Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-09-20
THE VILLAIN IS CAPTURED
Sheriff Dwyer Catches Joseph Weir,
the Inhuman Ravisher of
Baby Cults,
At a Ranch Not Far From Tiger
Butte, as He Was Preparing
For the Hills.

All day yesterday the pursuit of the
arch fiend, Joseph Weir, continued.
Sheriff Dryer and several of his depu
ties and City Detective Germ we're all
engaged in the case, and more than SO
mounted men from Sand Coulee and the
ranches near about were securing the
hills in search of the fugitive. Detec-
tive Germ, after making a thorough
search OF the suburbs of the city, got a
clew which at first seemed a positive one
and followed a man on a bicycle nearly
to Sun River, only to find that the de-
scription they gave of the man was in
correct, and that he was an innocent
stranger making his way to Helena on
his wheel.
The first definite news by search party
came to THE TRIBUNE in a dispatch
from Sand Coulee received at this office
about Z p. m., which stated that a horse
man just arrived at the camp had
brought the news that Sheriff Dwyer
had captured Weir at the ranch of
Charles Roberts, on the bench between
upper Sand Coulee and Ming Coulee,
about 20 miles from Sand Coulee.
This intelligence was later substanti
ated by the arrival of a man in this city
who had met the sheriff at Red Butte.
about eight miles from Roberts ranch.
The sheriff told him then that he had his
man located and would have him under
arrest within an hour. This was about
4:3O p. m. The man told the sheriff he
would have to hurry up, as he had short
ly before met the father of the infant
victim and a number of his friends, all
fully armed and hot on the trail OF Weir,
They had just discovered that he called
at the ranch Of a man named Scott in
that vicinity, and learning the direction
he took, rode off in hot pursuit. On
learning this tho sheriff drove RAPIDLY
away.
Later in the evening a eecond dispatch
received at TIE TRIBUNE office from
Sand Coulee stated that a rancher met
the sheriff and his prisoner about 6 D. M.
and the sheriff told him thai he caught
him just in time, as he had gathered to-
gether a grub stake and was Just about
ready to start for the hills, where il
would have been difficult to capture him.
The sheriff further requested the man
TO say anything about the capture In
Sand Coulee, as he was apprehensive of
trpnhie in vatf,pr bi,,, g., ;,;l s,,xu 49,
citizens.
Up to a late hour last night nothing
had been heard from the sheriff by the
officials here. and as he did not arrive
with his prisoner it was thought that he
IN all probability take him to
remote ranch in order to rest his
horses and at the same time throw off
any of the indignant citizens who might
be inclined to take the law into Their
W hands, and would show up in this
city with his prisoner early this morning.
As the sheriff is thoroughly familiar
with every part OF that country it would
be an easy thing for him to do.
Notwithstanding the fac, that no news
of the capture has been directly received
by the sheriff Office here, no doubt is
expressed of its correctness.
The general opinion prevails, however,
that unless the sheriff manages to elude
the citizens posse headed by the father
the victim Of Welr's diabolical in
stincts, he will not be able 10 bring his
prisoner in alive. Indeed a m to the
effect that the prisoner had been shot
and killed by Il party. which came UP
after Sheriff Dryer, gained currency in
the city after midnight last night, but
could be traced TO no authentic source,
and inquiry at Sand Coulee over the
telephone line as late as l:}O a. m. to day
brought the reply that nothing was
known there beyond the fact that the
sheriff had captured the man and spirit
"a HIM away somewhere. 1t appears
that the prisoner Weir is a painter
by trade and is known to q great
many people in this city. He was
generally considered what the Yankees
would call 'shlfjleee,' but no one sup.
posed him capable Of ouch dopravity AS
he has demonstrated himself able to
At ono time at least he was con
slant in his attendance at church and
Sunday school, using religion as a cloak
to advance his interests in a material
way, He never did much work at his
usually having Il soft billet of some
kind working for his board or hanging
On friends or acquaintance. As far as
active vice is concerned, it cannot be
that he was ever considered
guilty OF it in any very serious form.