The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-19
ROBBERS PUT THEIR VICTIMS IN
COLD STORAGE.
SHUT THREE IN ICE. BOX
Rified Cash Register Of Contents
Amounting to About $50 and
Made Good Their Escape.

/ Helena, Aug. 1.-Two men held up
and robbed the bartender and two
other men in the Montana beer hall
at l2:SO o'clock yesterday morning.
After searching the men the robbers
locked them up in the big icebox Of
the saloon and then broke into, the
cash register, from which they secur-
ed nearly $50 in silver. Leaving4the
! three men imprisoned in the ice
chest, the robbers made good their
escape. The three men were releas-
ed an hour and nalf later, when the
officers were notified. No trace Of
the bold robbers has been found.
Business was slack at the Montana
beer hall, on Helena avenue, two
blocks from the Northern Pacific sta
ton, yesterday morning. Jack
| Howard, the bartender and William
Howard, his brother, and William
| Farrell, broommaker, were the only
! occupants of the place. 1t was after
I2 o'clock when the front door and
the back door opened at the same
time and in stepped two men, each
holding heavy caliber revolver.
Hands up!' commanded one of
| the men, and the three occupants of
order
| Old man Farrell was reading
newspaper at one of the tables. He:
| coolly took in the situation and then
1 one Of the robbers snatched the pa
began to read his paper again, when
per away from him and ordered him
to stand up. Then the three men
were lined up in front of the bar, and
while one of the highwaymen held
| his revolver on them the other search
| ed them. He was rewarded with
| nothing for his trouble
One of the robbers noted the big
| refrigerator at one end of the room.
That put an idea into his head. Open
| ing the door he commanded the three
men to get inside. The Howard broth
ers responded with alacrity, but the
old man protested.
I've got the rheumatism and it
won't do it any good in there" he
said.
One of the ROBBERS swore at the
old man.
'If you don't get in there lively"
he said, with an oath, "I'll scatter
your brains on the wall"
With that he took hold of the old
man and pushed him in and closed
the door. There was no way to open
the door from the inside and the men
were helpless.
Jack Howard says that the men
went to the cash register. which they
broke and robbed.
There was a window at one side
of the ice box" he said, land through
that we could watch the men. Both
We're young men and neither wore a
mask. One of the men watched the
door while the other went behind the
bar and opened the cash register. We
could see them taking out the silver
dollars, halves, quarters and nickels
and dimes and emptying them into
his pockets. The robbers did their
work as quickly as possible. I be-
lieve they were out of the saloon in
five minutes after they entered.
"The men were of medium size,
not very we'll dressed. One was
smooth shaven and the other wore a
stubby mustache. They had guns
that locked like stovepipes to me.
One of the men had handkerchief
tied across his nose when they enter
ed and the other did not attempt to
disguise himself. The handkerchief
dropped down and we got a good look
at the fellows. | am certain that
could identify them if I saw them
again.
saloon, all three of us in the ice box
commenced to holler We yelled sep
arately and then all together, but no
one came. don't think anyone
heard us. It was cold in the ice box,
but we buttoned our coats and look
ed through the window. Finally Will
liam McMaster dropped into the sa-
loon and heard us in the box. He
opened the door and let us out"
AS soon as Mr.. McMaster had come
to the rescue the police and the sher-
iff ware notified of the holdnn The
officers sent descriptions of the rob-l