Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-19

This morning James Sherman made |
his final confession to County Attor.
ney Roy e. Ayers. He had, during
the night, made another confession
to the officers, and there 10 no differ.
enee between them except that the
statement made to Mr.. Ayers gives
more details. A. a result Of this, Dr..
Edward A. Long, Walter Couch, Rus
sell Hortop and David Atehison have
been released from the county jail, |
absolutely exonerated from all con.
neetion with the affair.
The statement Of County Attorney
Roy E. Ayers late this afternoon 10 a.
follows: "Ali the four men impilcat.
ed by Sherman are officially exoner.
ated from any suspicion whatever with
any Of these crimes. Sherman alone
10 held responsible for them, and there
will be no further arrests upon any
statement Of his, II he should make
another. The arrest Of those innocent
men upon his previous confessions 10.
Of course, deeply regretted, but at the
time, no other course could have been
followed"
In his last and final confession,
Sherman stated to Mr.. Ayers that he
had met with such success In all Of
his burgIaries that when Studzinski,
whom he knew, called him in his place
one day to try and sell him some.
thing, the idea occurred to him that
the old man would be good one to
rob. He dropped into studzinski's
place few times after that and con-
cIuded that the aged Jew had consid-
cradle money. When he decided to
act, he visited studzinski and talked
OF buying a revolver. He called one
night in disguise to see If he could
get at the old man, intending then on.
ly to rob him, but Studzinski would
not let him in. He then decided to
do the desperate deed, and a short
time afterwards, called between and
9 o'clock ostensibly to buy the gun.
He had no trouble in gaining admit.
tance as soon as he made himself
known, and Studzinski went across
the street to get small pail Of beer.
After this had been disposed Of, Stud
zinski opened the trunk to get out the
revolver. As he leaned over, Sher.
man, who was behind him, dealt him
two swift blows in about the same
place in the back Of the head and then
another blow. The old man dropped,
and Sherman says he "goggled" In the
throat. He instantly slipped the cord
around the Jews neck, and drew II
tight. He then went ieisureIy about
his business, placing the body where
It was found, writing the cards and
gathering up the loot. All the money
he secured was about $160. He says
he found no diamonds. Having dis.
posed Of everything to his satisfaction,
he left the shanty about II o'clock and
went to the Argus business office, and
made his cache.
Sherman stated that he would have
come out with the full truth at the
first except for his mother. He knew
what a terrible blow It would be to
her, and put It of as long as possible.
He told Mr.. Ayers that he wanted all
the men whom he had robbed Of
money or goods to ascertain what
their losses were, come to him and
he would see that they got paid for
everything.
90 want them all to come and get
SUSSV UosVSy ~Uo uOVSuVS ITO 00uOVS
co." said Sherman. "Have Postmaster
$420. also stole $40 from the safe
Of the Argus and want to pay that
back"
Sherman said he wore high heeied
iady's slippers, with small Iady's rub.
bers over them, in the Golden Rule
burglary In order to throw the Off,
GERS of the track. He also stole most
Of the womens' apparel for the same
! purpose, although he says he gave a
few Of these articles to woman who
knew nothing about where he got
them.
After making his statement, sher.
man, told his father he would like to
have 4 lawyer, and suggested Mr.. Hun
toon, who will probably act In that
capacity. Just what the young man
wants Of an attorney Il 10 hard to cay,
as he stated that he would make no
defense whatever.
| With this last confession, the whole
affair may be taken AZ having been
cleared up, and nothing further need
be expected, except, perhaps, addi.
tionai details.
When the news reached the public
Friday afternoon through the medium
of the press that James Sherman, for
some years employed in the business
Office and supply department Of the
Argus. had been detained at the coun'
ty jail. and that his own statements
showed him to be implicated in some
degree in the Studzinski murder, all
who knew the young man were pro
foundly and painfully shocked, yet this
circumstance hardly prepared the pub
lie mind for what mas been brought
out since and the general feeling ol
suspense and sorrow was intensifiet
until Sunday, when the climax came
A confession made by Sherman impli
Gated DR. Edward A. Long the vel