Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-24
HELEN FORSLAND'S CAREER.
She Had Been Border Outlaw and
became "a Salvation Army Lass

She Had Been n Border Outlaw and
Became "a Salvation Army Lass.
A great deal Of genuine regret was felt at
the Salvation Army barracks, says the Chi
cago Record, over the death at Butte, Mont,
OF Helen Forslsnd alias Kate Evans once
famous frontier bandit, but who was sud
denly converted and for several years lived
life OF honor and pety. 1t is reported
that the woman died from the effects of
poison administered by her own hand. What
had come over her to cause her to commit
suicide no one knows. Since her conversion
she had been Identified with army work on
the coast and had been able to persuade
many rough characters to lead a better life
There Is apparently no one In Chicago con-
nected with the army who ever saw the
woman, but many knew OF her previous
life and had heard of her subsequent
work.
Helen Forsland was one of the most
noted characters that ever haunted the
western states" said a detective well ac-
quainted with her history. "and was impli-
Gated In stage robberies in Idaho, Oregon,
Washington, Montana and California She
went for many years attired In mans cloth
Ing, with her hair cut short, and, having a
masculine voice, 1t was never suspicioned
that she was woman. Her personality was
that OF a keen-witted and desperate man
ready to take any chances to gain point
She had full chest. thin lips, small. pierre
ing gray eyes, which were quick and rest
less, and a determined look.
Though her features were coarse she
was not bad looking woman, and had
respectable appearance as man. She stood
about feet inches. was OF medium build.
rather angular In form and presented the
picture Of well developed and sinewy man.
Strange to say. after all her rough life her
hands were still symmetrical and more femi-
nine than masculine.
Her life was of the border ruffian type,
full of Incidents that would fill a hundred
novels yat
with It is mingled the prettiest bit OF ro-
nance of how her sweetheart sacrificed him
self for her and is now serving out a life
sentence in the San Quentin prison because
OF his devotion. Hc pleaded guilty to
crime which she claimed she had committed.
She. the guilty one, terrible in character,
was touched by his faithfulness and began
to muse on the step which he had taken for
her sake. While thus meditating she was
in the prison at Butte and one day there
the prisoners to repentance. 1t was Major
Halpin of tho Salvation army.
That sounds like the voice OF my
mother she said. Then and there the
hoarse voice of the hardened criminal melted
away into childish accents, and she made
vow that thereafter she would lead Chris
tian life, and do all In her power to have
her sweetheart released from the peni-
tentiary. rhe conversion OF the notorious
woman created a great sensation all along
the Pacific coast. Her sincerity OF purpose
won her favor with the police authorities
and they let her alone, although she had
confessed to numerous robberles. From the
time she emerged from that prison, soon
after her conversion. she carried the saliva
tion banner through the streets OF Portland
Butte, Helena and many other cities and
shouted hallelujahs with as much fervor as
the other lasses.
the penitentiary was that OF robblng a stage
coach near Helena about six years ago. She
and man had committed the robbery and
were captured. 1t was while in prison this
time that the officials discovered that she
was a woman. Her lover, Archie Niedering-
haus, came forward with confession. which
was believed the woman and her accomplice
were acquitted. and the lover now languishes
In prison. She made confession herself
but II was not believed and she went free"
Major Bovill of the Salvation army, who
has charge OF the Chicago Woman's Train
ing school, was In San Francisco a little
over Ave years ago, when Helen Forsland
was converted and though shP did not see
the woman, she remembers .ie case with
much vividness on account OF the stir which
II caused on the coast. Shortly after the
woman was converted Major Halpin called
on Mrs Bovill and told her all the cir
cumstances. Said Mrs. Bovill:
This was one OF the most remarkable
changes OF which / have ever heard. 1t
created good deal OF comment because II
turned out that the woman had such a
sweet and lovable character We talked
about her because the officers had a good
deal OF trouble with her. She had been
accustomed to rowing and rough life so
long that she did not know how to act.
She was so much like man. She sat like
a man. and IL was hard to get her to
change Major Halpin took the woman to
her home for some time, because no one
would think OF employing her, and she did
not know how to do anything useful. We
sometimes laughed to ourselves because she
was so clumsy. but We made her think she
was getting along very we'll. believe
her case was sincere conversion. l had
not heard from her for some time"