The Helena independent., 1892-04-01
some SURE Thing FACTS
Illustrations Of How Strangers and
Residents Have Been Flesced
in Helena.
The Police Knew of These Things
but Not an Arrest Was
Attempted.
Facts Erem tbs Street DspArtment-Que
tiens fer Treasurer walker the Tax
payers wsuld Like Him to Answer.

tions fer Treasurer walker tho Tax
payers wsuld Like Him to Answer.
II Mr.. Klsinsehmidt Il reelected there il
going to be change in the ot1iss Of city
marshal, say his friends. Marshal Sims
docs net want tho offise any moro, and Thss.
Graham il 10 bs his successor. This ID the
reply made to those tAxpays sra who have in
qsired Of the powers that be II Mr.. Klein
schmidt IL reelected what they may expect.
II will be seen that the business will still
continue 1t the old stand, the only differ
snss being that tho active and silent MEM
bsrs of the combine change places. The
fsw defenders the present city administra-
tisn can claim, in answer to the charge
that the police force under Marshal Sims
has protected the sure-thinG men, skin
gamblers and confidence men, say there
have been more arIssts of men Of that sort
under Mayer Klsinsehmidts administra-
tion than sver before. Grknting for the sake
Of argument, that this 10 true, tbs reason
II that under Ill other city administrations,
save whom Sims was marshal, there were
fewer sure thing men to arrest. The city
has of being haven for crooked
gamblers, ana they stayed away. Il is not
necessary to gsneralize on the statement
that Marshal Sims has kept his eyes snd
ears slossd while tho sure-thinR and conf
dsncs men piled their business. There are
specific oases. known TO men about town
and to business and professional men gen
orally, that proved TO any unpreiudiced
mind thas the mayor who appointed and
kept in office Marshal Sims was untrue to
ths trust placed IN him BY the taxpayers Of
Helena. some Of these will be cited.
Early last fall man from Great Falls
stepped OF ths Great Northern train at
Helena. He came up town and
met some very agreeable aompan-
ions. They were Of the kind
known as "steerers." whose business is TO
find victims for the sure-thing game. The
Great Falls man, after being loaded with
liquor. was taken to room on Main
street, known to all except tho "lambs'' as
Z sure-thine layout. His companions pro-
posed to try their luck. and the Great Falls
man was willing to do likewise. Az the
game went along the liquor was passed
around freely and the Gieat Falls
visitor edo found himself hopeea;,sly drunk nj.
ana 61,6UV IN deDt 70 tno sDanA. w tAls
amount he was only able to show few
hundreds in cash. He gave his checks on
Great Falls bank for the difference. Fear
ing that when ho came to his senses he
might realize that he had been swindled
and stop payment on tho checks, the man
ayers Of the game continued to ply him
with liquor, keeping him helpless until one
Of their number went 70 Great Falls and
had thstchecks cashed. Then the victim
was allowed to 20. The facts wers known
TO tho police. No arrests we're made.
1t WAS not long after this that resident
crowd. Ho was Piled with liquor, steeren
up against the same brace RAine. and TO-
ievsd OF about 81, 500. Ho gave his notes
for most Of 1t, and rather than stand the
chances Of having his name mixed up with
sush proceeding, as would have happened
the money. Twelve hours after the man
thad been robbed it was known in almost
every place of business from Bridge street
to Sixth avenue. The police knew it, they
knew where the job had been done and who
did it. Did they warn the men to leave
swindling? Not bit Of it, They knew
the victim could not afford to sQueal and
would not do SO. SO it was not even neoes-
sary to tell the owners Of the "skin" game
10 clay low"
But smaller transaction than either Of
the above serves to e1empllfy the methods
pursued by the surs-thing men better than
ANYTHING that has come to light regarding
their transactions. 1t also shows clearly
the immunity from punishment that tho
leaders of this business have enjoyed at the
hands of the prssent administration. Re-
Helena had become Rafe grounds for all
the bunco, confidence and Bure-thing men
in the west, two of that class came here
from Denver. They soon had victim in
town and stored him up against game On
upper Main street, where he lost T5l4. The
They wero handed S14. At this they OBJ
ieoted and insisted on fair proportion.
The bncker OF the game threatened to have
them "vagged." term applied to those
who come under tho displeasure of the
police for not having any visibls means
the idea of ''vaRRng" men who were
could mot afford TO, and with
diamonds and iewelry enough to make =
good sized ransom. Besides, they were
stopping at good hotel and eating at its
being arrested for vagraney was preposter-
ous they thought. It seems that they
thought wrong. They wore arrested,
charged with vagrnncy, and had to secure
bail to avoid being looked up and put on
the chain gang. When released they got
nOt108 10 l0AE0 tOWfl, uuN u4A So ub bA0
alternative named was that they would
very likely be shot by some of the hangers
on of the sure thing games. They had
learned enough by this time to know that
there we're mon around prepared to do just
that class OF work when ordered.
How many more easss of amaller magnl-
tude have occurred ia something that only the
benetloiarles of this 81 stem can tell. They
all serve to show that with continunnee
of the present administration the visitors
expected in Helenn this summsr-strnngsrs
to tho 'surethinR' men ana their Ways
may have causs to return homo with any
thing but pleasant rsoolleotions of the
Queen city Of the Rockies. It is an easy
matter for this class of thieves to and ont n
strangers name and place of residence,
and work upon his Innocence by pretending
to know people in his locality. How much
castor it will be to .'cut out' the lambs
when their names will bc on the hotel reg
listers or called out in open convention.
With such rich hai vest before them, it il
not looked on as al all strange that shs
sure thing element wish to continue an
administration which gave them protection
in the past. and which they have reason tc
believe will do tho same in tho future. NJ
according to Candidate Cages speech OF
acceptance, the nominee owes something tc
those who clsct him
1t is the boast of those who favor the re-
election of Mr.. Kleinsuhmidt. Ms woll ss ot
the mayor himself, that daring the past
wear only 5000 has been expended on the
straota while during the previous adminis-