The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01
Mr.. RUSSELL'S ROLL
Somebody Appears to Have Helped
Himself to About 500.
WAITING BETWEEN TRAINS
George Lewis. an Ex-Pollceman.
on Trial for the Robbery-Thsre
Was Much Drinking and Rus
sell Thinks He Was Doped.

The trial of a former member Of the
Butte police force on the charge Of
I pocket-picking was an event sufficient
ly out OF the ordinary to I'LL Justice
Turner's court room yesterday after
noon. George Lewis, who was several
years on the force. was the man
against whom the charge was brought.
A number OF old and new policemen
and other acquaintance filled the court
room and watched the proceedings with
great interest.
The complaining witness in the case
was G. p. Russell. 1t was the old story
Of a stranger waiting in Butte few
hours between trains, having his pock-
cts full Of money. getting drunk and
waking up to find himself robbed. Rus
sell said he arrived in Butte from Salt
Lake on the afternoon of Dec. 20. He
had $126 when he landed in Butte. He
intended to go on to Helena by the
Montana Union and Northern Pacific
the same evening. He went up town
and bought a suit of clothes at ID. j.
Hennessy's for SIS. He then had Sill
left and spent a few dollars for drinks
around in South Butte. He remember
ed nothing after he was in the Centen-
NAL saloon in South Butte. When he
was awakened he was in Ely's saloon
near the Montana Central depot. He
thought he had been doped. He missed
the Montana Union train by which he
had his ticket, but concluded to go to
Helena by the Montana Central at 6:10
in order to be with his friends on
Christmas eve. 1t seems, however,
that he did not catch that train either
and had a very indistinct idea of what
he did after about 5 o'clock that after
noon. He thought he had seen Lewis
before but did not remember ever hav-
ing seen Nick Shafer, associated with
Lewis in the charge, before.
officer Joe Sinsel said that a little
after 6 o'clock on the evening of Dec.
20. he saw Russell coming out of the
store next to Ely's saloon. Lewis and
| Shafer were trying to hold him up. The
| officer paid little attention and contin-
| ued his beat. About 8 o'clock he re-
turned to that vicinity and entered
Ely's saloon. The bartender told him
| he thought something was wrong. Rus
sell was asleep in the back room in a
| chair The officer had hard work wax
| ing him up. He asked Russell how
much money he had, and Russell said
he had 800. The officer searched him
but could not find a cent on him. He
| found a five-dollar bill on the floor near
him. The officer took Russell to the
| city jail. and then with Officer Tucker
arrested Lewis and Shafer in the Gem
| tennial saloon. The officers took the
men to Ely's saloon and searched
| them.
'I asked Lewis how much money he
had" said Sinsel, land he said he had
| 81. He pulled that out. While Tucker
searched him Lewis pulled a black
handkerchief out of his pocket, and
saw something drop on the floor.
| picked II up and II was two five-dollar
bills. Shafer had $3.50 on him."
Dave Jenkins. bartender at Ely's sa-
loon, said that Russell entered the
aoIr lr.. @t2lA n 60
FER and two other men whom he did
not know. They stayed in the saloon
until about o'clock. Russell bought
| two rounds of drinks, giving a ten
dollar bill and the witness gave him
| eight silver dollars in change Just
after he received the change Lewis and
one of the other men took Russell into
the back room. They left him In the
room and returned, and then Shafer
went into the back room with one of
! the strangers. The witness tried to go
into the back room once but someone
held the door. Lewis and the other
fellow went again into the back room
and went out the back door. They
then entered the saloon once more by
the front door and talked as though
they had not been in there before. Each
| of the four men bought a round of
drinks. Before that Russell had done
| all the buying.
| O1ncer tucker corroborated Officer
Sinsel as to seeing Russell with Lewis
| and Shafer, as to making the arrests
and as to seeing the money drop from
Lewis handkerchief when he was be-
| ing searched.
The prosecution rested there. Mrs.
| Dial, for the defense, said that Russell
had left his package in her bakery
and Lewis came and got them for him
between 6 and Z o'clock. Sam johnson
/ tQCfffiad that ha ID.
street In South Butte. Russell asked
him when the train for Helena started
| as he wanted to get home Christmas
| eve. Johnson offered to show him the
depot. Russell asked him into several
places to drink. The witness tried to
get him to the depot and finally. while
| they were in Dave Charles saloon he
gave II up and left asking Shafer to
see him to the depot for the 6:10 train.
| Fred PETERS said he saw Russell in the
| Centennial saloon at 1885 and saw him
| put out of the house for disturbance.
Frank Shraeder. bartender at the
| Centennial, said he put Russell out of
the saloon for disturbance. Mr.. wag-
ner. bartender at Dave Charles, said
Russell treated four times in there. He
gave a IS bill and received $3.50 in
change. Mr.. Holtzeimer, who keeps a
store next to Ely's saloon, said that
Shafer and Lewis brought Russell in
there about O'Clock and wanted him
| TO keep Russell until the train went.
| Russell began to get sick and he sug-
gested that they take him out into the
fresh air. They did so, leaving Rus
slis parcels in the store.
Nicholas Shafer, one OF the defend
ants, said he first met Russell between
and O'Clock in the Centennial sa-
loon. The proprietor put Russell out
and he went with him. They went to
| Dave Charles saloon. Johnson after
| ward asked him TO show Russell TO the
depot and he and Lewis did so. The
train was late. They went into the
| store and, as Russell seemed sick.
they went out and then into Ely's sa-
| loon. Shafer denied that he went into
the back room, where Russell was put
/ He left the SALON and went Nm toun