The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-16
ARRESTED FOR MURDER
A Suspicion That Mcleod Is the
Refugee Bert Beld.
HE FITS THE DESCRIPTION
He Has Just Finished a Term at Deer
Lodge and Was Arrested by Con-
stable Jack Conley at
Deer Lodge.

Estey Mcleod. a man who has just
completed a yea in the state peniten-
tiary at Deer Lodge, was brought to
Butte yesterday by Constable Jack Con-
ley of Anaconda on suspicion that he is
Bert Beld. the man who committed a
murder at whitehall in September, 1886.
Mcleod answers the description Of Beld
very closely and officer Conley is conf
dent that he had the murderer, although
a gentleman who came up on the train
yesterday with Conley and Mcleod says
the suspect is not Beld and does not re-
semble him in any other respect than
the fact that his face Is pock-marked.
Mcleod is very much taller, he says,
thai the murderer and does not carry a
big scar on his lower lip, which is a
prominent distinguishing mark on Beld.
Mcleod was sent TO the penitentiary
from Anaconda, and Officer Conley has
had his eye on him for some time. When
the fellow was released from the peni-
tertiary Wednesday Mr.. Conley fol-
lowed him to Garrison and there arrest
ed him and brought him to Butte.
There is a reward of $500 for the cap
ture of Beld. Mcleod is the third man
who has been arrested for the murderer.
The first arrest was made in Colorado
shortly after the murder and Sheriff
Gillian went down there with a man
from Whitehall to identify the fellow
under arrest, but he failed to do so, n
Gillian returned empty handed.
Not many months ~ another mar
was arrested at Spokane, and when &C
cused of being the murderer he did not
deny II. The Spokane officer who made
the arrest felt sure of the reward and
he brought his man to Boulder and a
number OF people who knew Beld were
brought from Whitehall to identify him.
All declared positively hat the Spokane
man wac not Beld and the fellow laugh
ed at the officers. He told them he could
easily have convinced them at Spokane
that he was not Beld. but he wanted to
come TO Montana on a free ticket.
The murder for which Beld was want
ed was committed at a Whitehall saloon
one night about IL o'clock. Beld and his
victim had been quarreling In the sa-
loon and left the place together and
continued the quarrel on the outside in
the rain. Then a shot was fired n the
men in the saloon rushed out TO see what
was the matter. They met Beld outside
with a s~ix-shooter in his hand and he
warned the men not to approach nearer
and said he would kill the first man
who made a step toward him. The men
went back into the saloon and Beld
went away. His victim was found ly-
ing near the saloon, but he was not dead.
and was removed to a room in the back
part OF the building and a doctor called.
1t was found that he had been shot
through the stomach. About 4 o'clock
the next morning. while the wounded
man was lying on the bed, he turned
toward the window and saw Beld look
ing in, and exclaimed: There Is the
-, now
That was the last time Beld was seen
at whitehall. His victim lived until the
next day. A few weeks afterward the
Butte police learned that a man an
swering Beld's description was living
in a cabin near Walkerville. Several
officers wen up to investigate and
found that the cabin had very recently
been occupied. but the bird had flown. A
watch was kept on the place for some
time, but he did not return. Beld, at
the time OF the murder. had a wife liv-
ing at Dillon. but IL Is not known what
has become of her.
Several parties from Whitehall are ex-
pected in to-day to TAX a look at the
man who gives his name az Mcleod.
There are also several men In Butte who
knew Beld well n who Will to-day call
on the fellow In Jail, but the officers
hav not very much expectation that the
man will be identified as the murderer.