The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-11-02
Highwaymen on the East Side Gag
and Rob q Sixteen Year.
Old Boy.
Peculiar and Bold Crime That Has
Never Had Counterpart
In this City.
Picked Up, Carried Into an Alley. Tied
Gagged and Robbed snd ON tho
Sidewalk.

Ono Of the most peculiar. and at the
ssme tine one Of the most daring cases Of
highway robbery reported in Helena In
= long time. occurred last evening. This
victim was Alfred Butcher, . boy about 16
years old, employed in running the elevator
in the Montana National bank building,
and who lives with hts parents at 927 Fifth
avenue. Yesterday the boy received his
months salary. $36, and about $50 started
for homo. He had been suffering from .
fslen in tho thumb on his loft hand for
several days. and as he was to 20 the doc
tors office after supper to have It attended
to. he walked pretty bziskly keeping the
lsft hand under his GOAT in order to prevent
taking cold in IT, Az near % could
be learned from his conversation last
night he went up Grand st set
home. Al Warren 81 eet. Grand rams
into an alley. the latter continuing
to the rear Of . butcher shop that faces on
Rodney. The boy kept On up this alley, and
just when about TO turn out and toward
Fifth avenue two men suddenly grabbed
him. one on each side. Almost before he
could think they picked him up. each TAX
ing leg, one putting his arm under his
shoulders Ths other grabbed him by the
throat. The boy tried to cry ont. but With
An oath he was commanded TO keep STILL on
the pain Of death. The men carried him
| about thirty feet to the rear of the butcher
shop. There they laid him on the ground.
While one held him the other stuffed
| handkerchief In his mouth, fastening II
there by stsut piece of cord which was
tisd back Of his head. Then they tied his
| legs together below the knees, while third
liece OF tho cord Was passed around
his body and his right arm was
tied tightly TO his body. This done, they
| prooesaed TO 90 through his pockets, turn
| ing all OF them save an upper one In the
vest inside out. They got his money. .
pocket was = small watch and chain which
the thieves missed. Aftes the robbery they
turned ths boy over on his face and left
him.
Thirty minutes later . gentleman pass
ing along Kodney street found the boy
lying on the sidewalk near q grocery store.
He was still bound. and he was carried into
the sto Q and the sords that bound him
cut. He was unconscious. The police
were notified and Sergeant Frey quickly
sereeant's arrival the boy esms TO his
senses. and la reply TO the question a. to
how he felt said: Pretty weak" After he
had recovered sufficiently to talk he
! told the story detailed above, with the
additional info alton that after the
men left him he worked his way ont of tho
alley to Kedney street. rolling along az best
he could. He said he must have become
unconscious before he tried 10 crawl ont,
because it seemed such a long time. He
gave good description Of the men, saying
he had good view of their faces a. they
carried him mp the alley. One he de-
scribed as a man about six feet tall, with q
long black beard, a peouliarity noticed
being that it ourled. The other was a
| short man, about five feet six inches. This
description tsllies with that of two men
who have been seen loanug around the sXss
side for some days.
Sergeant Fey and two officers scoured
the east side for four hours after they had
| got descriptions of the men. but could find
no trace of them. A careful investigation
of the scene of the outrage showed where
the boy had bssn laid ON the ground
! and tied. and where he had dug his heels in
the ground TO push himself along. There
| were also tracks of usn in the snow. and
| very distinct tracks Of two men from shed
to the point where the boy says no WAS first
picked up by the highwaymsn. The cord
he WAS tied with 10 such as 10 used in ring
mp bundles of print paper, and will stand
quite strain. 1t WAS cold enough last
night had the boy not BEEN able to ass
away to have ftoxen him to death. u tho
place 10 suok an out OF the way one that
| there 10 not ono chance In q hume cd he
would have been found ansil morn ming.
After hs was taken home he was very much
exhausted and nervous. caused by his dis
Sblsd haAd and the experience he had had.