The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-28
DID THEY KILL PENROSE2
Three Men We're Arrested Yesterday
Charged With That Most
Foul Crime.
SO Far as Known the Evidence
Against Thorn Is Circum-
stantial.
1t Is Known That All Of Them Had Mad o
Threats Against tho Dead
Newspaper Man.


Butte was thrown into an uproar to-day by
the arrest of three men charged with tho
murder of Hon. w. j. Penrose, on June 10,
last. The men arrested arc all prominent
i'll labor circles. w. Il. Deeny is vice.
president OF tho Silver Bow Trades and
Labor Assembly, president or the Butte
WorkinRmen's union, and member of tho
Miners union Eugene Il. Kelly is secre-
tary of tho Trades and Labor Assembly,
and has been secretary of the Miners
union; Phil Hickey has been secretary of
the Miners union and is a member Of that
organization and of the Trades and Labor
Assembly. The arrest of the men was made
at the instance of Pinkerton detectives who
have been employed by the city to work up
the case. The detectives are j. G. McGill,
of ST. Paul, superintendent of the north
ern bureau of the Pinkerton agency, G.
W. Wilson, assistant superintendent,
and G. j. Ryan, of Chicago. Ryan left
Chicago on June 10, and reached Butte on
the evening of June 22. Wilson accom-
panied him, and McGill has been here the
past week. The detectives, after CANVASS
ing the situation, adopted the theory that
Penrose had been killed by labor men
whom he had abused in his paper. Ryan
worked himaelf around as miner and la
Dor advocate and secured board at the
boarding house run by Mrs. Mary Kelly
mother of Kelly. Thus he became init
mate with both Kelly and Deeny. who room
there. He went around with them about
town. Meanwhile, tho other detective had
been working up other clues and the result
ic lot Of rirr ctp t;al vvh ;ob
the detective considered sufficient to war
rant arrest.
The arrest was decided on last Friday
night and on Saturday: forenoon Sheriff
Lloyd went over to Helena and obtained
requisition papers for Paul Hickey, who
had moved to Boise. Idaho, soon after the
murder. The papers were obtained and it
was arranged that the men in Butte should
not be arrested until the receipt of cipher
telegram from Boise announcing the arrest
of Hickey. The cipher dispatch was re-
ceiyed at II q. m. and and at Ja Deeng and
Kelly were arrested rs they were coming
out of the Acquisition mine, where they
work, for dinner. When told that they
were placed under arrest neither said any
thing or inquired what they were arrested
at the county Jail and no reporters or 9TH
ers have been allowed to see them. Both
had known that they were suspected Of tho
murder and both have frequently said that
they could prove conclusive alibis.
The sentiment in the city is divided as to
the guilt of the men. None of them are
men who would be suspected of such deed.
Deeny and Hickey are said to have made
threats against Penrose on account of
articles written in his paper about them,
and Hickey is said to have declared that he
would get even with Penrose before he left
the city. Hickey ran for city marshal last
spring and was accused in Penrose's paper
of having sold sold for few hundred dol
lars
The evidence collected by the detectives
is substantially as follows: A. T. Allen, of
Helena, is reported to have picked Deeny
and Kelly ont in a crowd as the two men
he saw at the corner of Montana and Galena
streets a few minutes before the murder
was committed. Allen says he was looking
for a friend, and addressed the two men,
supposing them to be policemen, as ono OF
them carried short club. They answered
grutliy, and when he apologized, saying he
supposed them policemen, one of them an
swered: ''Ihank God am not a
policeman" 1t is also claimed that the
iron found in the billy is similar to that
used in the Acquisition mine, and that the
shovel handle from which the wood of the
billy was cut has been found near the Ac :
quisition mine. Another point is that the
three men arrested are identified as having
bought black cloth and cord in Rose Per
kins' store day or two before tho murder,
and a woman testifes that she saw a black
cloth drop out of Kelly's pocket the day
before the murder, and that he nervously
and hurriedly picked it up. A false beard
was found on the scene of the murder in
FROM the chin of the murderer during the
struggle. 1t is claimed that in the beard
are q few hairs corresponding in appsar-
ance to those in tho real beard of Deeny.
The apartments of Deeny and Kelly have
been searched but the only thing found was
3s-calibre revolver, Smith IL Wesson pat
tern, which is the character of the gun
supposed to have been used in the murder.
Labor men here scout the idea of the ar
rested parties having anything to do with
the murder. They claim that money has
been used to secure the evidence in order
to strike blow at organized labor Corn
ishmen, on the contrary, friends of Pen
rose are making wild threats and fears are
entertained that Hickey may be roughly
dealt with when he arrives here with tho
officers to- morrow.