Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-07
GANG buRGLAR|ES
BELIEVED BROKEN
BY HOTEL MURDER
SIayers Of Schilling Apparent
ly Had Plotted Series of Rob-
berries at Butte.
snacial tn The Tribune

Special to The Tribune
Butte, Dec. 8.-That members of the
gang Of ex-convicts held in&connection
with the murder Of "SutH Schilling
during the holdup at the Harrison
hotel, Thanksgiving night. may have
planned series Of daring robberies on
the flat now seems apparent in view
Of additional information that has
come to light.
As the result of what is believed to
have been two attempts to hold up
the West Side dairy, short distance
south Of the Harrison hotel, q few
nights prior to the shooting Of Mr..
Schilling, Sheriff Duggan had sworn
in special deputy to guard the place.
The special officer WAS kept on guard
three nights in succession, but the sup
posed robbers failed to return
ters on the flat that may have been q
part of the gang under arrest was
first called to the attention of the
sheriff when information was received
ON the morning of Nov. 16 that two
men had visited the West Side dairy
about II o'clock on the night previous
and attempted to arouse the owner by
tapping on the window.
Repeat Night Calls
The proprietor, however, was i'm
armed and when awakened by the
tapping refused to 80 to the door.
dent at the time. : The men returned
about o'clock the next morning and
again attempted to call the proprietor
to the door. There were at least two
in the party, one of whom posted him.
self at the window while his compan-
ion went to the door.
Satisfied that holdup would follow
If he went to the door, the owner again
refused to get out of bed. The fol-
lowing night special deputy sheriff
was on guard in the barn, where he
could command full view of the
premises, but after three nights of
waiting it was decided that any at
tempts Of a holdup had been aban-
doned and the officer was recalled.
Harris Shot In Heel
1t is recalled that Monte Harris. one
of the men implicated in the confes-
sion of member Of the gang and
against whom charges of first degree
murder have already been filed, was
in trouble in Butte about a year ago
and was shot while attempting to
escape from Detective Mitchell.
Detective Mitchell had arrested
Harris on a minor offense and had
taken him into the Oxford hotel to
call the patrol wagon when he made
a break. Following chase of more
than two blocks and after the fleeing
man refused to obey the officers
orders to stop. the latter shot him
through the left heel as he ran up
North Main street.
The shooting occurred about 3
o'clock in the afternoon and was wit
messed by scores of pedestrians on
their way home from work. Harris
was taken to the emergency, hospital,
where his wound was treated.
As he lay on the operating table,
Harris raised himself on an elbow
and extending his hand toward
Mitchell said with smile: THAT was
q darn good shot you made and am
mighty glad you aimed at my heel in
stead of my head"
Falls Arrest Recalled
He was taken to the county jail and
later removed to the county hospital
ut the poor farm. Soon after being
confined to the latter place, however,
healed, Harris managed to elude off
GERS and made his escape late Mt night.
The next heard from him was sew
eral weeks later, when he was ar
rested for q minor offense at Great
Falls. Satisfied to have rid the city
Of him though, no effort was made
by the authorities here to have him
brought back for trial.
A few weeks later he was caught
in the act of burglarizing bakery in
Billings and sentenced to the state
penitentiary at Deer Lodge. His full
time had not been served, however,
when. upon recommendation Of War
len Potter. he was paroled and re-
turned to Butte to be arrested for
in the Harrison hotel hold
up within few days after his re-
ease.