By the way, the highwaymel
y seem to have been out Of luck in Montan
recently. Although wages are only moder
ate, it would appear, after due consideration
that honest industry is the best policy.
Mr.. George Fitschen, who was at Missoula
gives the following additional items: HI
4 does not believe Martin Fitschen had any
thing to do with the Butte robbery. He wa
not concealed after that robbery, but was oil
duty every night until Dec. 7th. He then LEI
to 90 to Ceur RAlene with Clark, who rep
resented that he had SO ground there. The.
got broke in Missoula, and Clark then pro
posed the Stevensville robbery, saying h
knew of the Indian having money deposite'
there. They did not ride, but walked to Ste
vensville, and after the robbery started TO
the Rock Creek trail on foot. They wakes
all night and rested the next day. The sec
ond night they went to sleep In their blank
cts in sheltered place among the rocks OF
the trail, Clark sleeping in the middle, be
tween Beck and Fitschen. About daybreal
the next morning Fitschen was awakened b
Clark poking him in the side with his elbow
saying, "Sh-! heard somebody hollow!
Immediately afterward he saw several men
"A not ten feet distant from them, all pointin
2 guns at them, and heard the command
;. "Hold up your handsw Beck and Fitsche
: threw up their hands, but Clark only thre,
= up his left hand, while he attempted to rails
!. the right, in which he held cooked n
!, vOlver Before he could firc the pursuin
i IN y