The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-01
A HOT INVESTIGATION
Three Pretty Women Made 1t
Warm for Officer Evarts.
WERE AFTER HIS SCALP
Mrs. Barbeau Accused the Officer of
Maliciously Circulating False Re-
ports and Trying to Injure
Her Reputation.

ii1dAs dlld IL SCtillcu IGItdiH lfldI SDI1e
changes would be made in the police
force, but the investigation grew colder
as 1t got older and ended by everybody
being exonerated or at least restored to
good standing.
There We're three pretty women hot
after the scalp of Officer Evarts, and
they certainly made it warm for him
Tor time The three pretty women are
Mrs. Della Barbeau, Miss Bessie Rainey
and Mrs. Laura Ziegler. The charge
was brought by Mrs. Barbeau, who ac-
cused Officer Evarts of injuring her
reputation by maliciously circulating
false reports. Mrs. Barbeau, who is
proprietress of the Silver block lodging
house, took the stand and said that
Officer Evarts told people that she was
prostitute, that he watched her at all
times, followed her around, kept tab on
her where she went and how long she
stayed and made himself generally OBJ
noxious. He had told Bessie Rainey
that she used to be down on the row.
He tried to knock me with her." said
Mrs. Barbeau, and he said he would
run me out of the town. He makes
faces at me whenever he meets me.
There never was a disturbance in my
house, never an arrest in ii or any
trouble at all"
Miss Bessie Rainey. who rooms in the
Silver block, testified that Officer
Eyarts came to her room between IL
and II o'clock last Tuesday night. He
knocked on the door and wanted to
come in, but she would not let him.
She talked with him in the hall and he
told her that Mrs. Barbeau was not re-
spectacle. He had been drinking"
said Miss Rainey; "he could hardly talk
plain
Then Mrs. Laura Ziegler, who is a
little taller than the other women, but
just as pretty, took IA whack at the
blushing policeman. She said that
Evarts mad been talking about her and
had gone to Mrs. Caldwell and got her
discharged. He had also told her that
Mrs. Barbeau is not respectable.
officer Evarts then told his story and
said he first met Mrs. Barbeau two
years ago in the back room Of the Sa-
zerac saloon and became intimate with
her.
We are not going back that far
said the mayor. I'VE are not inquiring
into your history before you came on
the police force. We want to know
what you were doing up in the Silver
block last Tuesday night"
All right" said Officer Evarts. THE
night before a messenger boy had come
to me from the Silver block saying
there was disturbance up there and |
was wanted. i started there with the
messenger boy. and at the door met the
woman who had caused the disturb
ance, and as she was leaving | made no
arrests and did not go UP there. The
next night Tuesday. / was passing the
block again and thought l heard a
crashs | thought maybe another pitch
er was being smashed over somebody's
head. and went up there. l met Miss
Rainey in the hall"
"Oh, what a fib.' said pretty Miss
Rainey.
II met Miss Rainey in the hail. re-
sumed Evarts.
You did no such thing declared
Miss Rainey. You came to my room,
knocked on the door and insisted on
coming in and would only l told you l
had company which was just a bluff
to get rid of you. You had your uni
form on. too"
Wasn't you ever arrested for street
walking?" asked officer Evarts
Never said Miss Rainey. II have
never been arrested"
Have you any evidence of such an
arrest?" inquired the mayor.
No" said the officer.
Then don't ask such questions IL you
have not any evidence of it. She is
not under investigation.
What is your business asked the
officer of Miss Rainey.
That's none of your business" said
the young lady. Il never invited you
to call on me-
I was not in your room,'' said
Eyarts.
KNOW you was not, because would
not let you in
Officer Evarts then resumed his testi-
mony. He said he met Miss Rainey in
the hail. talked with her minute, and
then left the block.
Were you drunk" asked the mayor.
NO, sir; l have not been drunk since
May >. 1891
You had certainly been drinking"
said Bessie Rainey.
Il had not" declared the officer
The officer then said that Mrs Zieg-
Ter told him that Mrs Barbeau offered
her $40 TO come up before the police
committee and testify against him.
It's no such thing" asserted Laura.
did not you tell me that?'
Il did not. l said that Mrs Barbeau
told me she was going to make You
suffer for your prosecutions If it cost
her 500.
The investigation then drifted into a
quarrel between Mrs. Barbeau ana
officer Evarts relative to a night shirt
but just as this was getting interest
ing, Alderman Page spoiled it all by
saying:
4 think we have had enough of this
Il think so too said the officer. But
it is we'll to learn what kind of men we
have on the police force"
The committee then took up the case
of Officer j. J. Murphy accused by Ser
geant Buchanan of disobedience. not
being on his beat and using insulting
and offensive language to Buchanan.
Sergeant Buchanan testified that Muir
ply took the Dublin guich beat week
ago last Sunday. He complained to the
sergeant about the size of his beat and
refused to go up Anaconda road, saying
he feared he would be killed. He had
had trouble up there before he was on
the force. He said that every night since
then he had had trouble in finding
Murphy, who would not respond TO the
signal raps. Once when he found him
the sergeant asked him why he had not
raped, and the officer replied that he
was big enough TO be seen without rap
ping. Twice he had come out of saloons
and the sergeant had not found him
anywhere on his beat except on Main
street. Thursday night the officer was
at dance at the Quartz street station.
and when Buchanan questioned him
about it said he had permission from