The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-01
Young Carl Steinmetz at Spokane
Charged With Attempt to
Murder.
His Room-Mato and Prospective
Business Partner Was the
Victim.
etsfumetx Released From Jail on Bond
and will Have an Examination
Next Thursday.

Many Helena people were surprised 70
hear of the trouble which young Carl A.
Steinmetz had gotten into at Spokane last
Thursday. He is a son Of John steinmetz
Of the Steinmetz iewslry company and Is
we'll known here. His father went to spo-
kane on Sunday. A special telegram
from Spokane last night says:
Mr.. Steinmetz, father of the young mar
charged with murderous assault upon DIE
beck, his roommate. arrived in the CITY this
morning from Helena. Mr.. Steinmetz WAS
greatly surprised when he learned OF his
sons pradicament. He called on Chief OF
Police Mertz and corrcborated his sons
story about sending home for money to go
into business here. He said: my boy left
home on September /, he ran away. ] re-
ceived a letter from him asking for money
to 60 into the jewslry business. replied.
refusing him, and telling him that II he
wanted to 90 into business / had a store for
him in Helena" Mr.. Steiumetz can't be-
lieve that his son could do the deed I'M
puted to him n will remain here until the
examination is concluded. On motion of
the prosecuting attorney tse examination
has been postponed until Thursday and the
young man released. on $1,000 bond.
The morning after the assault the Spok-
ane Spokesman gave the following account
of it,: A desperate attempt at muir der and
robbery was perpetrated in the Great East
ern block last night. Two men entered the
room where Lee Diebeck, q young jeweler,
was sleeping, with the intention of brutally
numbering him, and If need be, his room
mate, and then rIfling the safe, which they
knew to contain several thousand dollars In
money and jewels.
They stole into the building, watched
their opportunity when his room mate had
gone out. leaving the door unlocked. ana
slipped into the room. Withous waiting
for their victim to awaken, without any at
tempt to gag him or quiet him in any other
manner, one of them seized a sharp piece OF
heavy board that stood near the bed and
struck a blow that was intended to dash out
the brains OF She sleeping man IN nus
clumsy haste he struck two inches too low.
Screaming with agony the wounded man
tried TO rise, only to be beaten down by the
robbers. -Four or five blows were needed
to disable him completely, and by that
time they heard steps in the hallway. Has
lilly seizinR his wallet from the pocKes o.
bis trousers, they sprang to the door and
met his roommate. A. Steinmetz. struck
him with the board and pushed him into
the corner. As they reached the hallway
they could hear some one coming up the
front stairway. They rushed to the rear
hallway, ran GOWN tuO DaOA IA 0AN oc"
capped into the darkness.
Mr.. Deibeck was discovered by his room
mate living unconscious on the bed. HIS
pillow and the mattress were already soaked
with the blood that was pouring from
wounds all over his head. His face was cut
to pieces and blood was running down on
his clothing and blanket and dripping to
the floor. Al this juncture DR.. Hood and
T.. G. Kaufman appeared. The doctor was
ooming mn the front stairway when the
screams were heard, and Mar. Kaufman,
who rooms in the building also, had has
tened to the room. The doctor took charge
of the wounded man, and MI, Kaufman
called the police, Officer Manchester ana
; q aeant Barlow arriving at once on the
scene.
II was found that Mr.. Dsibsok's nose was
split the full length, his eyes swollen shut,
two or three outs were on his forehead ana
a bad cash ON the back of his head showed
that he had tried to sit up after the hrst
blow was struck. In about ten minutes he
was restored to consciousness, but was
much dazed by the pain as we'll as stunned
by the blows. He could only say thas they
struck him while he WAS asleep and When
he awoke and screamed they beat MIN TO
insensibility. Careful. patient questions
obtained that he had about 500 III
his trousers pocket. all but y few pennies
of which was gone.
The weapon was found in the hallway.
It was a piece of hard wood siding about
three feet long. four inches wide and an
inch thick, badly battered on the edge.
Several similar pieces OF wood stood at the
side of the room, and it is evident the rob-
berg knew where they could look for their
weapon
Mr.. steinmstz told the following story:
81 had just come from the armory and
stood my gun in the corner. linen went
to the closet about Ills, and had not been
there two minutes wnen there was a noise
like hands olapping, and a loud scream,
followed by more claps and screams. i
started to the place and as l got to the hall
found the sounds coming from our room.
AS l came to the door two tall men, one
with a black beard, rushed out and struck
me with the board, then pushed me into
the corner, knocking me down. We found
Deibeck's gold watch and chain at the head
of the bed in his vest whore he always hangs
them. His pants had been on a stand near
his pillow, but were on the foot OF the bed
with his wallet missing. lie always carries
his money in his pockets"
DIR, Hood stated that he was coming up
the front stairs so the men must have es-
capped down the back way. The patients
nose was broken and split, and he had three
or four other bad cuts on the head, but
there was NO fracture of the skull.
Deibeck and Steinmetz sleep In room Is
on the third floor of the Great Eastern
block, and occupy the front room. facing
on Riverside avenue, for a workshop. Hero
they have a safe containing perhaps $1,000
in jewels and money. In the back room.
where the assault occurred, are the bed.
dresser, a table and chair and the timbers
mentioned above. 1t Is evident that the
robbers were familiar with the men. the
safe, the presence of the pieces OF wood
and the location of both entrances to the
building. Their mode of attack suggests
that they intended to kill the young men
one at q time and have all the balance of
the night to rif.e the safe and escape
from the town in safety. Had their first
blow been two inches higher the plan might
have been successful.
After careful study of the case the police
decided to place Steinmetz under arrest,
believing that the circumstances pointed to
him more clearly than to anyone else. The
wounded man was taken to the Sanitarium.
The next day young steinmetZ told the
reporters that he arrived in Spokane on
September 10 from Helena, whe 9 he first
became acquainted with Diebeck. He said
he lived in Helena all his life, except three
years, two beng spent in Germany and one
year in Chicago learning the jewelers. trade.
SteinmetZ SAID he and Diebeck ALWAYS got
along well anu that there never had been
any trouble between them.
Another account Is given by the Spokane
Review which connects Peter HogQe with the
story, supposed here TO be Paul Dogpe of Hell
ena. 1t says: Steinmetz told the officers III al
aftel leaving his room early In the evening be
went to the drill OF Father Held's zougvss.
After leaving the drill he went to the demo
cratic meeting and then went to the Louvre,
where he remained for hall all hour in com