The Anaconda standard., 1896-05-09
IT is A QUEER CASE
Charles Numbers Remarkably Sad
Plight in PocatellO
DETECTIVES IN THE CITY
Responsible Men VIII Go to Idaho
to Prove That the Accused Muir
derer of Scanlon Is Innocent
of the Serious Charge.

urges case in France, which is the
foundation of a novel and the drama
The Courier of Lyons" is that which
surrounds the arrest of Charles Hum.
ber Of this city for the murder of on
Ger Scanlon in Pocatello on the night
of April of this year
Viewing the case from the standpoint
OF friends of the accused and as ac-
quaintances, the people of Anaconda
have been disposed to severely criti-
else the Idaho officers for their course
In causing the arrest of Humber and
his being taken to Idaho for trial.
From the standpoint of the officers
of Pocatello and the evidence in their
hands. they have done no more than
others would have done under similar
circumstances.
Detective A. o. Rose, formerly sher-
iff of Beaverhead county, now i'm the
detective service Of the Union Pacific
railroad, and Alderman M. Nj. O'Mal-
ley of Pocatello were in Anaconda yes
terday and their explanation of the
situation is truly surprising.
II have no doubt in my own mind" +"
said Mr.. Rose. after talking with j.
s. Hickey and o. c. Voss. that Hum
Der is innocent. However, in the face
of evidence now before the justice I'm
the preliminary hearing, proof abso-
lutte and perfect will lhave to be ad-
duced in order to prevent Numbers
being bound over to the district court
which will not meet until September
During that time the prisoner could
not be admitted to bail and would have
to lay in Jail, which would. il is true
be a hardship but law often works
hardships and many times with less
excuse than I'm this case
THE story Ct the murder in brief Is
this: Early Easter morning. April s,
the depot policeman, Officer Scanlon
felt called upon TO restrain n drunken
man who WAS Haking a disturbance
in the depot. Scenloh ordered him out
of the place. quarrel ensued, the
stranger struck Scanlon in the jaw
The officer pulled his revolver and
twice struck the stranger over the
head with it, infiicting wounds which
bfed profusely. The stranger was
knocked down and the officer took him
In charge and was about to take him
to the lookup when another train whis-
tied and II being his duty to announce
the trains at the depot he turned his
prisoner loose and went about his du-
ties.
The stranger was seen by the win
dow of the telegraph office. still bleed
ing from His wounds and swearing
vengeance on the officer.
A few minutes later the murder was
done. the unknown man catching
Scanlon on the platform unawares.
held him with one hand and with the
other plunged a knife into his side.
The murderer lodged about in a laby
rinth of trains and cars and escaped.
Every possible measure to head him
off was attempted. all passenger trains
were searched, no freight trains were
allowed to leave the yards that night.
The telegraph wires were used lavish
ly and officers everywhere notified to
look out for the murderer.
THE description given by Scanlon
before he died and by others was that
the man had a scar on the back of his
neck, he was rather tall, smooth face,
high cheek bones, very prominent
teeth and walked with a shambling
gait. Not the slightest clue could be
obtained of him, the disappearance
was complete.
"The murderer was identified to this
extent by the railroad men: He had
been seen around the depot the day
previous. He was in his shirt sleeves
and had begged a coat from a railroad
man. named Price He had been seen
sharpening pocket knife. just be-
fore Scanlon was stabbed a man
stepped up to Brakeman Durham,
seized him by the shoulder, keeping
one hand in his pocket, looked close at
the brakeman, and said: You are not
the - - - man l am after, and then
let him go.
Here the mystery deepens. Poca-
tello persons received letters from a
friend named Mark Seal from Salt
Lake city. telling them that while in
the depot waiting for train he saw
the murder, and more he knew the
man who did IL. His story has been
told time and again and does not vary.
AT first Seal could not think of the
mans last name. but called him Char
lie. Later he thought of the name-it
was Charlie Humber. a man who had
worked with him in Rochester Mont,
on a mine.
Seal testified that he saw Humber
in the depot. with his head cut, and
spoke to him there. suggesting that he
would take him (Humber) to a drug
store to have the wound dressed.
Humber said no. The only way TO get
even was to kill the - - who did it,
The witness Seal says that he advised
the man whom he recognized as Hum
ber to prosecute the officer, but he
would not and went out in search OF
Scanlon. Out of curiosity Seal fol-
ed him and saw the murder. Seal
knew Humber well, and on that night
called him Charlie to which the mur-
derer replied as though that was his
name.
''nhe officers looked up Seal and
found his record good. and that his tes-
tfmony was worthy of credit. BY the
time this was known Seal had gone
into a mining camp. SIS miles from
Salt Lake but he was found but was
reluctant TO come to Pocatello. though
ne was finally induced 10 do so. When
Seal and Humber. the genuine Mon
rana Humber. met in Pocatello. the
recognition was mutual. They shook
hands and called each other by name.
Humber in no way tried TO conceal the
fact that he knew his accuser in Roch-
ester Humber has the scar on the
back of his neck. He has scars on his
head that are exactly such as might
have been inflicted by the blows OF
Scanlon's gun. In feature. form and
peculiar walk he answers the descrip-
ton Of the murderer.
brakeman Durham and the other
railroad men do not swear positively
that Humber Is the man WHO stabbed
- h. L. "a -