The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-02-11

stories, none FURNISHES d HUE
plot or more complete mystery than
he Hattie X. Pitcher case. There's a
Job for Sherlock Holmes in Miller. 5. D..
With practically every citizen of that
tsttle town in Hand county turned
Sleuth, little more is Known of the affair
of the night of January IL than was
apparent the morning of the 18th, when
Wilbur Quirk was found bound, gagged
and drugged in the Collins drug store.
| and Miss Pitcher, the school teacher,
shot through the shoulder in her room
at the Henshaw hotel, q half block
away.
Will the mystery ever be sol%ed?
Sentiment is about equally divided on
that point. Most of the business men
Of the town believe the truth will come
Dut-sometime. But when? No n
can say.
There is q determination. however,
Notwithstanding Miss Pitcher was set
free, to get to the bottom of the mys-
terry. When, after Justice Douglass had
rendered his decision, friends and sym
pathizers of the girl, wrought 10 a point
Of enthusiasm by Judge Pusey's speech,
were taking up 4 collection FOR her III
the court room, in another part of the
town a crowd OF business men were
contributing to a ind to employ a de-
tective work on the case. States At
torney Cole. Sheriff Abbott and other
county officials declare the investiga-
ton shall sc on.
Did Miss Pitcher have anything to do
with the holdup Of Quirk? The ma
jority of the citizens of Miller believe
she had. or II she was not actually n
Of the robbers, that she knows who
was.
There wasn't a a wonan or child
In Miller who failed to take the most
intense interest in the case. 1t was
talked at the tireside, on the street, at
church-everywhere. While the trial
was in rogreSS the court room was
damned. Business men left their
stores and offices in charge of clerks a
half day and then allowed the clerks
20 attend the other half day. The Mil
ler schoo teachers had few pupils to
teach the first day or two, resulting in
an order by the school board that pu-
pills absenting themselves We're liable
10 suspension. Even then it was i'm
possible to keep the children from
playing hockey" Those who did at
end school rushed to the court room
The moment they We're released at 4
o'clock and with them came the teach
ers. The ministers of the churches, of
which there are five, were present with
practically their entire congregations.
A singular circumstance i'll conneC-
ion with the case was the unanlmity
IF the Presbyterian church members in
heir hostility to Miss Pitcher, who was
p member of the church, and of the
Christian EndeaVor society and on the
social committee of the latter organi-
yation With Mrs. l.. c.. Lacey. wife of
he pastor. At the trial Rev. Mr.. Lacey
Was strong in his statements assaillns
Miss Pitchers character. although APP
~aarantly basing his opinion upon ru-
nor, the authors of which he couldn't
Or wouldn't name. Rev. D.. i. Murray,
pastor of the Methodist church, was
| also active in the prosecution. He at
,ne time studied law. he consulted
with the states attorney during the
! irst two days of the trial Rev. Mr..
Murray was also II Of the half dozen
prominent citizens of Miller who signed
| the complaint asking for the arrest of
Miss Pitcher. He and the others who
signed the complaint We're questioned
closely by the defendants attorney,
and admitted they had no positive
knowledge as to her guilt, but figured
She was guilty on account of inc
1t was evident the defense laid the
foundation for damage suits. all the
signers OF the complaint being men of
property and responsible.
The state examined about thirty
witnesses-the defense fifteen-the lat
ter almost Soiely OH 'Ldi Ittsi VI Os-
fendant. From the mass of rumor
sidelights, facts and guesses, the state
YVES able 10 CLEAN but frasinentary
ldence tending to show that Miss
Pitcher was one of the robbers. These
were the points apo which the state
BASED it's case:
The shooting OF Miss Pitcher the same
night that Wilbur Quirk was SauIte IN
the drug store.
The smaller Of the two robbers was LEFT
handed. Miss Pitcher is left handed.
The fact tnat in accounting for the rea-
son no one heard the shot Ut 7:30 III the
evcning-when She claimed she was chloro-
formed and ~pistoled by her sister-il-law
with whom She HAD teea at outs--that
the woman used a 'nolSeiess gun" The
robbers VINO held up and dlugged Quirls,
told him they would Kill him with noise
less guns ii he refnscd to o.! their bid
ding.
Miss Pitcher told ..ae landlord Of the no
tel. when she heard Of the robbery at the
drug store, thai it was likely her sister.
in-law dressed in mans clothing and did
the job. Miss Pitcher vas believed to have
been SO disguised.
ct 10 O'Clock tho morning after the rob
scry ana after the giti's wound had been
dressed. the itelisl!aw house chimney
burned out, giving or smoke heavily laden
with the odor of burned clothing and kerr
osene. Nolone was near the office stove
ahence the fire came except Miss Pitcher
or possibly an accompltce, al ernploye of
the hotel who Is now under suspicion. 1t
was the theory of the state that the
masks worn by the robbers and the sui.
worn by one Of the robsers-presumably
Miss Pitcher, was burned ct that time.
The conflicting stories Miss Pitcher told
TO account for her condition. She first
said she had been shot by a sister-in-laW
then that she was shot accidentally and
lastly that she attempted suicide. The lat
ter story she adhered to.
The fact that she was penniless and
owed for her board, the motive being rob-
berry, which was only averted by the
strategy Of the drug clerk who concealed
the cash when first alarmed.
Miss Pitcher claimed she had returned
TO her room about s O'clock in the even
Ing and had remained wounded ali night,
Ehe landlord, Charles Henshaw, testified
he had examined her room at 11o'clock in
the morning n she was not there.
This vas the strongest testimony the
state could offer. The defendant from
! ~ beginning denied any knowledge of
the drug store hoidup and persisted IN
this declaration to the end. Efforts
We're made to get the girl to confess 10
her lover, Dick Romig. Xho visited the
lail repeatedly and had Interviews with
her In the presence CT Sheriff Abbott.
others talked to the girl before her ar
rest five days after the crime, but tie
Ehertff, who was criticized severely by5
the public for permitting indiscrir,inate,