The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-21
The Police Morally Sure They
Have the Right Men.
GOOD DETECTIVE WORK
Murphy's Cleverness Led to the First
Clue. Which Was Successfully u
Down-Travis Convlnces the o.
ficers Thai He Was Not in Il.

| tam TOdu nOuSeS u week X last SUN
day morning, their capture is the best
piece of work the police department
has accomplished during the present
administration. The officers are moral
ly certain they have got the right men,
n there appears good reason to be-
lieve they are correct. as the alleged
highwaymen have been identified by
their victims by some distinguishing
characteristic which had been noted
and described prior to the capture.
OF the three arrested at the Claren-
don hotel about 2 o'clock yesterday
morning, it ~transpired that but two
were accused of the hold-up. They
were John Mason and James Lacey.
The third. whose name was given as
William White, but whose right name
is Wilbur Travis, was only taken into
custody to be held as a witness. and is
not suspected of having been connected
with the robbery. The fact hat he told
a very straight story and rendered the
officers most valuab assistance, led
the officers to accept his claim that he
is innocent is true. and he is therefore
only being held as a witness.
About 6 o'clock in the morning the
officers got the third member of the
gang, as they believe. and they are
now satisfied they have the three
highwaymen with a strong case against
them.
The officers went to work on the case
the day after the robbery. but there
was so little to work on they had about
made up their minds they would not
get the highwaymen, when one day
Detective Murphy. who devotes most
of his time watching the hangers-on at
the race track, observed that one of the
fellows who was selling peanuts and
fruit answered the description given of
n of the hold-ups. He e~ndeavored TO
engage the fellow in conversation sew
eral times, but was each time avoided
and he became satisfied the man was
not right. The fellow had the same
nervous actions attributed to n of
the hold-ups. and the more the officer
watched, the more his suspicious grew.
one evening he followed him to the
Clarendon hotel, and by making care
full inquiry, found he was connected
with a gang of crooks. Satisfied he
was on the right lay, n stool was put
to work and soon was in with the
gang.
BY yesterday morning matters had
progressed to the point that the Off
GERS were ready to make the arrest,
and about , o'clock Captain Dawson,
Detective Murphy n Sergeant Leyden
went to a room at the Clarendon hotel
and found Mason. Lacey and Travis
in the room. They resented the intru-
sion. making a grand bluff at being in
suited. The presence in the room of
Travis. who had not been suspected,
threw the officers off. as they were sat
isfied he was not the third party. Hop
ing he would come in, the officers re-
tired n stationed themselves to
watch. After waiting some time and
no one coming, the officers decided to
take the three into custody. supposing
Travis a crook of some sort to be in
such company. and deciding to take
nance on getting the third man.
Accordingly they went back to the
room and placed all three under arrest.
When they began to search the room.
Travis, who was quite obviously sur
prised. evinced the keenest desire to
convince the officers he was sincere
when he said he did not know the kind
Of company he was i'm by telling them
he could help them i'm the search. He
told the officers to look in the mattress
I'm the bed and they would find a watch.
This proved right. and the officers be-
gan To have a good opinion of Travis.
All three, however, were taken to the
county Jail after the room had been
thoroughly searched.
Mason and Lacey were placed i'm
separate cells. and Travis was given
a sweating during which he salts
fled the officers that he was innocent,
giving information which proved of
value and which will form strong evil
dence. He said he came to Butte less
than a week & from Wisconsin,
where he had ndu a hotel i'm a
lumber camp. Lacey had boarded with
him there. and, though he had not
come TO know him well. he had ac-
quired a good opinion of him, because
he had paid the bills Of a couple of
friends who had skipped. He said when
he arrived in Butte he went out to the
races, and first thing ran against La
coy and this WAS how hn Ranaa IN IN
in the company of the pair. Lacey hal
introduced him to Mason. and. they be-
ing the only people he knew i'm Butte,
he had knocked around with them.
He told the officers he had overheard
remarks, which, though they did not
sound suspicious at the time. did now,
and he believed If the officers searched
the Northern Pacific yards their eff
forts would be rewarded. He also said
he had taken "A walk with Mason AMI
Lacey to the western part of town TO
and old mine. He stood on the dump
while they went around behind IL. and
when they came back Lacey had a
watch he had not had before. He asked
where it came from and Lacey replied
he had bought ii that day. 1t did not
occur to Travis THAI the watch had
been dug IA Of the dump, but he nov
ii had been, and ne expressed
Nv fAAfA AAlaA a hohid bt Abuttl
in the old dump. Travis also aid ne
had overheard remarks abou a third
man who was i'm an East Park street
house, n might be the third
mar wanted, the officers having in
formed him there was such a party.
Mason and Lacey were sent to the
county Jail and Travis was detained at
the city prison. The officers visited the
railroad yards and made a thorough
search but found nothing, and at day
light were guided to The old mine re-
ferred To. 1t proved To be the Neptune
mine n the place where the plant
had been made was found. but nothing
was left.
At 6 o'clock the officers visited the
lodging house indicated by Travis AMI
Lyons. George Kronenberg.
Charley Warren and Billy Bell. three
of those held up at the Reception and
Fountain road houses, have identified
- 49, Uaaa No.. 49, -