St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-03
He Is Accused Of Completely
in the Death Of a Po-
liceman.
Talk Of Closing the Sport
Carnival With a "Har-
vest Festival.
Cholera Scare Caused by a
Sick Immigpant--Two
Easter Sermons.

Saturday n tall man, with black, bushy
eyebrows that met each other and then,
as one, took a downward course from
the forehead toward the nose, and with
a complexion as Swarthy almost as that
of 4 Spaniard, arrived in the city and
took lodgings in a cheap hotel on lower
Washington avenue. He gave his name
as Joe Riley, and told the landlord that
he was a lumberman ana had just come
down from the woods to spend his
money and have a little fun. He re-
manned away from his room all night
and did not come back yesterday morn
ing. He was out having his fun. In the
afternoon Inspectors Hoy and Lawrence
paid a visit to a house of ill-repute on
First avenue south. They found Riley
and arrested han on the charge of muir
der. He was locked up i'll the central
station.
Riley is suspected of being one of three
toughS who on the night of May 10,
1892, murdered Policeman John Swan
son, of Helena, in a restaurant in that
mountain city. Riley denies that he is
the man, but he tallies exactly with the
description given in the circular sent
out by the police department of Helena,
and his stories are SO conflicting that he
partially ~c0nvicts himself. He says he
is a victim of circumstances, and that
- .-A 800 ? fIn n VTh.N
murdered the policeman has caused him
no end of trouble. His bushy and pc
culiarly curved eyebrows have proved
the curse of his life, and unless the true
murderer is captured soon he will be
forced to cut them off, or at least trim
them.
The story of the murder is briefly as
follows: On May Z or s, three lumber
men and all-arOund tOughs, left Min
neapelis for Helena. They had a little
money, and when they struck the salu-
brious climate of Montana they became
so eXhilarated with the aZOne that they
proceeded to blow in their cash. On
the night of the 18th of May they were
g%lorIOuslY drunk, and shortly before
midnight found their way into a reStau-
rant, where they demonstrated their
good will by breaking the dishes and
raising the dickens in general. There
was but one person in the restaurant
besides themselves, a cook. who doubled
on his duty, acting as waiter. as well.
He called for the police and Patrolman
Swanson came in. He attempted to
arrest the fellows whenthey killed him.
The only witness was the cook. Before
halls amid VIu fhn nnTnnrlFG
escaped. Circulars were sent all over
the country, giving descriptions of the
men and offering $500 reward for their
capture.
A short time after the murder a woe
accommodating individual with bushy
black eyebrows, tatteTed raiment, and
nearly dead with hunger, crept into a
mining camp near Great Falls. He was
Riley. He asked for food and shelter,
and il is said he confessed that he had
been one of a party of three who
''croaked" q policeman in Helena for
getting too fresh with them" He was
given food ana shelter, but several days
later he disappeared from camp and
left the miners wondering who he was
and if he was really one of the men who
murdered Swanson.
II was arrested in Great Falls last
| SullillCls CGlu 1AOl1lg " q 01ObII ~
porter Yesterday, land locked up on
the charge of numbering this policeman.
They sent down TO Helena and got a
cook to come up and identify me, but
he could not. He told the truth, for he
said he never saw me before, l have
heard about the case of this murdered
policeman, but will be able to prove
that | am not one of the gang. | did
not get to Helena until three or four
days after the affair. l used to live i'll
this city and can prove that am all
right. l did meet a couple Of men on
the train who were bound for Helena,
bvt they got off the train before they
reached there"
When arrested Reilly Swore to the
inspectors that he had never been in
Montana. When he finally owned up
to having been there and to knowing
considerable about the murder, he said
he denied it at first because he did not
know what kind of charge would be
trumped up against him. His eXpe-
rience in Great Falls, when his close
resemblance to of the murderers
had caused his incarceration in the city
lookup, had rendered him somewhat
suspicious of the detectives. They
were continually endeavOring to bull
doze him and get him to admit he was
some other man. He does not appear
to feel worried over his arrest, and last
evening just before the prisoners were
given their suppers he remarked jocu-
larry:
Hustle up and get me something tC
eat. l thought this was a feast day, but
| guess it's a famine day"
The Helena authorities were notified
of Reilly's arrest. Following is the de
scription given in the circular of one Of
the murderers and which fits Reilly TO {
nicely: Five feet ten inches in height
weight, 10 pounds; twenty-five years o.
age; dark complexion. with small DARK
%mustache; dark eyes and bushy black
eyebrows.
Supt. Smith received the following
telegram at 10 o'clock last night, dated
Helena:
Hold Joseph Riley for murder. vii
GENE as soOn as can get requisitiOI
papers from governor"
GARVIN,
City Marshal, Helena.