The Anaconda standard., 1899-02-01
ANACONDA NEWS,
A CLEVER PIECE OF WORK
Man Suspected of Warm Springs
Hold-Up in Custody.
WAS CAUGHT AT LINCOLN
Robbsr Is Supposed to Be G. M. Rowe
Formerly a Resident of Warm
Springs-On His Way
Here.
WAS CAUGHT AT LINCOLN

The following telegram was received
yesterday by Sheriff Jack Conley:
st. Paul, Mimi, Jan. 81, 1S99-John
Conley, Sheriff: Hunt has got his man
and will leave probably on the first
train.
u. F. NEWTON, Claim Agent"
The story that hangs by the brief
telegraphic message printed is one of
deepest interest for all who are resi-
dents of Deer Lodge county. The
man referred to in the dispatch is
suspected of being none other than the
robber who held up the Warm Springs
railroad station on jan IA and succeed
ed in getting away with $500.
1t will be remembered that on the
evening of Saturday, JAM IA, man
walked into the Northen Pacific station
at Warm Springs, held a gun on the
agent, I. S. Eldred, and told him to de-
liver. Eldred was taken by surprise
and delivered. He handed over to the
robber sum of money whose total was
between 1915 and $780, which was all
there was in the Office 1t will also be
remembered that a search was made
of the valley for the robber, but with
out result. 1t will be remembered fur
ther that the bloodhounds from the
states prison were brought to Warm
Springs to the scene of the robbery, but
: the animals, so it was said at the time,
failed to take the trail. The explana-
tion given at that time was that the
dogs were out of condition, having been
out of training for a number Of weeks.
1t will likewise be remembered that
Sheriff Conley responded Immediately
to the alarm and posted his deputies at
every entrance to the valley in the
hope that the robber might be caught.
in an endeavor to escape overland.
The approaches to Anaconda were
guarded by half dozen men, while the
outlet to Butte by way of Stuart was
cared for by an ample number of Off
GERS All the trains were stopped and
closely inspected. Every foot of ground
was searched. At the same time a
large deputation of officers came south
ward from Deer Lodge. This posse was
under the direction of Deputy Sheriff
Robinson, who was then at Deer
Lodge. The men under Mr.. Robinson
came on carefully. They left no part
of the county unsearched.
All this however, was of no avail.
The next day, Sunday, afforded no fur
ther encouragement to the officers.
Horsemen sped hither and thither
4through the valley, and vigilant men
were posted in commanding positions.
Inquiries We're made at every farm
house, but no clue was brought out
that would given even the slightest
hope of capturing the robber. The Of
ficerS task was made more difficult by
the fact that the agent was unable to
give distinct description of the man
who held him up. Mr. Eldred was so
completely taken by surprise that he
could detail only an ambiguous descrip-
ton.
That is the point where the public
interest and the public knowledge of
subsequent action ceased. Everything
that was done afterwards was done in
secret Sheriff Conley was determined
that no criminal should escape him if
it were in his power to avoid it. While
the public let the matter drop then and
there, Mr.. Conley was only urged to
greater efforts by his previous failure.
In two days one Of the Northern Paci-
fic's most expert and most experienced
detectives arrived in Anaconda and
consulted with Mr.. Conley. That man
was r. C. Hunt. A day later Mr.. Hunt
had reviewed the situation at Warm
Springs, had heard all the gossip. re-
liable and otherwise. and suddenly left
for Nebraska. Mr.. Hunt, acting upon
Sheriff Conley's suggestion, had come
to. the conclusion that the robber was
none other than George M. Roe, a man
who had resided at Warm Springs for
three or four weeks prior to the hold
up, and who had gone away on the
morning after the robbery.
Hunt proceeded ito Lincoln, Neb. He
had been there for five or six days pc
fore any word of his movements was
received here. At the end of that time
he sent a letter to Mr.. Conley in which
he stated that Roe was in Lincoln, and
was being kept under surveillance The
next that Mr.. Ccnley heard of the case
was when the message published above
was received.
Suspicion was first directed to Roe
through the fact that Roe's roommate
at the Springs volunteered the informa-
tion to the officers that, shortly after
the hold-up, Roe had come into the
room greatly fustered and highly ex-
cited. He had answered his partners
questions in monosyllables only. Then
the fact that Roe left Warm Springs the
next morning also appeared suspicious.
Many other circumstances in connec-
tion with Roe's manner and actions are
of a suspicious character.
It is known that Roe came to Ana
conda on the Thursday preceding the
date Of the hold-up. He remained in
town for some hours. His actions while
in Anaconda were traced by Sheriff
Conley to nicely. 1t was learned that
he had procured a revolver from the
store of c. A. Tuttle on Park avenue.
This gun was described to Mr.. Eldred
and he thinks he can identify it as the
same that was held in the hands of the
rohhnp who held him I'm Mr. F)6rad