Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-19
BANDIT fires
AT MERCHANT
ON SOU'THSlDE
Samuel J. Neuman Routs High.
wayman Before He Can Get
Money From Drawer.

The bandit who Friday night held up
three south side grocery stores within
the space Of Is minutes visited another
store earlier in the evening but escaped
without any cash after taking shot
at the proprietor as he ran from the
front of the store to the back room.
Samuel J. Neuman, owner Of the store,
port the attempted robbery to the
police or eheriff's Office until Saturday
afternoon. He said the bandit entered
his place about 8 o'clock.
Neuman said he was at work behind
the counter when the bandit, with his
features hidden by handkerchief,
entered the store. The holdup man dis
played no gun and Neuman thought it
was some young fellow of the COM
munity trying to play joke. The
proprietor walked toward the bandit
with the intention Of tearing off the
handkerchief but before he could reach
him the man pulled his gun and told
Neuman to stand back.
Shoots at Neuman
The bandit then demanded to know
where the money was. Neuman told him
that there was no cash in the register
and that the only money in the store
was kept in drawer under the cOun-
ter. Neuman told the authorities that
he made break for the rear room
while the fellow was fumbling with the
drawer and it was then that bullet
was fired in his direction. The pro-
pretor had a rifle in the back room
and he says he caused the bandit to flee
by pointing it at him. Officers could
not find where bullet had entered the
walls of the store.
Deputy Sheriffs Guy Palagi and G..
S. Dennis arrested two suspects Sat
urday in connection with the holdups
and the police also are holding one for
investigation. 1t is not believed that any
of the three prisoners can be con-
nected with the robberies as all of
them have offered acceptable stories
to the authorities. The men held by
Sheriff Bob Gordon are Otis Swear
ingen, aged %, and Mike Ferda, aged
%. The prisoner at the police station
gave his name as George G. Negrey, 70,
truck driver.
Compliments johnson
Proprietors of the Chellquist, john
son and Stewart grocery stores, which
Welded the bandit $50 and a number
of checks, say the fellow was cool and
deliberate in his operations. He com
plimented Mr.. johnson on his business
saying that it was evidently better than
that of the Chellqust and Neuman
stores which he visited first. The
highwayman conclude that the johnson
store enjoyed the best business because
he secured more money.
Sheriff Gordon is also handling Joe
and John Tierney, former messenger
boys, for investigation in connection
with the robbery of two north side
stores early in March. The prisoners
we're identified Saturday by nurse,
whose name was withheld. as the two
men who rode in street car with
her to Fifth avenue north and Six
teenth street on the night Of the hold
ups.
She told Deputy Sheriff Guy Palagl
that they left the street car at the same
time she did and walked behind her IN
til she arrived at the place where she
was staying. After spending several
minutes at her home she left for the
home Of William Springer. 1901 Fifth
avenue north. whose bakery had been
held I'D a short time before.
Springer Cannot identity
When she arrived at the. Springer
place the proprietor was outside shout
ing that his bakery store had been
entered by two bandits.
Springer was brought to the county
Jail Saturday to identify the boys but
he was not certain. Officers are con-
fronted with puzzling circumstances be-
cause of the fact that the description
of south side bandit tallies closely
with one of the men who operated on
the north side