The Bozeman courier., 1926-12-31
FORGETS CYNIC
CODEj IS KILLED
Beau BrummeI Safe Cracker
and Outlaw Among Out
laws, Slain In Revenge.

Brummel safe-cracker, outlaw among
outlaws, and feared for his trigger.
finger, lived by q strangely cynical
code:
"Never accept any man as your
friendr'
FOrsaking that code billiard died
recently, a bullet in his brain, fired
By an unknown hand.
With his death, San FranciscO's
underworld chortled. In the dank,
smelly places where criminals planned
and piled their trade there were
smirks that bespoke a grim jest.
For the underworld had won a long
and cunning race with the police to
"deal justice" to this self-styled lead
er Of its realm.
It had evened the score with Clyde
billiards toO-well-known automatic.
Long ago the dapper '1ady's-man-
crook" had set cold lead as the PEN
atty for those who should seek to
cross his path, and he paid the same
price.
They found his body, face down,
in the dirt alongside the Skyline bOule-
ward, south Of San Francisco, early
on the morning Of September 20. A
bullet wound was in the back Of his
head. Clyde Hilliard had never had a
chance.
Half a mile distant, crawling on her
hands and knees through the brush
blood streaming from q bullet wound
In her temple, they found Gladys
Fleming.
Hilliard, disbeiever in men. was
never without his woman"
Identification Of the two was moi
Immediately established on the morn
ing Of the crime, but when police had
wiped aside the shrOud Of mystery
they nodded knowingly.
''WeIl, boys, the scores tiedT" saiC
one Of them.
Hilliard had gone the way he had
sent Gene Bowen, ex-cOnvict anC
member Of the formers gang Of mas
ter cracksmen, in a Green street apart
ment on the night Of August 5.
Gladys Fleming, by chance Of fate
had taken the same medicine tha
Hilliard meted out to the dashing Dor
Othy Wilson on the same night b
killed BOwen-a bullet In the temple
Both women lived:
/ Score Is Tied.
So the score, In the main at least
was tied, so far as the underwood
went. But this same underworld wa
now a good jump ahead of the police
True, long ago the police had col
nered Jim Fleming, second husban
Of the wounded Gladys, and sent hil
away to the "big house" at Sa
Quentin for the killing Of a copper,
but in this race to "get" Clyde Hi
lard the element" had won-han6
down.
With a combination Of hair dye, q
alias and native cunning, billiard hs
slipped through the police net whe
1t seemed that naught could say
him. He had moved for a time in II
{ circle that knew him best, undeteC
ed. He had played his game with Il
:. affections Of women, and well.
But Clyde Hilliard discounted FAT
1 and once placed on the defensive, ]
: forgot the code by which he hi
I lived:
e "Never accept any man as 20
o friendI"
e Then they 'gOt him"
> The murder Of Gene Bowen and L
e shooting Of Dorothy Wilson in {
= Green street apartment, police sal
l. had been ''plain slaughter" The v
/ tins never had a chance. It was
It ''falIing out of thieves" the detectiV
l. held, and later Mrs. Wilson bore the
out.
Hilliard, she said, had not lik
Eugene BOwen's division Of the spo
K, IN a recent gem robbery. So he to
l. his long-avOwed method Of settli
IF such disputes. Knocking at the dC
1T Of the apartment In which Bowen q
" his sweetheart lived, he had spOk
t. his greeting TO the two within with
ce fusilade Of pistol shots.
er Bowen fell dead. Dorothy wills
Id lapsing into q state Of coma from
&c effects Of her three wounds, was
Id termined to "get" Hflliard II It tC
d. her dying effort.
he Reaching a pencil and a piece
]. paper and dropping to the door 1
On scrawIed:
n; "Oyde done it-ss0 Post sire
rs When the police came she was
tie conscious. But they knew the T
ne Of the unwritten story. Clyde Hillil
de had "done It.
a Drag-Nst Thrown Out
q The drag-net was quickly tllro
- about the city and a systsml
8 search OF the underworld haunts !
q begun by the homicide squad.
= They found that Hilliard and q
= named "Gladys" had hastily left Il
20 apartment at No. 1895 Polk str
m where they lived in luxury as Mr.
81. Mrs. Clyde Bronson.