The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-06
WHO HIT MCGOWAN
The Case Against Rice Is Not COnSid-
cred Very Strong.
EVIDENCE IN THE MATTER
Witnesses Tell About Seeing the
Defendant on the Street Soon
After the Attempted Hold
Up-A Pistol Found.

The police have made out a rather
weak case against Frank Hawkins.
whose stage name Is Rice, charged
with assault with intent to rob Harry
MCGOWAN. a dealer at a faro game at
the Board of Trade. The assault took
place about 4 o'clock last Friday
morning. MCGOWAN had closed his
place and had about $500 in cash in
a valise which he carried to his room
In the Holmes house in West Broad
way AS he entered the door of the
house from the street he was struck
on the head. Rice. or Hawkins, Is
stage manager at the Casino. He was
arrested on suspicion. and the prelim-
mary examlnat ton was held yesterday
afternoon before Judge Turner. Mr..
MCGOWAN took the stand for the state
and told what he could about the
assault LAS entered the door OF the
Holmes block some one struck me on
the had with a club or weapon. / was
knocked down and insensible for
second or two. ] did not see the man
who hit me. AS soon as / recovered
/ saw a man running away. He had
dark clio uhes on and was short, stout
man, weighing perhaps l60 or ITO
pounds. i had my gun, 4l-caltber,
and fired some shots"
The defendant was made to stand
up, but the witness said he did not
think he was the man who assaulted
him. He might be. but he hardly
thought so. He did not remember that
he had ever seen the defendant be-
fore.
Officer Renaud testified that he was
in Oh alley between Granite and
Broadway when he heard the gun
shots. He ran In the direction of the
noise. He heard the gate slam at the
rear of the Paragon house. He went
through that gate and Into Broadway
and saw a man running east on Broad
way in the middle of the street. He
was the only man in sight He ran
after him a little ways and then ran
into MCGOWAN. who was coming up
with a gun in his hand. He stopped
to hear McGowan's story and pursued
the party who was running no further.
The man who was running had dark
clothes on. He could not say as to
whether he had an overcoat on or not.
officer ]. j. Anderson heard the
shots and then a scream. He ran
from Main street to Hamilton street
and into the alley. There he found
officer Renaud and MCGOWAN. He
went with MCGOWAN to the city jail.
Later he and officer Gabert found
revolver in the alley back Of the Para
BoI anu tNO blfs NiuDSs Oht III tue amy
and the other in the doorway of the
Holmes house. The two clubs were
about 20 feet apart.
officer Newstrom said he was on his
beat at Granite and Montana and he
heard the shots. but saw no one run
ming and gave no material testimony.
officer Crawford went up to the
room in the Morier block in West
Broadway to arrest Rice. He knocked
several times, but got no answer.
officer Baldisero. who was with him,
went down to see the landlady and got
a passkey. A man named Lang came
out of an adjoining room. Lang said
Mr. Rice was in his room but had
nothing to do with any robbery. as he
was with him in his room when the
shots were heard. Lang knocked and
called Rice. who at length came to the
door. officer Baldisero said he was AT
the corner of Main and Park when he
heard the shots. He ran up on Broad
way and had got in front of the opera
house when he grabbed Rice who was
running east on Broadway past the
opera house. He asked Rice what he
was running for and no satisfactory
answer was given. Rice was excited
and breathless. Lang came up a little
behind him and said they had both
run out of his room in the Morier
block to see what the shots were
about. When 1t was found out that
Rice was stage manager at the Ca
sino the officers concluded to let him
go. Later, however. 1t was decided to
arrest him again and the witness and
Crawford went up TO his room. Baldi-
sero corroborated Crawford as to the
difficulty they had in rousing Rice,
although he said 1t was not more than
25 minutes after the first arrest.
When arrested Rice denied that he
had y, H,uur 10 n Ftfa
and said he was sitting in Lang's room
when the shots were heard. He said
he had been arrested in Chicago cnce
on the same charge. He was sober
when arrested.
officer Gabert told about the same
story of the affair as Baldisero. nice
came running up to him. Baldisero,
pale. out of wind and excited. lie
found the gun in the alley. 1t had enc
empty chamber. The case for the
prosection rested there.
Edwin r. Lang was put on the
stand for the defendant. He as an
actor at the Casino. He said he and
Rice left the Casino together. Rice
was pretty full of beer, though not
witness room talking a few minutes
when they heard the shots. They
started out Of the Morier block down
into Broadway and ran east \ the di-
rection of the shots. Rice was stopped
by a policeman in front of the opera
house and arrested. He was recessed
a few minutes afterwards ana went
with the witness beck 20 his room i'm
the Morier block. A little after Rice
had gone TO bed the police clme up to
arrest him again. Rice. said the Wit
ness, was a very sound sleeper and Il
took some time TO arouse him he
came 70 the door in his night dress.
evidently bewildered. The witness
said be had known Rice To- seven
years and he had had no trouble in
Chicago or anywhere else. He was
honest, upright and had often been
trusted with large sums y fnD.ey.
Rice was fun that nignt but sobe red
quickly when the officers appet- al
bis door. At the conclusto1 Of I.are's
faeffrnpnV fha vUae aTautsrraH No.