The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-06-25
The CIRCUS RACKET
Inc History of the Arrest IF +n.
Swindiers.
AL explanation Needed From q
MISSOURI Under Sheriff.

'"o'l after the swindling operations hero br
several parties connected with Coles circ,,s ,.,.s
mace known, Sheriff Irwin took stens tn NM.
~ arrest OF the guilty parties. Under SHERIFF
fodley was dispatched to Helena .ftor IT,
Win commendable forcthoupht Mr. poa,a.
commenced to work from the oro,,rd
"n"n "o'as ne started in by pulling" the
" NY hrst' knowing the big game would
stay by the crowd. ''
Acting on this plan he first arrested Ma tt,er
VI" ca"dy man. then the side
snow ma'Iager, and following up the
lst IN the order of prominence he event,a,lv
'oos IN Detective Barry, press agent Maxwell
ana Cole himself, In the course of maxine
these arrests he learned that the four pr,ncinaI
swindiers were at Thompson's Falls, awaiting
me arrival OF the circus at that place. He tele-
graphed to Del uty Arthur at that Mace. GIVING
a description of the men ana reones,inp thu
deputy to arrest them. sheriff Berry ha,nencd
70 be at Thorn pson's Falls at the time. and in
less than half an hour after receiving Under
sheriff Bodiey's telegram the four sure thinen
sWindlers were under arrest.
soon afterwards Sheriff Berry and his deputy
were on their way to Missoula with their pris-
oilefs' The sure thing" gentry finding them
serves IN close quarters made overtures to
Sneriff Berry for their release. They first Of
lered The sheriff s25Oto let them go. They nexs
'alsed the amount to $500 and
finally offered him $3.50 to let
them go. at the same time telling the
officers that they (the prisoners) could 50 ar
range the matter of their escape as to make it
appear it was beyond the control of the Off I
GERS, and that they would jump the train while !
1t was Ill motion and that the officers could fire
upon them, provided they were not too accu-
rate in their aim. |
Sheriff Berry listened to these proposals and |
wiaen they got through he told the would-be |
brlbers they didn't have money enough
nor never would have to purchase their
freedom from him, that he was taking them
to the Missoula county Jail and there they
would land. Then calling on his deputy for as
slstance they each ironed two of them together
and brought them up to Missoula where they
were put behind the CRATES of the county jail.
Sheriff Berry having immediate business at
thompson falls returned with his deputy to
that place, leaving the prisoners with Under
Sheriff Lane. This officer telegraphed
Sheriff Irwin at Butte that he had
the prisoners and wanted to know what
to do with them. Sheriff Irwin i'm
wired Lane "to hold them at all
In the meantime Unde Sheriff Bod
ley had brought MS "gang" over from Helena
and was dispatched by Sheriff Irwin to bring up
the Gagged swIndlers from Missoula. This was
last Friday. At 2 80 that afternoon Sheriff Irwin
wired Lane to hold the prisoners. From some
cause that officer did not receive the dispatch
in the evening, and at 5 O'Clock he released
the prisoners. who chartered an engine and
sped westward at the rate of IS miles all hour.
1870 that night Sheriff Bodley arrived at
MissOula, bu' only to find the birds had flown.
He didn't see Under Sheriff Lane and took the
,ame train for Thompson Falls hoping to re-
lrrest the swindlers but they had crossed the
inc into Idaho and mace good their escape.
Mr.. Bcdley returned last evening but not in his
Usual sweet frame Of mind.
1t is now in order for Under Sheriff Lane to
Use and explain why he released thO:e men so
Don after tn ir capture, They were badly
in Butte and but for the inexplicable
'onduct of Mr.. Lane they would nov be the
'uests of Sheriff Irwin with a splendid prospect !.
'efore them of becoming the inmates of War =,
len Creels establishment in Deer Lodge !.