The Helena independent., 1893-12-15
THEY CAUGHT A TARTAR.
HighwaYnen on the West Side Got
Hold Of the Wrong Individual
Last Night
He Had About 5000 and They
Secured Only $40 and a
Beating.
Tho Dick Turpin Party Was Composed Of
Three People Dressed as Women and
Two Msn-TheFe II No Clue.

The streak Of bad luck that struck young
Camp In his hold-up operations last Mon
day seems TO follow the Rentlsmen Of the
Dick Turpin school. Last night knights Of
the highway attempted to hold up
man; had they succeeded they would havs
secured $3.50 and gold watch and chain;
wrapped" expression to-day and the In
tended victim 10 only out $40. Tne story
Of the encounter is as follows:
Last evening between ak and ssven
o'clock Louis Woirich. tho German mining
man. went TO the residence OF Mr..
Melisb, ut 228 Spruce street. to at
tend a meeting OF d mining company. He
went up in hack and intended to come
down town in tho same way. When the
meeting was over he found the hackman
had gone, SO he started 10 walk. He had
only gone short distance when he wns
app: cached by party OF fve--swo gentle-
men, az he supposed. and three ladies. Ono
Of the lattor stopped and asked him .
question. which he did not understand.
Almost Immediately one of the men. who
was behind him. grabbed him by ths back
of the neck. while tho other caught him BY
the throat. at this same time pointing pis-
tol at his head and commanding him TO
"throw up your hands," Wolrich II .
short. thick-set German. who has the Yspu-
tation among those who know him OF great
courage and 1t enRth. Unexpeotediy to the
hiohwaymen Mr.. WoIrich did not "hold
up his hands. Instead he used IN ex-
preston that would call forth rsbuke in .
sunday school, and as tho Same tims shot
ont his left, catching the hiRhwayman with
the gun in the jaw. and sending him to
grass. Then he tried with his right on tho
| other man. and he went down. BY this
| time the presumed ladies took hand.
One Of them caught his watch chain and
tho watch out Of the woman's hand, and
struck the female with it. Az he did 80 he
slipped and fell. and before hs could re-
cover himself one of the party put hts hand
In the mining man. vest pocket and took ont
$40 bill. The hiRhwaymen then took TO their
heels. The rumpus aroused the residents
Of house near by and they came 10
the door with lamps. Wolrioh did not
want any notoristy. 80 ho did mot tell thu
people. but went down town. Then 10 told
some friends and they told the poles. thrss
hours later. the hoid-up occurrinR about
trousers pocket, and he was fighting ia
save that. which he did He did not wsns
any notoriety. as he had only lost $40 aud
his watch WAS not very seriously hurt.
Before going to ths meeting In making
change Wolich showed his money. and 1t 10
supposed hs WAS Swallowed from shat tims
until hs was caught alone. There il no
question but shat the party Was conn posed
of five men, and that thrss of them had
put on women's dress over their regular ap-
parel. Wolrioh had very good look at
ihs man who held the gum in his face, who
he describes as quite tall. with gray mus
tachs and beard. One OF tho alleged wo-
men had large Roman nose. The police
soeured the city tho, oughly after the mat
ter was reported, but 90 great q time had
elapsed that the work Was without result.
The men are not supposed 10 be profss-
sional hiRhwaymen, but ordinary hard
cases. who recently came into town, and
finding that highway robbery was the fash
ionable thing. have taken it up.