The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-14
IN THE DARK
Still No Clue to the Murderer
of Ethel Gill.
THAT SHORT, STOUT MAN
All the Evidence Points to Hin As the
Fiend Incarnate Who Strangled
the Little Girl Thousands
Attended the Funeral.

II the foul murder of little Ethel Gill
is ever punished it, will be because of
the discovery of far more important
evidence than the authorities have yet
discovered to connect Charles Smith, the
accused man at the county Jail. with
the crime. Since the commission OF the
awful crime on Thursday. or rather.
since its discovery Saturday morning the
police and the sheriff's forces have been
untiring in their efforts either to find
convincing proof that Smith is the right
man or discover the real murderer. but
thus far absolutely nothing that would
convince a jury has been found to i'm
plicate him or any other man in the
crime, n the officers who at first be-
lieved without reserve that the right
man had been arrested are beginning to
doubt the accuracy of their former 1udg-
ment and are inclined to think the
guilty person is an entirely different
man, as with each successive effort TO
find evidence against Smith the officers
find themselves thrown on ths track.
When the suspicious looking stains on
the dark shirt the prisoner wore as an
undergarment were discovered. u was
thought that at last something tangi-
BILE had been found. as il was conf
IDENTIFY believed they would prove to be
blood stains, but this hope Was dashed
to pieces when DIR. Sheeran completed
his analysis of the substance which
caused the stains, yesterday. .Dr.
Sheeran made a very careful examina-
ton of the spots on the shirt, blu found
they were something else besides blood.
All others clues, when run down.. have
u1.,ltAl tLa -, MA until there Ia
now practically nothing to IN
Smith with the crime aside from a few
suspicious circumstances, the prisoners
close proximity to the scene OF the
crime. his peculiar actions after his ar
rest and the obvious lies he has told the
officers. These circumstances are all the
authorities can be said to W against
the man. The police yesterday learned
of a couple of little girls whom some
miserable hound nae tried 10 entlce into
Fosters warehouse Thursday evening.
They were taken to the county jail to
look at the accused man, who was
marched out before them. They stated
without hesitation that he was not the
man. Another brute named Fred Neib-
hur. who had been caught exposing him
| self to children. was arrested during
the day and taken to the county Jail on
a charge of vagrancy. to be detained
fer the scrutiny of those persons who
have seen a mysterious short, stout man
conducting himself improperly toward
children. This man was also shown TO
the two little girls mentioned, but they
had never seen him before. Neibhur
makes the third man in custody who Is
suspected. No one has been able to get
any good evidence against any of them.
The mysterious short, stout man is
beginning to receive a great deal of at
| tention with the officers. So many have
seen a man of that description doing
Improper things that the officers have
| determined to locate him. The little
girls taken to see Smith yesterday, when
asked to describe the man who talked
to them and asked them to go into the
warehouse with him, surprised the off,
GERS by describing the short. stout
man. Their description of the individual
Tailed so closely with that of the man
the foreman of Fosters warehouse saw
talking to Ethel Gill Thursday evening
that some of the officers are convinced
if the murderer is caught that will be
bis description, the opinion being
| strengthened by the large number of
persons who have told the officers of
such a man. In the meantime. it would
seem if the accused prisoner rs not the
man, the real murderer must have made
good his escape from the city or some
trace would be found.
One thing which seems to have been
overlooked. and which would seem %
be of the most vital Importance. is the
fact that some pieces of board were
found close by the warehouse where
the child was killed, which bore the
bloody thumb prints of a man. These
should be examined and compared. un-
de microscope. with the thumb prints
of the suspected persons. AS the i'm
prints on the piece of board were un-
doubtedly mad by the murderer, IL
could easily be established whether or
nos any of the suspected persons COM
mited the crime. Yesterday a great
many people visited the Jail again, and
asked to see the prisoner Smith. Among
them were four highly respected ladies
whose request was granted. After
looking at him one of the ladies
turned to the officer in charge and
said:
"When you become sure he is the
right man turn him over to us. We
will bring him back in five days
When asked why they wanted him
that long the speaker replied:
You men do things too fast to prop
erly punish such criminals"
1t is evident from the appearance OF
the ladies. that they were getting
wrought up. and that IL would go lard
with the murderer of Ethel Gill IL he
were to fall into their hands. A woman
claiming to be a c~lairvoyant. who
doubtless thought she would get a lit
tie cheap advertising, called at the jai
during the day and told a story abou'
having mad a dream the night before
in which she saw the same kind ol
murder committed. ShelNanted to SEE
the prisoner. to see IL he wa1vthe same
man she saw in her dream. The wo'
man was humored. but she could not
pick out the prisoner from the numhei
until he was indicated to her. and ther
she was very sure he was the mar
she saw in the dream
The funeral of the murdered chile
took place yesterday afternoon at th'
home of the parents on the Hesperui
lode. 1t was largely attended. and wa
a very sad affair. The services. which
were brief. were conducted by the Rev
Mr.. Lounsberry of Mountain View M
Il. church, who spoke feelingly OF tn
.r-f..I ,o..nax fa nyhifp tho child Htnl