The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-08
AF% ENsHH
ne IS SLIPPERY PETE"
And the Police Want Him for Rob-
bing DWELLING Houses In
Helena
Marshal McCann Recognised Him
Ia the Butte jail Friday
Night
n ssa His Pal Had Been Trying tho
se,ns Game I'm the smoky CITY
~ Hero

nhaYaed with completely in the 1obberies o.
dvellipo houses On the east and wess sioe'
,scently. Marshal McCann. who went te
ButsA on business connected with she Mon
I Central freight robberies. saw Costei
IL iail there, recognized him as q man ~
wanted here, and brought him back. liz
will b aIEaiRned on the charge OF burglary
4 ante,ins The house Of Frank Hall. the
veil kaown mining man. on the west a'ee'
and stealing a lot OF jewelry clo'hlng.
Coster and James Connors, alias "Plumms
Red.n we're under arrest hers about ten
DAYS aro on the charge OF being concerned
In the robberiss, but Marshal = was
compelled to lot them go on acoouns OK
having NO evidence strong enough TO con-
viot them, Coster had . number OF articles
ON him at the slime which were supposed to
he stolen. Among them was q SILK and
k,rchief with The initials IF. H." on 1t.
and i black diagonal overooat. Marshal
sNcCann hunted around for the owner OF
The handkerchief and other goods, on'
vas unable to ind him. Pete was then
let 20. Not many days after this Frank
Hall came in from a hunting trip. during
which his house had been locked up. On
going homo he found that during MS
absence his house had bsen entered and q
lot Of valuable jewelry and a quantity OF
clothing tsken. Among other things was a
silk handkerchief containing his initials.
and three ovsrcoats. Then il occurred to
Marshal McCann that he had set at liberty
emily a TOW days before the very man who
had part. at least, OF these articles on him.
The marshal has been looking for pete"
evsr since.
On Friday Marshal MeCann went to
Butte to bring back Clyde Stauffer. one OF
the men charged with completely in the
Montana Central robberles. That night he
visited the Butte Jail and as soon a. he saw
Costss in the cage there he said he wanted
him. Az the Helena authorities had a
stronger case and more serious charge
against Coster than the Butte people had.
1he latter agreed 10 lot him go, and Mar
shal McCann brought him back yesterday.
He wore when arrested in Butte one OF Mr..
Halls overeoats. a light spring one. The
other oyerooat, . heavy 1,n.e' one. had been
vas arrested recently for stealing ONE
Goth from . case outside a tailor shor.
The goods were wrapped up IN. Mr.. Halls
heavy ovsrcoat. Fleming was sent to the
county Jail for twenty days. He~ accounted
for the possession Of tho ovsrooas by saying
IL had been given him by Coster. AID the
police now believe bis story.
Thu Eobberies In Helena were perpetratsd
BY q gang Of three men. Their method was
10 pick out houses which the residents had
somporaEily loft with no n in charge.
Whom . house had been selected on which
70 operate ono Of the gang would 20 to the
door and knock or ring the bell II It hap
pened that anyone was at home and an
swsrsd the call the man would ask some
question. generally about the Residence"
the ~nsiphborhood. II no one answered the
call II was evidence that there was no one
In the house and the gang would then pro-
ceed TO rife the premises. Tit tobberies
we're generally Dor petrated during the day
whom the man Of the houee was at his work
or business, the children al school and the
women ont calling or shopping.
Coster and one Of his pals" james Con.
nors. were arrested In Butte on Friday
Tho Butte police had been informed that
two nen were acting suspioiously In the
western part OF town and a watch was Set
on them. Coster and Connors visited q
number of houses and when any n came
10 the door would mako inquiries about
some fictitious person. They evidently
did not strike q house that suited Thorn and
tho police got n,thinR to charge the men
with until later in the day. when some one
seen 10 rob q house In broad daylight a few
weeks ago. Both men were then arrested
and had only been in jail a short time
whom Marshal Mccain recognized Coster.
As the Butte police had a strong case
against Conner and Marshal Mccain had
not. 1t was deemed best to let him take his
chances OF going to Deer Lodge from Butte.