The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-19
WAS A FRlGHTfU[ CRIME
The Attempt to Burn Alive Mrs.
Kelly and Two Children.
ASSERTS HIS INNOCENCE
Cyrus Bell. the Suspected Man. Appar-
entity Had Little Motive for Com
hitting the Alleged Crime-Po-
lies Believe Him Guilty.

Few OF the many terrible things mat
have happened In Butte are more ter
rible than the apparent attempt yester-
day morning to burn alive Mrs. Marion
Kelly and her two children, as briefly
related in yesterdays Standard. AS
stated. Cyrus Bell was arrested on sus-
picion of attempting this terrible crime.
n opinions differ al to whether or not
he is guilty. Mrs. Kelly is sure he is
the man. Bell protests his innocence.
and his innocence Is vouched for by
many of his friends. He has stood well
In this community for 10 years. and his
friends are loath to believe that he is
the fend incarnate who built the re
under Mrs. kelly's e
Mrs. Kelly was examined at the po-
lice Office yesterday morning by Chief
of Police Mulholland. She said that she
recognized Bell by his voice, for as he
left he made the remark: You won't
need a ticket now She said that she
was first awakened by him striking a
match. He had a white mask over the
upper part Of his face and his hat was
pulled down over his eyes. She saw
the mouth very plainly, she says, and
noticed "A prominent gold tooth. which
she had often noticed before in Bells
mouth.
Mrs. Kelly says she came to Butte
on April 20 a year from a Fran
cisco, Cal, in response to letters from
Oscar Bell. brother of the arrested man,
I'm answer 20 her advertisement in a
matrimonial paper. Bell promised to
marry her and sent her funds TO come
to Butte. She came, accompanied by
her two daughters, one of them s and
the other Az years of z She went
to he McDermott hotel. after which
Bell got rooms for her at No. 10l East
Broadway. He did not marry her,
however, but soon left town ror Idaho.
leaving her in charge of Cyrus. Mrs.
Kelly claims that Cyrus made love to
her and asked her hand in marriage.
which she refused. Mrs. Kelly brought
suit against Oscar Bell for $4,000 dam
ages for breach Of promise. Meanwhile
she supported herself as best she could,
lately having been employed as jani-
tress OF the NJ. T.. Church South, at the
corner of Idaho and Galena streets.
Last Saturday night Attorney Fran
els Brooks paid Mrs. Kelly 800 in set
Element, or part settlement, of her
breach of promise suit against Oscar
Bell. She also demanded a ticket for
herself and children back to Califor-
MIA, and IL is claimed That they had
agreed to give her a ticket n some
money.
NlIo. htis oays Una ~ abo Z WV
daughters spent Sunday evening with a
| neighbor, Mrs. Marxby. Before return
ing home she heard the dog barking.
Mrs. Kelly went home with her chill
dren, locked the door,, went TO bed n
soon all were asleep. The woman is
positive she locked the kitchen door.
although the door was found open by
those who went into the house to res
cue her when The flames were discov-
cred. Mrs. Kelly says she was awak-
ened by hearing "a match scratched. h
found her arms and legs tied. and there
was "A smell Of smoke. A portion OF a
bed sheet had been stuffed in her
mouth. She struggled to get the gag
from her mouth and the r then
removed the cloth from her face. Then
she recognized the gold tooth In the
mans mouth. As the man left after
starting the fire he told her that she
| would not need a ticket now
Mrs. Kelly says she managed to get
out of bed and release her legs. The
bed clothes were then burning. She
awoke the children and they helped un-
tie the knots that bound her. One of
the children was tied but the other was
not. Mrs. Kelly and the children then
rushed down stairs. Mrs. kelly's night
dress was burning and she jumped into
| the creek which runs by the house. Her
screams aroused the n~eighbors. Mrs.
kelly's house Is a three-room cottage
on Wisconsin street, some distance
from the n~eighboring houses. One of
the n%eighbors said he saw a man leave
the Kelly house just before the screams
and run away
Cyrus Bell was arrested on the wo-
mans testimony and charged with ar
son In the first degree. the minimum
penalty for which crime is five years In
the penitentiary. He was taken before
Justice L~aurandeau. pleaded not guilty
and his examination was set Tor
Wednesday. He retained Judge Naugh-
ton to defend him. His bonds were
placed at $500. which he quickly fur
nished and was released. Later he was
rearrested by order Of the count at
torney, as the bond seemed insufficient
for a crime of the magnitude OF the one
charged. This time his bonds were
placed at s.. 900. which were furnished
by Adolph Wetzstein m T.. II. Mitchell,
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Kelly was
taken to Newbro's drug store TO see II
she could recognize the drug used 70
stupify her. She smelled several bot
ties and finally recognized ether as the
drug used.
Detective Murphy visited Bells room
i'm the Maule block yesterday afternoon
and found in the dresser "A white mask
Cyrus Bell. the man charged with this
terrible crime, saN 10 "a Stanuafu re
porter last evening: "All l ask is tina
the public suspend judgment In thi;
matter until I am tried. l don't a
them to believe me guilty OF such a das
tardly act on the mere accusation.
did not know where this woman LIVED
and had no motive on earth to try L
burn her up or do her any injury.
knew, OF course, that she had takei
offense at me because she thought | in
-. L-As aAs 20 DanEEU bar a
to the white mask. ! used 1t al tn
French ball and left IL in the dresser
not having any reason for throwing
away. Detective Murphy states Ina
my brother and | had been at my room
before him in order to destroy all evi
dence. Neither my brother or | was oi
Park street to-day. I room at No. 3
OF the Maule block. l went to bed be
tween . and 10 o'clock In the evening
and remained there until arrested