The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-27
A MURDERER IS IN JAIL.
Joe Thoman Captured by the
Police.
WOUNDS FATAL
Died From the Effects OF the Stabbing
He Received In the Christmas
Night Fracas In .
Dance Hall.

The Christmas night fracas In the sa-
loon al No. ass Watson avenu result
ed fatally. as expected, n Joseph
Zagor lies dead and the man who did
the cutting. Joe Thoman. is in the coun-
ty jail. having been captured below
Rocker by Captain Dawson Inc Ser
geant Leyden.
The trouble occurred at an Austrian
dance. which was going on in a room
which adjoins the saloon. but just how
it arose can not be learned. as the men
who were there are either incapable Of
giving an intelligent account OF h af-
fray or carefully void giving out any
facts connected with 1t. They all say.
upon being questioned, that they don't
know how the thing started or who did
the cutting. However, when a crowd
of them was told yesterday that Tho
man had been captured, a look OF IN
tense satisfaction spread over their
faces.
Captain Dawson and Sergeant Leyden
were on the scene soon after the trouble
and arrested Charles Schmoltz, Frank
Schultz and Matt Striker as witnesses.
The two last named stated that they
saw Schmoltz put out the electric lights
| as soon as the row began. As stated in
| yesterdays Standard, Zagor was re-
moved to Murray & Freund's hospital.
| He died from the effects of his injury
at Z o'clock yesterday morning. His
body was move to Sherman's under
taking rooms and from there to Zagor's
brothers house I'm East Park street.
| Zagor was % years of age, a native of
Austria, single and a resident of Butte
for two years.
Later in the day Officer Radmilovich
arrested Bait Svtko on suspicion of a
ing a wide knowledge of the ARRAY
from top to bottom. Bait was right into
the thickest of the fray and came out
of II with a badly cut head. He, like
the others, would have IL appear that
he knows nothing about the case. John
Lochner. also an attendant at the dance,
is under arrest as a witness.
Captain Dawson and Sergeant Leyden
added fresh laurels to the days work
OF the police by capturing the murderer.
The officers had their hands full with
hold-up cases, but managed to catch the
3 o'clock Northern Pacific and went to
Silver Bow. The officers rod on the
platform of the coach and kept their
eyes open for tie walkers. The moon
was bright and rendered the survey of
the canyon an easy task. Nothing was
seen. however, and the officers left the
train at Silver Bow and doubled back
to Rocker on the ties. About three
quarters of a mile the other side Of
Rocker the officers met Thoman. Cap
tain Dawson greeted him with the re-
mark: Good morning"
"Goody MORN" returned the cool in
dividual.
whats your name?" demanded the
captain.
George Gregovich." replied Thoman.
mo. il isn't" said the captain. Your
name is Thoman and you've been work
ing in the Mountain Con-"
Yes, yes; me Thoman and work In
Con-"
BY his time the officers had the
bracelets on their man. He held his
shackeled wrists up and said: You see
dem? Me use a poot 'em of fallars tree
year like dat in ole country"
What did you want to kill that fell
low for. Joe?" asked Dawson.
"Oh. too many men rustlin' jobs. He
dead. is he? Oh, well. / die some day.
You die some day, too" and he chuckled
as II glorying in his deed Of murder.
At Rocker the officers tagged the
special paper train and took
their prisoner to the city Jail. where a
charge of attempted murder was placed
opposite his name. Later he was re-
moved 20 the county Jail, where he was
booked as a murderer.
From the facts as gathered and stud
led by the police. the conclusion is
drawn that IL was a Ease of premedi-
tated murder. This theory is strength
ned since Thoman's capture. His indif-
ference and GOODNESS stamps him as a
man who values life at a dangerously
low price. The fac that Schmoltz
turned the lights out just when he did
adds a circumstance which weighs
heavily In the balance OF that mans
guilt as accessory.
John Zagor, a brother of the muir
dered man, yesterday afternoon appear
ed at the court house and authorized
h sheriff to offer a reward Of $500 for
the arrest and conviction of Thoman.
1t has turned out that the man arrest
ed yesterday Is not Thoman. Yet ne
admitted to Captain Dawson that that
was his name. His name is either
Frank Skuplai OF Joe Levlon. He is
known by both of these names He
was, however, mixed up in the cutting
ARRAY. Last May he was arrested for
stabbing a man named Frank Burg on
South Wyoming street in a row occa-
stoned by a war debate.
Thoman is described as tall, large
scar on right cheek, face powder-burn-
ed; 32 years of g II ie also said that
he killed a man in the old country.