The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19
BUTTE News.
A DISGRACEFUL F|ASCO
Constable Boyce Arrested by a
Police Officer.
He WAS AFTER GAMBLERS
The Police Accuse Him of Drunkenness
and Disturbance-His Prisoner Es-
caped-Landed in Jail-Has
the Officer Arrested.

| The efforts of the county attorneys
office to enforce the anti-gambling law
came near being accompanied, or
rather was, by a disgraceful fiasco yes
serday morning. Warrants were is
sued during Friday for the arrest of a
number of gamblers and the duty of
serving them entrusted to Wilbur +.
Boyce, the constable in Justice Burns
court The young man showed very
poor discretion by filling up on liquor,
possibly TO give him the required nerve,
and wound up by being thrown in Jail
for disturbance. In turn, he yesterday
had the policeman who took him in,
arrested.
Two radically different stories are
told of the circumstances which led up
TO Boyce's arrest. According to his own
statement he went to the Combination
pool rooms to serve warrants on any of
the gamblers he might find there for
whom warrants had been issued.
Sandy" Lane, a well-known gambler,
came in and he attempted to serve a
warrant on him. Lane resisted arrest
and in the fight which ensued he struck
Lane over the head several times with
his gun. necessitating the attendance
of a physician. Later, while on the
oner, he was talking in an ordinary
tone of voice and may have used some
profane words in describing the racket
10 friend, when Policeman James
Murphy stepped up and placed him I'M
der arrest for disturbance and for using
vile and abusive language. taking him
TO the city Jail and allowing his prisoner
to go free.
The gamblers and others who claim
TO be conversant with the facts, say
tered the Combination. There he took
several more drinks and finally got into
conversation with Lane over horse
matter. In the discussion Boyce called
LANE - - liar. and when Lane got
angry and started for the constable,
the latter struck him on the head with
his gun, infiicting severe injuries.
Friends gathered around and took
Boyce's gun away from him and he
then confessed that he was in the
wrong and ordered the drinks for the
house. Later he served the warrant on
Lane whose friends, however as we'll
as those of Officer Murphy. deny that
Lane was in Boyce's custody when Con-
stable Boyee went UP the street using
such language that Murphy arrested
him.
At the city jail Boyce was relieved of
his gun and all his other effects like
any other prisoner, which displeased
him very much and caused him to ut
ter some very uneomplimentary things
relative to the police force, as well as
some dire threats. Finally Francis
Brooks came around and went his
bonds, and Boyee being released, was
given his gun. He Immediately in
formed Officer Murphy, who stood by,
that he was under arrest himself.
Murphy refused to be arrested and a
scrimmage ensued. in which Boyce
pulled his gun and blood would doubt
lss have been spilled but for the inter-
ference of Sergeant Buchanan. who
ordered Murphy out on his beat. and
Jailer Levy, who took the gun away
from Boyce and kept IL for the night
TO prevent any further hostilities.
Yesterday Boyce swore out a war;
rant for Murphy's arrest for interfering
with an officer in the discharge of his
duty Murphy. on hearing of the fact,
presented himself before Justice Lau-
randeau for arrangement. He demand
ed a preliminary hearing. which was set
for Thursday. and Murphy was released
on his own recognizance.
Boyce denies that he was drunk and
the county attorneys office claims to
have TO witnesses who Will testify and
say Boyce created no disturbance. 1t is
the purpose of the county attorney to
push the case against Murphy. for in
his opinion the arrest of Boyce is an in
dication that the movement against the
gamblers finds no sympathy and will
receive no support from the police de-
partment.
on the other hand. there is no doubt
that Boyce was under the influence of
liquor and the chief of police, who sup
ports Murphy, claims he has a good
case
The gamblers arrested by Boyce
We're: George Engle, Ed Bynum. Will
lam Carlton and julius Levy. IT is pro-
posed to arrest about so others as fast
as they can be found.
The latest move in the gambling mat
ter is the removal of all niekel-in- the
slot machines from bars and other
places where they Were in use yester-
day. Tt seems to have become known
that County Attorney Stapleton intend
ed ordering them abolished. for yester-
day they all disappeared and not one
clicked in response 10 the nimble
nickel.