The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-25
Verdict Of the Jury Investigating
the Murder of w. j. Pen
rose.
Belle Browning Gives Her Testi-
mony and Is Released From
Custody.
She Tells Straight Story, Corroborated
by Several Other Witnesses-Tbe
Mystery Unsoived.


ner's jury In tho Penrose case completed its
work to-day. The only thing of interest in
the last days proceedings was the examina-
tion OF Belle Brewing, who was arrested the
night of the murder and has been held in
jail ever since. The woman had requested
that she be allowed to testify. She was
told by the coroner that what she said
might be used in evidence against her. but
she said she would answer everything. The
woman appeared in court in deep black,
Her face was pale and almost haggard. She
told 30 straight story as to convince all in
the room that she was telling the truth and
that she is innocent Of the crime
charged. Her story fitted closely to
that told by Annie Mcdonald and others.
The jury recommended her release from
custody after hearing her testimony.
Since her imprisonment the woman has had
no opportunity to talk with Annie Melon
aid. or jackson. or others, and yet her story
corroborates theirs in all particulars. Some
parts of her testimony were ordered kept
secret. She said
II remember seeing Mr.. Penrose the
evening of the night he was shot. 1t was
after five in the afternoon that he came to
my house. He sent me note by a mes
sengor boy in the afternoon asking me to
come to the office. I was alone
and could not leave, so I sent
an answer. l don't remember the
exact words of my answer, but
it was to the effect, I am alone, come here
He was at my house fully an hour. The
girl Annie Mcdonald was away but came
to the house before he went away. He was
In the back part of the house after let her
in. had no row or trouble with Penrose
that day and he said nothing about threats
or expected trouble with anyone. Our bus
mess was about the note had sent Mrs,
Penrose. We parted friendly. He said he
would see mo agsin in week and that he
was going right home and to bed. He said
nothing about having an engagement that
night. He said nothing about trouble with
any men. He was very pleasant, but had
been drinking. He did not say that he ex-
pected anyone at his house that night
"Penrose had told me several times he
was afraid of some labor agitators and
feared they would kill him. l think the
trouble was over pieces he had put in his
paper and over the eight-hour question. /
never saw any threatening letters he had
received, but he told me he had received
them. Last winter I sent him letter of
warning when he was at Helena, telling
him not to come to Butte. for fear he would |
be killed. He had been told 10y several
parties that the people were hot about his
action on the eight-hour question.
81 don't know Fred Wyman. I remem-
Der some time ago Perrose had
bod
lately. Penrose did not tell me
of any one who had threatened him to his
face, but he said he had been told threats |
had been made against him. Penrose also |
mentioned one woman who had pulled a
gun on him on b oadway last summer or
fall. and another woman who had followed |
him and me into tho California beer hall |
and waiter said she had a gun and I had
better look out for her. That was last fall,
,r early in the winter. | have not seen the
lately.
''It was less than two weeks before tho
Killing that | heard Penrose speak of
threats having been made against
llm. l sent no communication to
Penrosa on the night of the murder
after he left my house. | remember the
'ook was in my house after Penrose left
md that woman came in about lO:30
o'clock with two men. The woman was
Nellie Toohey. Sc works at the Clipper
shades. l don't know the men. They
we're looking for Belle but said was not
he Belle they were looking for. Penroses
lame was not mentioned by anyone there
hat night. They remained about half an
'our. The girl who came with them went
ack to work before the men left. The Nc.
Donald girl was i'll there all tho time.
Il closed up the store about IL o'clock
hat night and went right to bed. l have
ad no talk with Annie Mcdonald since |
'as arrested except III the presence of an
ticer. When l went to bed that night
ook OIL all my clothes and put on my night
ress. l almost always wear black. | have
wo old pairs of shoes that had not worn !
or more than two weeks. The last time :.
ore the old shoes went up to supper with :
lr. jackson. 1t was raining and muddy |
lat night, 50 put on Il pair of old shoes.
my gun was stolen from me when went
} the coast. was gone about six or seven j,
eeks. did not como back until after .
enrose had returned. was last on Mon C
ma street the night Penrose and his wife !
nd child were at the opera house in box. .
went clear to his house that night. | =
new Penrose was at the opera house. but s
ent to the house to see if his wife had q
me with him. l saw the lights were out
Id 80 concluded she had gone with him.
have worn black for weeks and months
the date of the killing. L was h
1t at tho corner of Galona and Y
ain streets at IL O'Clock the night of the tt
ling. had not been along there since "
onday morning. was not out of the "
'use the day oil the killing.
"Ihe first news of Pen ose's death was
to me by Jim Leyden, chief
police. have acknowledge or any clue
to who would have done this deed. Pen
Sc and had slight quarrels at various pi
nes before tho killing, but l did not "
reaten to kill him. We had only slight NJ
arrels for several weeks before his io
ath. The last meeting was friendly. al
wrote somo letters to his wife. X
10 was tho Wednesday night u
ey went to tho opera house together. The Q,
her WAS on Sunday. l sent IA letter of 81
ology after the mean letter but received W
answer. That was about u week before =, Il.
q shooting" ~
Tho strongest evidence against the woman Il