The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-23
HAD A STRANGE CALLER
Captain Smith Tells His Troubles
to Mr.. Stapleton.
A PECULIAR AFFLICTION
Interiects Vile and Offensive Words In
to His Conversation-Bu He Can
not Avoid 1t So His Physi-
clans Certify.

The county attorney had strange
caller yesterday in Capt. j. b. Smith,
who wanted warrant of arrest for 4
man who held OUT SO on him. Smith
is the victim OF a remarkable nervous
disease, which interrupts his speech and
causes him inyoluntarily to give express
sion to vile and offensive words, which
are inteTjected into his ordinary CONVEX
sation. There were several women in
the county attorneys office when Cap
tain Smith started to tell his story, but
they did not remain very long after he
had started his talk
II want this man arrested, he said,
"and-nigger-, wanted him prosecuted
for burglary -. You'll have 70
excuse me ladies, niger --, i
can't help this talk.
Smith told Mr.. Staplaton that he was
a member Of the firm of Smith Brothers,
commission merchants, doing business
in Spokane, Tacoma and san fran
cisco, but was at present travelling rep
resentative for w. w. johnson Il 20.
patent medicine men of Portland. lie
also claimed that in 1870 he was snerlH
of San Francisco county and later was
assessor of that county. OWING 10 his
strange affiiction it is nece ssary for him
to carry with him numerous certificates
from physicians to show that he was
not responsible for the offensive words
that involuntarly escaped him, or he
might be subject to arrest for insanity.
Smith has the usual prosperous APP
Iearance of patent medicine men. He
wears about his neck a heavy gold
watch chain with links as large as an
ordinary dog chain, and which, he said,
cost him $780, lie also wears five ire
mendously large gold rings and while
he was telling his story to the county at
torney he displayed a fistful of $40 gold
pieces. He said he was II years of age
and that about year ago he married
15-year old girl at Spokane. He said
she married him for his money and
when she got $500 and $4,000 worth OF
diamond rings she left him and ran
away with an Italian section boss. That
was in August Of last year and since
then he has been trying to locate her
and have her arrested. He exhibited
letter from the district attorney at Spo-
kane, stating that II reward of $500
We're offered he could get the woman.
as he had located her. Smith asked the
county attorney for advice, but did not
get 1t, and then said he would not pay
the reward but would himself get the
girl, for he had an idea that she was at
Nelson, II. G. He said he had a scheme
to get her back over the boundary line
by getting some friend of hers to take
her out riding and in that way bring
her within the jurisdiction of the United
States.
Smith has been in Butte on his pres
ent trip since the early part of December
and has been making his headquarters
In the Office of James Dingeyon, a real
estate man, at No. 16 North Main street.
and being unable to attend to his own
correspondence on account of his nerv
Gus trouble, he had Mr. Dingevon do all
that kind of work for him. According
to Judge DingeVon's account of it.
Smith had never paid for the work
done for him. claiming he had no
money. Yesterday, by mistake, Smith
left $50 bill lying on Mr. Dingeyon's
desk, and when he returned for it Mr..
Dingevon told him he would pay him
self out of the bill for the work he did,
as that seemed to be the only way he
could get what was due him. The two
men went to bank and Mr.. Dingeyon
had the bill changed. returned $40 to
| Smith and kept $40. Smith then imme-
diately went to the county attorneys
| office and wanted Mr. DinEevon arrest
| ed. but. of course. he did not get war
| rant, and then he started to tell his
other troubles with the Spokane girl
| and other people.
A few days ago Smith also wanted a
warrant to arrest some man for threat
ching him. He said he was eating in a
Japanese restaurant when young fell
/ low came in and demanded two bits to
! "chaw" on Smith said the man did not
approach him in a gentlemanly way and
said "chaW' for chew, so he refused to
! give him the two bits. and when he left
the restaurant the fellow was outside
/ waiting for him and used threatening
language toward him. A few weeks age
| he had girl arrested for taking S. from
| his room at his lodging house, but inn
mediateIy dropped the case