The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-15
IT is STRONG EVIDENCE
A. j. Darch Identifies the Assail-
ants of Gus johnson.
He SAW THEM TOGETHER
They Were But Short Distance From
the Scene of the Assault Just
About Ten Minutes Before
johnson Was Attacked.

The police have secured what they
consider a strong piece of evidence TO
connect Martin Herrison and Gus Mel
son with the assault on Gus Johnson,
the shift boss at the Parrot concentra-
tor, who was SO brutally beaten last
Thursday evening on the Parrot flats.
The evidence is in the nature Of an
Identification OF the two men now in
Jail as having been seen together in the
vicinity of the assault shortly before 1t
occurred.
1t will be remembered that Nelson
and Herreson were arrested inside of a
couple of hours after the assault. Both
men denied having had any knowledge
Of the affair and each said he had not
seen the other that day prior to the
meeting at the jail.
When the account of the brutal affair
appeared in the morning papers A. j..
Darch, the coal dealer, recalled seeing
the two men standing in front of his
coal office near the Montana Central
depot about 10 or Is minutes prior to
the time the assault is reported to have
occurred The descriptions Of the two
men as published struck MIR. Darch as
corresponding remarkably with the ap-
pearance of the two men whose pecu-
liar actions, talking excitedly in Swed-
ish and gesticulating wildly, attracted
his attention and caused him to sus-
peet that they We're up to some mis-
chief. AS they left at once he forgot
the incident until he saw the account
of the assault the next morning. After
thinking the matter over some time,
Darch came to the conclusion that it
was his duty to put the police in pos
session of what he knew and see If 1t
amounted to anything.
He did so. and night before last. ac-
eompanied by Chief MulhoIland, he Wis
tied the county jail to see If he could
identify the men. Mr.. Dareh was taken
into a corridor containing about 40 prlS-
oners, including several of as near the
same height and build as the suspects.
Without any hestancy Mr.. Darch
picked out Nelson and Herrlson and
said they We're the two men he had seen
in front of his office. AS the scene of
the assault is about two blocks from
Mr.. Darchs office the police are of the
opinion the men went direct from the
place where Mr.. Darch saw them to the
encounter with Johnson Notwithstand-
ing the damaging character of this eyi-
denCC, when taken in connection with
the statements of the prisoners that
they had not seen one another on that
day. the case is still very complicated.
for while the witness. Charles Il.
Wright. who claims to have seen the
whole affair, says two man engaged in
the assault. S. II. Prickett, who also
claims to have seen the attack. is just
as positive that one man did the work.
while Shelton Martin, the painter, and
the boy, George Tompkins, who We're
also in the vicinity, say they saw but
one man running away. IT is somewhat
difficult to reconcile all the statements
that have been made by alleged wit
nesses to the mysterious affair. John
son, the injured man, is making rapid
strides toward recovery, thanks to a
strong constitution, but II will be some
time before he is able to leave the hos
pital. even with the best of good luck
for he is still a long way from being
out of danger.