The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-20
WAS |NST|cAToR OF RAD
Job Hatched in Dan O'DonnelI's
House Though He Claims to Have
Had No knowledge Of 1t.

who held up the Burlington train six
and a half miles east of Butte last
Thursday morning, were interviewed
by County Attorney Breen yesterday,
but little in addition to the confession
made to him on Saturday night was
cleaned from either of them. Both
were in the county attorneys Office
together, and it is the first time they
had met since the day Of their arrest
by Detective Murphy. Howard was
before the county attorney twice dur
ling the day, however, nee in the
morning and then in the afternoon.
On his first visit he assumed a mys-
FERROUS air and refused to say any
thing because a stenographer was
present to- take down what he was ex-
pected to say, but on the occasion Of
his last visit he unbosomed himself
and told practically the same story OF
the holdup as that told by Cole.
Prior to his second seance with Mr..
Breen there was some question as to
which one, or some n else, had
Matched the scheme to rob the train,
but after Breen got through with him
there was no longer any doubt, for
Howard said he had first mentioned
the matter to Cole. In the course of
his conversation he said that he
would never serve a day in the peni.
Tertiary las he intended to kill him
self. He said he was broken down,
and realizing that he had only a short
time to live anyway, he would take
his own life before entering upon an
other long term of confinement. This
statement was reiterated by him last
night and he no doubt means to at
tempt to carry it out.
Howard's Cute Trick.
Howard was released from the PEN
itentiary on January q, after serving
a long term for highway robbery com
mitted in this city several years ago.
In the winter of 1886 Howard and
two other men held up a man in the
southern part of the city and were
arrested for the crime. One of them,
O'Brien, was about Towards height.
During the trial, which took place at
the time w o. Speer was occupying
the bench in department II. of the dis
trict court, there was some discrep-
ancy in the testimony relative to the
height of Howard and O'Brien. 1t
was claimed that O'Brien was taller !
than Howard. During the loon re.
cess of the day on which the testi-
mony was brought out Howard, while
in" the Jail, removed his shoes and
stuffed them with paper for the pur>
pose of deceiving Attorney E. S.
Booth, who vas then one of the dep
uties to the county attorney, and was
conducting the proceedings.
When Howard emerged from the
jail to reusme his place in the court
room he was sized up with O'Brien
and was fully as tall as O'Brien, and
several inches taller than when he
left the room two hours before. Booth,
however, discovered the deception
and compelled Howard to emove the
paper from his shoes. Howard was
convicted and sent to Deer Lodge for
IL years, but by behaving himself and
obeying the rules of the prison he
was allowed a reduction.
Cole made the anne statement to
the county attorney yesterday that he
made to Detective Murphy and Chief
Reynolds three days ago, the only
material difference being the manner
of relating it. When about to be re-
turned to Jail he asked to be put in
corridor No. 1, as there were some
men in there he knew. That is the
part of the Jail in which Charles Len
nox is confined. Lennox is said to
be considerable of a bully among the
prisoners. This knowledge was con-
veyed to Cole and it seemed to please
him greatly. He said he would take
care of Lennox all right if he made
any trouble, and as he is a more
husky man than Lennox the chances
are he will hold his own with the con-
victed slayer of Fireman Williams.
Identifies His Companion.
When Cole and Howard met in the
attorneys Office Cole identified
Howard as the man who helped him
hold up the train, adding that the job
had been Matched and arranged in
the kitchen. of Dan O'Donnelrs house.
Cole said that after he had made the
statement to Detective Murphy and
the other officers it occurred to him