The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-12
BUTTE News.
CONSTABLES IN A MESS
They Attempted to Arrest an
Innocent Woman.
THEY TORE OFF HER SKIRT
Wanted to Put Handouts on Her, So She
Says Ellsworth and Hilton Ar
rested and Will Be Tried
for Assault.
THEY TORE OFF HER SKIRT

The warrant that was issued yester-
day to be served upon Mrs. Hogarth
for alleged robbery caused whole lot
of trouble that was not intended by
the law to form any part of the pro-
ceedings against the defendant. 1t ap-
pears that a couple of COnstables from
Meaderville got hold of a warrant and
proceeded to arrest some one. Ac-
cording to the story told to a reporter
for the Standard last night by the pro-
prietor of a lodging house at Nos. "A
and 81 South Main street, the constables
conducted themselves in a manner cal
culated to show that they are absolute
ly irresponsible custodans of the law.
William Ellsworth, a Meaderville con-
stable. and William Hilton. known as
Sidney Bill. went to the lodging house
indicated and rang the landlady's call
bell at the first landing of the stairway.
Mrs. Suhr responded and the men asked
her if she was Mrs. Hogarth.
No: nor do / keep any women lodg
ers in this house"
Then she started to retrace her steps
upstairs as. she said, she thought the
men We're intruders and not worthy of
further consideration.
said one of them grabbed her by the
arm and jerked it. She was frightened
to that point where strength asserts it
self full force, and she succeeded in
freeing herself from the vise-like grip
of her captor. But she says. they both
laid hold of her and tore her skirt off
and left her posing before them in
helpless state and white pctticoat.
Why. they actually tried to put the
handouts on an innocent woman and
declared that l had committed a rob
berry said she. They would have
taken me to Jail just as ! was had not
my cries attracted officer Schmid, who
came to my assistance and assured
these ferocious men that l was not the
person the warrant called for. ] have
lived in Butte for several years and
never once has my name been connect
ed with scandal or crime. | am agitated
and can hardly speak"
She was excited while talking to the
reporter and at times became almost
jncoherent in her speech Detectives
Murphy and Ray arrested the constable
and his deputy and placed them in the
city Jail. where they were interviewed
by the Standard reporter.
Here another phase of the affair was
given out which adds more weight to
the assertion made before that the con-
stable has peculiar way of doing
business. ELLSWORTH SAID tnat atter ne
had found out that the lodging house
proprietress was not the woman wanted
he went up to Judge Nichols court and
there he saw Mrs Hogarth, who had
been escorted thither by Captain of
Police Leyden who met her on the
street and informed her that a warrant
for her arrest had been issued. The
captain turned her over to Constable
Rhodes. who in turn turned her over
to Constable Ellsworth, who in turn
again took her to his house in Meader
willie instead of taking her to Jail. Later
in the evening Detective Murphy tele-
phoned Ellsworth to come up town,
which he did, and was arrested. He is
in jail, while his prisoner was locked up
In his house at Meaderville.
1T is only a case of mistaken iden-
tity," said William Hilton, referring to
the lodging house episode. THE woman
was excited. She bit my hand We
understood that she was the person
wanted and we went after her"
The fact is the number of Mrs. Ho-
garth's house was plainly written on
the warrant. which directed the con-
stable to No. II North Wyoming street
and not to No. "a South Main. The
charge against the men is assault in
the third degree.