The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-09-12
W0ULO-BE BURGLAR
FLEES BEFORE FIRE
POLICE OPEN FUSIlADE ON MASKED
MAN TRYING TO BEAk INTO
FORBlS HOUSE.

a daring attempt at house breaking was
nipped in the bud early this morning when
Officers Walsh and Hunt found man
piying open window III the residence OF
James w. forbis, 900 West Broadway.
Caught III the act he hastily fled, three bull
lets fired by one Of the officers chasing him
III his flight through the adjoining alley.
He dropped his hat. mask and a chisel and
IS believed to have been wounded as he fell
after the second shot was fired a, him, but
regaincd his feet and escaped.
Officer Walsh's suspicious had been
aroused early in the evening by seeing 4
man lettering in the vicinity OF the forbis
residence. The policeman decided 10 keep
his eyes open and he was rewarded later
~ the evening.
With an Iron ChiseI.
He and Policeman Hunt again saw the
suspicious looking man about : a. m. The
burglar crept stealthily up TO the forbs
residence and, approaching one Of the first
story windows in the rear of the house,
started to pry open the window with an
iron chisel
Both Of the bluccoats yelled to him to
throw up his hands They ran towards
him and he took in the situation at
glance. Recognizing that he WAS caught he
dropped his cbiscl, lcapcd the fence separ-
atinR the yard from the alley and began to
run for his life.
Policeman Walsh opened fire with his
pistol at the same time ordering the rob
Der to stop. The fleeing man lodged be-
hind telephone poles and other obstruc-
iions in the alley making him a poor tar
get.
Fell at Second Shot.
AT the second shot he fell The officers
thought they had their game, but in
twinkling the fellow was on his feet and
managed to successfully escape. His hat
and mask were found in the alley while
the chiscl lay near the window.
An alarm was sent in and several officers
were soon working on the case and hope
to make an arrest. Although Hunt and
Walsh could not see his features very
clearly, they believe they can identify him.
The hat dropped by the burglar bears
the imprint of the Hub Clothing store,
Butte. It is brown in color, under the aver
age size and sort of fedora. 1t is
badly wrnklcd as though it had been car
red in the pocket. The mask is a piece
OF black muslin or thin cloth with two
holes cut for seeing purposes. The chisel
is about eight inches long OF the kind
usually used by carpenters,
The hat in connection with the impress
sion the officers gained of the mans gem
eral makeup may aid materially in effect
ing his capture.
Aroused by Shooting.
The Forbis family were aroused by the
shooting and Mr. Forbs soon learned from
the officers the cause of the trouble. He
felt pleased that the watchfuness OF the
policemen prevented the daring robber
from carrying out his designs. Mrs. Forbis
said today that she had not slept very well
last night, and thought she heard a strange
sound in the vicinity of the house, but did
not attribute Importance to it until the
shooting.
1t is the first time in several months that
house breakers have commenced to ply
their trade in Butte, and last nights affair
tells the police that the approach of win
ter has quckened the nerve Of the house
breaker.