The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-10-11
STRANGER PRoWLING ABOUT
OWL SALOON WITH GUN.
BOUND TO FORCE ENTRY
Believed That Either Robbery or MUIR
der Of Important Witness
Was object.

4 Whether it was an attempt at rob-
berry or assassination is matter OF
concern to the proprietors Of the Owl
saloon and to Fred Norris. The event
that caused speculation on their part
occurred about 80 o'clock Saturday
morning.
| At that hour Charles Flemming, the
night bartender, had occasion to go
out Of the rear door of the saloon into
J the coal shed. Suddenly blind IN
, one of the rooms of the Northern ho-
| tel, directly across the alley from the
saloon, was raised and beam OF
| light shone down upon man who
! was in stealthy manner making his
| way to the partially open door Of the
saloon. Satisfied that he was bent on
NO good mission, Flemming hastened
to cut off the stranger and entered the
saloon ahead of him. He barely sue
ceeded in doing this and attempted to
close and fasten the door. The man
on the outside resisted and Flemming
called loudly for help.
Fred Norris happened to be in the
saloon and hastened to the bartend-
er's assistance Before he could
reach the door Flemming had man
aged to fasten it and the would-be in
truder left. Search was made for
him by the police and others, but he
could not be found.
Carried Rifle.
What caused F1emming to be sus-
picious of the man was the fact that
he carried a rifle. The stranger was
observed by the bartender closely
enough to enable him to see the
weapon plainly and also to discern
that he was wearing cap which he
had pulled down so as to shade his
features. His manner OF approach
and the gun in his hand convinced
Flemming that the fellow was bent
upon mischief.
Thinks He Was Hunting Him.
Norris is firmly of the opinion that
the man intended to kill him and put
him beyond testifying in the forth
! coming trial OF James Grady, who is
charged with completely in the rob-
berry of the Owl saloon last July.
When that event occurred Norris
was tending bar and recognized the
men who held him and the others up
as Oliver o. Mosier and ED" Grady.
Shortly before the robbery James
, Grady entered the place a couple OF
times and it is believed, supported
by the subsequent confession of Mo-
sier, that James Grady was in the
plot and acted as lookout for the two
principals.
| On the strength OF Norris identi-
/ fication, Mosier and ED" Grady were
subsequently arrested, and Mosier,
while in Jail at Red Lodge, confessed
TO Sheriff Potter of Carbon county
that he and ED" Grady were the men
who had robbed the Owl and also
killed Police Sergeant Robert 7. Han-
nah, who attempted to arrest them
! Immediately after the rbbery. lie
] also told where they had cached the
money secured and where the shotgun
used by him had been put. The
money was found in the place indi-
Gated and later the gun was recovered
from the drain ditch on the north:
side, where it was thrown by the
couple after their successful escape
from the saloon.
Norris is regarded as an Important
witness for the prosecution and he
| believes that some of the more des-
| perate friends of the Grady still in
Jail plotted to assassinate him and
thus prevent his appearance in be.
| half of the state.