The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-01
HIS WICKED ACTION
James Roach Threatens to Annihilate
His Whole Family.
CHEF TEBO ARRESTS HIM
The Man Gives Evidence of Mental
Derangement. Superinduced.
No Doubt, by the Excess
sive Use of Booze.

Chief of Police Tebo had an exciting
encounter with a crazy man yesterday
afternoon. and after the trouble was
over he congratulated himself that he
had a whole skin and an anatomy that
was free from bullet holes. James
Roach. carpenter who came to Butte
about five months ago from Leadville.
and lives at No. $50 East Galena, was
the cause of all the trouble Roach's
mind first gave evidence of being I'M
balanced on Friday afternoon, when
he threatened to murder his wife and
the five children with an axe. He
waved the axe with which he threat
ened to do the work around his wife's
head i'm a manner that was entirely too
familiar for comfort, and she summon
ed the police. officers Kohl and And
erson answered her call, but before
they arrived Roach had hustled down
the alley. He appeared to be i'm a per-
fectly normal condition, and thinking
perhaps he made the threats COM
planned of while under the influence of
liquor the officers did not arrest him.
Yesterday his wife drew his pay at
the place where he was working and
when he came home, in the afternoon
ne compelled her to give up 500 of the
money to him. He then came up town
anu bVuSnl a BIlIlSn DulluOR 3S-callDer
revolver and a box of cartridges and
went back home with blood in his eye
He renewed his threats to kill his wife
and added that If II became necessary
he would go to killing the children His
wife attempted to persuade him out of
his foolish notion, but her arguments
seemed to still further arouse his an
ger and finally. about half past 4
O'Clock, she was compelled to run to a
friends house in Park street i'm order,
as she supposed, to save her life
of1cers Grey and Hungate heard her
story, and Just as they were starting
for the house, Chief Tebo, who had
been telephoned for. arrived. After
learning how things stood. the chief
decided to visit Roach's house alone
and the two officers were left at Park
street. on reaching the house the chief
Knocked at the front door. but received
no answer. He then pushed the door
open and walked in and then pushed
open bed room door which was stand
ing slightly ajar and there he found
the object of Hrs search. Roach was ly-
ing on the bed on his left side and fac
ing the door and the revolver which he
mad purchased for the purpose of ex-
tei n'iratln' his farrtly could be plain
~ seen sticking out of his right hip
pocket. Roach was doing when the
chief entered the house, but the open-
ing or the door aroused him and he dis
covered the chief at about the same
instant that the latter saw him. AS
quick as a fash he reached for the
gun. and for just a second the chief
wished that he had brought Hungate
and Grey along with him. Roach miss
ed his gun the first time he went after
II and when me pulled IL at the second
attempt the chiefs right hand was
tightly grasping his right wrist There
was brief struggle and then the in
furiated mans gun went spinning across
the floor and away out of his reach
Then there was another short struggle
and the chief had him cuffed.
You caught me mapping" said
Roach. between gasps. "or you would
not have had such an easy time.
would not have cared to kill you or any
OF the officers. but / would have made
II so interesting for you that you WOULD
have had to kill me-
Roach was unable to give any sensi-
Die reason for his threats against the
hNes OF his wife and children He said
al one time that II was on account OF
FAMILY troubles with the neighbors. His
appearance and actions indicated that
ne was temporarily insane from the ex-
cessive use of liquor. and when he saw
that II was useless TO fight he ouieted
down and accompanied the officers
peaceably He was locked up on a
charge OF threatening TO kill After be-
ing locked up he told of plans that he
mad made for committing suicide and
talked in a rambling way about every
thlng. Several hours after being lock-
ca up ne became more rational