The sun., 1896-10-18
HELEN FoRsLAND,s QUEER CAREER
tshs Had Been q Border Outlaw and Sho
Became n salvation Army Lass.
From fhc Chtcaoo Dafiv Netca


Became salvation Army Lass.
From the Chicago Daily Netcs
A.great deal of genuine regret was felt at the
Salvation Army barracks over the death yes
terday at Butte, Mont. Of Helen Forsland,
alias Kate Evans. once famous frontier BAN
dit, but who was suddenly converted and for
several years lived life Of honor and piety.
Tt II reported that the woman died from the ef-
fects Of poieon adm Mustered by her own hand.
What had come over her to cause her to COM
nit suicide no one knows. Since her conver-
sion she had been identified with Army work
on the coast and had been able TO persuade 9
manv rough characters to lead better life.
There is apparently no one In Chicago con-
nected with the Army who ever saw the wo-
man, but many knew Of her previous life and
had heard of her subsequent work.
Helen Forsand was one of the most noted
Characters that ever haunted the Western
States" said q detectiv. w.il acquainted wi: III
berries in idaho, Oregon, Washington. Mon
tana, and California She went for many years
attired attire in in mSn,s clothing, With hei & hair Gu cut
never suspicioned that she was a woman. Her
personality was that of a keen-witted and des-
a point She had a full chest. thin lips, small,
piercing gray eyes. WHICH wero quick and rest
Though her features we're coarse che was
& not bad looking woman IAN ana a had & respectsble @
inches. was OF medium build, rather angular
vsloped and .inswy man; strange to say, after
metrical and more feminine than masculine. =.
Her life was of the border ruffan type. full
novels With tales of daring deeds. yet with it is
mingled the prettiest bit OF romance of how
her sweetheart SACRIFICED himself for her and is
ploadei guilty to crime which she claimed
rible In character. was touched by his faithful
ness aud began to muse on the step which he
ing she was in the prison at Butte and one cay
There appeared In her dark cell a oman call
Ing the prisoner TO repentance. 1t was Major
Halpin of the Salvation Army.
THAT sounds like tho voice of my mother,
she said. Then and there tho hoarse voice Of
the hardened rininal melted away into child
ish accents, and she made a vow that there
after she would lead n Christian life. and do
all in her power to have her sweetheart re-
sion OF the notorious woman created great
sensation all along the Pacific coast: Her
police authorities and they let ner alone. al
though she had con tessed to numerous robber-
prison, soon after her conversion. h-::carried
the sally alton banner through the streets Of
dpes nad ssd S any . fhe
feryor as the other lasses.
THE crime for which she almost went to
the penitentiary was that OF robhing stage
coach near Helena about six years ago. She
and q man had committed the Robbery and
were captured. 1t was while in prison this
time that the officials discovered that she
was wo nan. Her lover, Archie Niedering-
haus, came forward with q confession. which
was believed, the woman and her aocomplice
were acquitted, and the love. now lapgushcs
In prison. She made n confession herself, but
1t 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 n llttlo
over FIVE years ago, when Helen Forsland was
convert ted. and, though she did not see the wo-
man, she remembers the case with much vivid
moss on account OF the stir which it caused on
the coast. shortly after the woman was con-
verted; Maior Halpin called on Mrs. Boyill
and told hcr all the circumstances. Said Mrs.
Boyill this morning:
This was one Of the most remarkable changes
OF which have ever heard. Ii created a good
deal OF comment because II turned out that
the woman had such a sweet and lovable char
acter: We talked about her because the offi-
GERS had good deal of trouble with her. She
had been accustomed To rowing and rough
life 30 long that she did not know how TO
act. She was SO much like a man. She sat
like man, and 1t was hard to get her 10
change. Major Halpin took the woman 10 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 becauses he was so clumsy
but We made her think she was getting along
very well. believe her case was a sincere
conversion, had not heard from her for
some time"