The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-24
OFFICER BARRETT'S CASE.
The Charges Against Him Investi-
gated by a Council Com
mittee Yesterday.
Hildreth and May Stick to the AL
legations in Their Af1-
davits.

daVitB.
Tho Officer Denies Point Blank Their
Statements-The Other Branch OF
tho Inquiry To lie Heard.
The city council committee on the police
department, consisting Of Chairman Har-
rity and Messrs. Morris and Howell, yester-
day investigated the charges brought
against Police Officer Barrett by VIM. Hill
dreth and Chas. May. and also tho charges
made by Officer Barrett against the police
department The hearing was held in
Judge Gage's court room aud was public.
MIR. Barrett was represented by Attorneys
Clements and Purcell, while County Attor-
ney Nolan. at the request of Mayor Curtin
represented the police department. Only
the charges against Barrett were in
vegtIgated yesterday, the committee decid-
ing, In view of the serious nature of the
allegations made by the officer against the
department, that an importent witness.
now in st. Joe, Mo-, must be brought to
Helena before that branch of the investiga-
tion ID gone into. The inquiry into the
charges against Barrett was concluded and
the committee will make its report at the
| next meeting Of the council.
The charges made by Hildteth and May
were in the form of an affidavit. In their
statement they allege that some time be-
tween July 20 and July 30 they saw Police
man Alex. Barrett 90 through the pockets
of man lying drunk back of the two-story
building adjoining the Power block on
| Sixth avenue. They further charged that
Barrett left the man, but later came back
| and rearranged his pockets, which appeared
to have been left inside out.
Both men were present yesterday and
testified under oath. They do odd jobs,
such as scissor grinding, saw sharping etc.,
and have their place on Park avenue, not
far from Sixth avenue. Hildreth testified
| first. and at the request of Officer Barrett's
attorney May was kept out of the room
while his partner was on the stand. Accord
ing to Hildreth's story on the morning in
question he got up about 4 O'Clock. and
while out in the yard he saw Officer Barrett
do the act alleged in the affidavit. HiIdreth
was subjected to rigid and puzzling CROSS
examination by Attorney Clements but
his first story was not shaken
! in the most trivial detail. Asked
why he had allowed four months to elapse
between the time he saw the alleged offsnse
committedby Officer Barrett and the time
he made the affidavit, he said he and his
partner talked the matter over time and
time again, and while they wanted to do
what was right, they did not know Just
what to do. He did not see the officer take
anything out of the pockets OF the drunken
man, they finally concluded that the best
thing for them to do was to put the matter
in writing and give 1t to the mayor; if the
officer was all right, and the man was
friend of Barretts, no harm could come to
anyone; if otherwise. the mayor was the
proper pei son to find out where the blame
belonged. An attempt was made by Bar
retts attorneys to connect some member of
the police force with the preparation of the
afidavit, but the witness denied that such
was the case. and all attempts to get q
statement to that effect from him were
fruitless.
The story told by Charles May of the oc-
currence referred to in the affidavit Tailed
III the minutest detail with that told by
Hildreth. and like his partner, close cross
examination failed to shake his story.
This witness also was positive that he had
said nothing to any membar of the police
force. nor they to him of the allegations in
; the affidavit, until after he had given it to
the mayor.
Officer Barrett testified in his own be-
half. denying In every detail the charge
muu6 Nv I1luEepA anu may. lie Sh1Q ne
had never been at the place where it was
alleged he had committed the otfense. sava
once, when he followed May and Hildt eth,
whom he thought had stolen some hose.
He testified that on further investigation
he found they had not stolen the hose.
Bevond the fact that he had been told by
various persons that they we're suspicious
characters and that he 80 regarded them
the officer said he knew nothing about
them. As a reason for their making an un-
true charge against him, MIR. Barrett said
that on the night of the hose incident after
he had followed them to their home. and
they told him where they got the hose. and
he had found they had told the truth about
it, he met May on the corner of Sixth
avenue and Main street. May asked him
if he had satisfied himself the matter was
, straight and the officer SAID he had. The
officer testified that Nav said to him he
would "get even with him." or fix him."
or fool him." or something of the sort;
just what he did not quite hear but he re-
gRrded it asa threat. though he paid no
attention to it. This statement May de-
MED on his examination.
There was another witness, Frank j :.
kunz, Il barkeeper, who testified that he
! regarded MAY, who passed through the
place i'll which he worked half a dozen
times day, as a suspicious character, and
that about four weeks ago he had told Off
Ger Barrett of his suspicious. He also told
of meeting May i'll the Lehman house, on
Edwards street. some time ago, when the
house was unoccupied but he did not know
that he took anything.
| MIR. Barretts attorneys offered to produce
witnesses who, they said, would impeach
rhs integrity of May and Hildreth, but the
committee decided ID was unnecessary.
That ended this branch of the investigation
Officer Barretts charges against the po-
lice department, which will be Investigated
later, nre to the effect "that tho police de-
} partment was so conducted thatupon inves-
tigation condition of affairs would be
shown to exist which would merit the CEN
sure of your honorable body; that in the
detsction OF crime and the prosecution of
those charged with the commission thereof,
methods were resorted to of questionable
character, and in consequence thereof IL
number of persons were inoaroerated un-
justly"
Investigating Pinkertonism.
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