The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-21
A Bold Burglary Committed Dur
ing Wednesday Night on
Lawrence Street.
Owing to O Woman's Forethought
the Thiovos Got Very 9
Little Plumber.
Helena Just Now Appears to DO Infested
with . Gang Of Extremely
Crooked People.

Whom John Murta, of B7 Lawrence
street, undertook to answer his wife'a
question as to the time yesterday morning,
he reached for his watch near his bedside.
II was not there, neither were Mr.. Murta'a
trousers. jumping out of bed hurriedly,
Mr.. Murta began a search for the missing
articles. At the foot of the stairway he
found his trousers and watch and chain,
also Mrs. Murta's pooketbook. The pock-
etbook, which had contained four or Ave
dollars in silver, was empty. Something
over q dollar in change in the pockets of
Mr.. Murtra's trousers was gone, too. The
sideboard was open, but nothing missing
from 1t. The back door was unlocked,
showing how the robbers had gone out.
How an entrance was effected is = matter
of some doubt. One superstition is that
the thieves climbed up over tho front
porch and came in through the second
stor5 window, one of the screens having
been left unlocked. Another is that the
Chinese servant forgot to lock the kitchen
door before retiring, and that ingress and
egress was effected that way. Mr.. and Mrs.
chloroformed by the robbers. MI. Murta
> y u WY AieAU OSH sAAo SA$AA WaA0D ~
at the slightest noise of one of the children,
During Wednesday, night. however. he
slept soundly while the thieves were going
through the house, and walked up yesterday
morning with a dull headache. He wa
also told during tbs day that the dog had
but he heard none of it. Mrs. Murta says
she also experienced a nauseous feeling
on awaking. All these circumstances lead
to the conclusion that chloroform was
used. None of the drug, however, was
vOed on the children, as the little daughter
ened, went from her own to her mother
room. She is n heavy child, and the noise
she made walking over the oor was, nc
doubt. what frightened the robbers and
caused them to run. In their hurry they
very likely dropped Mr.. Murta's watch and
chain.
But the most valuable plumber was left
behind. This was owing to the foresight OF
Mrs. Murta. Having been told on Wednes.
day by an acquaintance of the numeroue
robberiss going on, she had taken all her
jewelry as we'll as the big money in hel
pocketbook, and hidden them all beneath
some loose paper under the stove, shrewdlv
suspecting that robbers would not look
there for valuables. She wisely left a few
dollars in her pocketbook and laid it on the
bureau, and the robbers evidently thought
that WAS all the money she had about the
house.
1t is very evident that Helena is being in
Tested by q band of very crooked people
just now. The advent of the circus and the
races and the crowds naturally attracted by
those events seldom fail to bring an advance
guard Of thieves, who expect to prey or
houses left unprotected or on the pockets Of
those in tho scramble for places. The po-
lice know this n arc picking up all suspi-
cious characters. They 'un in about eight
of them during Wednesday night. but fol
want of evidence all but two were let go
They were also charged with being drunk
Mayor Kleinschmidt is expected to put on
q force of extra policemen during the com
ing week.