The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-11
SYMPATHY HAS GONE
Farley, the Victim" Of a HOld-Up,
May Be a Robber himself.
SOME STRONG EVIDENCE
A Little Bit Of Interesting History
About Two Years Old. In Which
Ex-PolIceman Geo. Lewis
Played a Part.
SOME STRONG EVIDENCE

Pete Brown and Joe Creech, who
were charged with having robbed j. @.
Farley of $40 in South Butte on Christ
mas eve, were up before Judge Turner
for their preliminary examination yes
terday afternoon. The complaining
witness had mysteriously disappeared.
however. and as no case could be made
out against the prisoners without his
testimony they were discharged. The
police are undecided as to whether
Farley was spirited away by the
friends of the prisoners or left town
through fear of being arrested himself
on a charge of highway robbery. The
supposition of the police is that the
$40 which Farley lost was his share of
the proceeds of a robbery that had
been committed just a short time pre-
vious to his experience with Creech
and Brown. The authorities claim to
have discovered evidence during the
last day or two which convinces them
that ii was Farley, George Lewis and
Nick Shaffer who touched c. p. Russell
for 500 in a South Butte saloon the
night of Dec. "a. Their present belief
is that Farley had taken his share of
the money and started down street
when he was pounced upon by Creech
and Brown. Under these conditions
they had less sympathy for Farley than
they would have felt had he been
robbed of money that he came by hon.
estly.
The arrest of George Lewis on sus-
picion of being one of the men who
robbed Russell recalls an incident
which occurred when he was on the
police force about two years ago. 1t
was at the time when the hold-up scare
was at its height and saloons were be-
ing held up in the heart of the city at
almost all hours of the day and night.
About 3 o'clock one stormy winter
morning the bartender at Crowley's
| saloon, on South Main street, was pol
ishing the mirrors behind the bar. The
saloon was deserted and the whirling
| snow storm kept the people off the
| streets Suddenly the front door
| opened and then closed again quickly
and quietly. The drink mixer could
only see about half way down the door
and as he saw no one enter he sup
| posed that a gust of wind had forced
| 1t open and went on with his work. A
| few minutes later he saw in the MIR
| ror the reflection of a man slowly push
ing his head up over the outside edge
| of the bar. The man had his cap pull
| ed far down over his eyes and his coat
| collar turned up so that very little of
| his face was visible. The bartender
| quietly threw back his apron, pulled
a big Colts As out of his belt and, as
he turned around quickly, he threw
the gun right Under the intruder's
nose.
| For Gods sake, don't shoot" yelled
the man who was crouched down lin
| front of the bar. II am a policeman. -
| He then threw back his cap and turned
down his collar and the badly fright
1 ened face of George Lewis was reveal
| ed, He explained that he was just
| Joshing the bartender and the latter
| replied that another josh like that
| might cost him his life. The matter
| was reported to Mr. Crowley the next
| morning, but he gave Lewis the bene-
| fit of the doubt and said nothing
| about 1t.