The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-03
H|GHWAYNEN KILL
POLICE SERGEANT
Attempt to Hold Up Saloon
Nearly Frustrated.
ROBBERS TAKE AWAY $1,000
Locating Them in House, Sheriff Is
Wounded, But Captures
One of the Men

HELENA Mon, July "A bold hold
up al the owl saloon. on Twenty-sev-
enth Street at Billings. occurred this
morning between - and o'clock. In his
efforts to capture the highwaymen Ser
geant Hanna was instantly killed, and
later Sheriff Hubbard was shot through
the hand. the two men he was pursuing
escaping by jumping from a window IN
a house to which they had fed after the
hold-up.
The sheriff hit one of the men over the
head with his own gun after il had failed
10 explode and succeeded in placing him
under arrest
Two masked men entered the saloon
and gambling house and commanded
everybody to throw up their hands.
There were between nine and ten men
whose hands went up before the point Of
the robbers guns. One highwayman then
cooIly raked in all the cash on the rou-
lette wheel and the tables getting in
all about 5000. Robert Clifton. who was
playing poker in a rear room. heard the
command of the robbers and. slipping
out of the rear door. ran 10 the police
station. where he notified the authori-
ties.
Hanna Meets Them
Sergeant Robert J. Hanna and a
special policeman at once started for
the scene of the hold-up. The special
policeman went 10 the front of the
saloon. while Sergeant Hanna went
down an alley to the rear. attempting
TO head OF the robbers. He had pro-
ceeded but a short distance when he
met the desperadoes. who commanded
him to throw up his hands.
He did not comply with the request
and both men opened fire on him, one
OF the robbers shooting him through the
stomach with a revolver, while the other
fired shotgun charge into MIN at short
range. tearing a gaping hole in the
sergeants side large enough 10 insert
an arm. killing him almost instantly
The night bartender Of the Owl saloon
suspected two well-known characters as
the hold-ups. and at once confided his
suspicious 10 Sheriff Hubbard and
Mayor Foster The bartender said he
recognized the voices of the men and
was positive who they were. He sde-
clared that one OF the men entered the
saloon a moment before the hold-up
and looked about the place in peculiar
manner; that he then left the place
AID gave a sign 10 his brother and
another man. who entered the saloon
with gun leveied.
Sheriff Hubbard Shot.
Sheriff Hubbard and Mayor Foster.
after learning the bartender's suspi-
cions. at once left for the home OF the
suspected men. One CT them responded
10 the summons of Sheriff Hubbard
who knocked on the door He was
told that he was under arrest and was
wanted al once
Sheriff Hubbard proceeded - search
the house. Mayor Foster remaining on
the outside. Foster says that the sheriff
had hardly assembled the stairs when
four or Eve shots rang out and two men.
whom he believes TO have been the
hold-ups. jumped from the second story
window and disappeared into the dark
ness
Rushing into the house, Foster found
the sheriff shot through the hand but
heroically standing guard over one OF
the men. whom he had felied after a
desperate struggle, His gun failed TO
explode or. IL is believed, the sheriff
would have killed the fellow
Posses are now in hot pursuit and IL
is believed the two robbers viii soon be
CAPTURED.