The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-04
HELD UP BY THREE MEN.
Masked Highwaymen Get AWAY
With $4,000 Worth Of Plunder
Near Kootenai.
II --.-.---
A Cool and Daring Robbery Com
mitted Near the Idaho
Line.
A Chicago Man Relieved Of valuabls
Jswelry The Thieves Still
At Large.

Ao1u UP Dy mASKe0 men. Inc highWRymeM
got away with jewslry and cash amounting
to about $4,000. Tho heaviest loser is Ed.
L. Huntley. q travelling man for large
Wholesale clothing house in Chicago, who
had been in the Flathead country in the
intsrests OF his firm. Mr.. Huntley wore
senae very valuable iewelry, consisting Of
diamond cuf buttons, stud, watch and
chsrn. Three other mon and two women n
wore among the passengers. The highway
men violated tho code of the western stage
robber by relieving the ladies of what they
had. lt was about six o'clock Saturday
night whom the hold-up took place. On ac-
count OF the deep snow along the stage
line q low sled with seats on each side had
been substituted for the regular coach. For
several rcasons this made it easier for the
robbers to do their work. The four-horss
sled had almost finished it's journey when
the command was given to halt. The passen
gers were within three-auarters of mile of
hoosonai station on the Northern Pacific
<ailroad. At the point where the sled was
stopped heavy timber is on both sides of
the narrow stage road. The horses were
jogging along at a moderate pace when Ed
Owens, the driver, was startled by COM
mand from masked man to halt. The
robber was close enough to the sled when it
stopped to poke his gun into Owen 6 face.
1t Was dark and for several seconds the pas
aenGers were unable to tell whether there
was one man or half dozen. Then it was
seen that masked man stood on each aide
of the low sled with revolver within easy
range of the heads Of the passengers. At
the rear Of the sled stood another man with
a pisce Of black cloth covering the lower
part of his face. This individual did the
rest. The passengers were not ordered out
OF their seats. The third man
started up the sled between the
two rows Of passengers like con
duetor taking up fares in street car
The men held their hands up
while tho fellow went through their pockets.
Ha unbuttor,n The ovsscoats. of the mar
and searched them. When he
coached the women they began to cry. IN
stead Of searching them the highwaymen
allowed the ladies to 20 through their own
pockets and took their word for it that
they had given up all their valuablss.
Huntlay's hands were he'd up 40 the
oyercoat sleeves exposed the diamond studs
in his cuffs and made tho only light in the
fast gathering darkness Next his overcoat
WAS unbuttoned and the diamond stud in
his shirt bosom transferred to the high
wnyman's pocket. Nsxt the watch, dia-
mond ntuaded, and bought at the Paris ex
position by Mr. Huntloy. It took about
i've minutes to 40 through the passengers.
About 800 in cash, and the iewelly was the
extent Of the haul. After finishing his work
the rohber jumped off the sled and said
"All right" The, man. near the drivers
head said "Drive on" The three men
stood in the road and watched the sled
mnvn Tim 1,nayeuOarz looEAd hn ck hut in
half minute the forms of the robbers
faded i'll the dark and heavy shadows of
the timbe,.
Owens drove into the Kootena station rs
fast as the team could 60. On the way the
passengers and driver narsad to keep the
the officers Il chance to work. The shoritf
at Rathdrum, who happened to be at Koot-
enai, was informed of the hold up. Within
three hours after it occurred the officers had
q man posted out on the Bonner and Koot-
enai road to watch any strangers coming
into town from the direction of the scene of
the hold up. Other watchers were placed
about the outskirts of kootenai. The
whole country is covered with three feet of
snow and q man leaving the roads would
have to make trail.
One of the passengers arrived in Helena
yesterday and is at the Grand Central hotel.
He is AL Popp, ranchman who lives about
twenty miles from Kootenai on the road to
Bonnol's Ferry. When .he left Kootenai
station the highwaymen had not been
capt xs,a None ho Of fea the could people e1s
any more description of the men
than that there were thee ofsthem, and all
masked. Tho two who stood at the sides of
the Bled had ,evolvers. The one who
jumped into the sled and went through the
passengers displayed no weapon md had
both hands free to work with. Mr.. Popp
says it had grown dark before they reached
the timber, and when the sled stopped the
tall trees skirtirg each side of the road
made it still darker and rendered it diff
cult to distinguish the highwaymen. The
sled was low and open and the lnen were
close to it when the driver was ordered to
stop. Owing to this the passengers were
not asked to step ont into the road. 1t was
much handler, Mr.. Popp said, for two of
the men to stand with the revolyers close to
the backs of the passengers heada whilo
their companion got IN the sled and took the
plunder. He thinks the iobbers were some
of tho tough oitizens..who have been follow
ing up the construction on the Great North
ern. The maddest man in the crowd after the
sled pulled away from the robbers was the
man from Chicago. Popp has theory that
the highwaymen knew Huntley was on the
way to Kootenni and had seen him wearing
his valuable jewelry at Bonners Ferry or
some point near by. and had arranged to
hold him up. Huntley won't to news
paper office as soon AS he got to kootsnai.
and had posters printed Offering reward
OF $500 for the conviction of the men who
held him up and his assistant who was trav-
cling with him. He also offers reward of
$1,000 for the return Of tho watch aud dia-
monds to John BruogRer y Bro, of koot-
enai. Idaho. Mr.. Huntley's Pacific coast
address in care OF G. q. Huntloy. Centralia.
Wash. The iewelry taken from Mr.. Hunt
ley MIR. Popp saya was bought
in Paris. while the Chicago man
was there during the exposition. Mr..
Popp is the only passenger in tho hold up
who oame to Helena. The Others all got
off at kootenni and went west. When Mr..
Popp left kootenai he was given pocket
full Of posters by Huntiey, The Chicago
man scattered tho postars broadcast over
eaatsrn Washington and Idaho. Mr.. Popp
did not have much money OH his person, III
fact none of the passengers had much
money with them. The most valuable
plunaer tho robbers secured was taken from
MIR. Huntley. From the six people in the
sled they got 800 in cash. All Of the vic-
Tins except the two women took mattsra
eoolly while the hold-up WAS going on. The
mail sacks wore not touched. Mr. Popp
thinks the chances are good for capturing