Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-07
NOT
IN IDAHO PEN
STORY OF STANDARD AND SHER-
IFF CoNLEY EXPLODED
IN SPOKANE.
BERT HILLMAN'S BROTHER
MADE AN INVESTIGATION.
Had Never Been Arrested in ANY Part
of Idaho-Not Believed To Be
Dead-Letters of Proof.

Says the Spokane Chronicle: Another
story about the lost Bert Hillman of
Spokane has been overthrown by the
anxious relatives who are seeking news
of the young man., whose last letter was
dated in May, 1893.
h tale is more startling even than
the report hat Bert Hillman had died in
Montana. which the brother came west
to investigate, and found to relate to an
other Bert Hillman.
This time a Bert Hillman is reported %
have been committed to the state paui-
tertiary of Idaho. A careful description
of the man sent to Boise brings back the
statement that 10 such person is at the
prison or has been convicted of a felony
in Idaho.
Rumors that his brother had been ar
rested in Butte and sent to Idaho. where
he was sentenced to the state prison, had
come to the brother, H. H. Hillman, who
has been in Spokane seeking a trace of
Bert. He at once set to work to make
sure that this had not been the fate Of
his brother. Letters We're sent TO the
chiefs of police at Butte and Boise, and
replies have just come back stating posi-
lively that no person of that name or de-
scription has been confined at the Dri SON
or arrested in Butte.
The attention of H. H. Hillman, the
brother, was today called to the STATE
ment, appearing in IN Anaconda paper,
that the missing man had been located
as having been returned to Idaho and
sent to the penitentiary there for an at
tempted hold-up.
Il had heard a rumor to that effect"
up the matter. Here is a letter from b.
f. Francis of Boise, which covers the
matter"
The letter read as follows:
Your brother, Bert Hillman, has never
been convicted of a felony in the state of
daho. He has never been arrested in
any part of the state of Idaho and con-
ing time in this city. Hoping that l have
answered the matter satisfactorily to
you, am, yours truly,
"B. F. FRANCIS.'
"Chief Francis,' continued II. II. Hill
man, was given a most careful descrip-
ton of my brother and looked UP the
matter at the Boise pe~nitentiary. Here
is another letter, which l awe received
from the chief of police of Butte:
Yours of the 22nd instant, regarding
Bert Hillman, at hand. After a dilisent
search and inquiry of our dockets, | fail
to find anything in regard to him.
"'JOHN J.. LAVELL,
"'Chief of olice, Butte, Mont.
"These letters set at rest any fears
NHhA ~ l AiNS 1911 WIN ANSNo VI .
felony in Idaho, and his silence is thus
accounted for. More than that, l have
talked with gentlemen who knew Bert
in Spokane, and they state that they
have seen him as late as December in
this city. l also ave heard concerning
Mr.. Van Ginkle, who was the man thai
informed the telephone company in this
city that Bert Hillman had died, tina
the story was subsequently found not tt
be true. My finding that a Bert Hill,
man, who died in Missoula, Mont, was
not my brother, also leads me to believe
that he is still alive. but has gone into
some of the mining camps where mai
communication is uncertain and letters
delayed or lost"
The story published in the Anaconda
Standard is to the effect that Sheriff
Conley saw an account of the search fol
the lost mar and thinks that Bert Hill.
man was one of the two men he arrested
early last fall for holding up a store a
Gibbonsville, Idaho. The names of thu
two men are given as Bert Hillman ant
HarkinS. They We're taken back to Idaho
for trial, according to the sheriff's state,
ment and sent to the penitentiary,