Glacier County chief., 1939-07-14

CHEEKY word to likable young Jimmy
Sherman, the stock clerk who was busy
nearby, and left.
A few nights later Undersheriff Ed
Martin, visiting in saloon, heard
man named Farmer, a roommate of
Dancers speaking.
Hal found lot Of junk under the
Argus floor when he was laying wire
awhile back Farmer was saying. "A
couple Of suitcases were chucked away
in a trench"
Martin talked to Farmer. Dancer
was out of town and few days were
taken to get his story. Dancer said
that he had noted nothing suspicious
about the suitcases and had not both
cred to report them.
Martin next communicated with
Halsey r. Watson, tall red headed
business manager Of The Argus, and
the late E. G. Doc) WINS, then city
agreed to let Martin examine the
trench and suitcases and late the night
of Dec. 10 Watson and the under
sheriff. alone. entered the pressroom
and raised the trapdoor.
Martin stopped, suddenly was alert.
He Strengthened.
DO you know what's down there?"
he demanded of Watson.
NO." replied the business manager.
Loot from the cabin of Samuel
Studzinski," Martin replied. The un-
dersheriff had recognized the peculiar
odor of the special preventative used
by the old, Jew to keep his furs. The
months and was easily recognizable.
Martin crawled down the trench and
soon came out with two suitcases. Elk
animation disclosed that they con-
tanned knives, guns and watches once
placed in pawn to Studzinski. They
wearing apparel taken from the Golden
Rule, a local furnishing store operated
by Hal Atkins and robbed short time
before.
New Investigation Begun
Whoever killed Studzinski also
robbed the Golden Rule and probably
the postoffice," Martin stated. 1T must
be local man."
Preserving secrecy concerning find
ing the SuitcaseS, Martin took them
away with him and authorities started
a new investigation. But one more fu
tile arrest was to be made.
Examination of the ground in the
rear of the Golden Rule showed the
footprints of woman wearing rubbers
and those of man wearing large
shoes. The mans footprint was traced
to Charles Bebb, then printer at the
Democat-News and brother of John
Bebb, later chief of police in Lewis;
9
himself in a hurry.
Slowly the field of suspects narrowed
down. 1t was a fact that whoever had
hidden the suitcases had entry to the
Argus building even if he was not an
employe. But a check Of the list of
keyholderS failed to disclose a suspect.
Authorities then checked on keymakers
and found one of them who had, some
months before, made a key to the
backdoor of the Argus. The keymaker,
however, did not remember what his
customer looked like or his name.
Another track then was taken. Loot
recovered was checked against loot
items not recovered was hair bride.
When discussion of this item was going
on, Tailor Ed Silverthorne looked up.
Say" he asked, didn't So-And-So
mentioning a name they all knew
rattle off a hair bride awhile back?"
Quickly the officers checked back
Facts hitherto unacceptable became
pattern.
Sheriff Slater picked up the phone
and called The Argus.
When Sheriff L. P. Slater of Fergus
county called the offices of the Fergus
1905 he believed that at last he was
on the last lap of a trail which had
twisted and turned for weeks as au-
thorities had sought to find the killer
of Samuel Studzinski, Ct, fur buyer
and loan broker who had been muir
de ssari II hi s,s cabin AYE AYE e Rat
Jamie or Jimmy Sherman. Is years
old. stock man for the Argus, deliver
some official blanks to the sheriffs
office. Sherman, quiet and generally
well liked, was as far as everyone knew,
an excellent and brilliant young man.
Jimmy" Sheriff Slater asked when
the young man delivered the forms,
where did you get that hair bride
you were rafting off awhile back?"
Alex Mccoy. the colored janitor
gave it to me-" Jimmy replied promptly;
Rla Alex Ge! haEe key to the s AEguS
luctantly Il saw him with it and he
asked me not to tell anyone he had
it. Said he had had another man, a
stranger, go and have it made for
him."
with this statement, authorities at
their surprise. they found Mccoy in
bed with rheumatism and he proved
he never had a key, never had the
bride and had been laid up at the
time Of the murder. Sherman accepted
the report calmly and shrugged his
shoulders; offering no other explana-
Believing the lad knew more than
he was telling, authorities placed him
in cell as material witness. The
grilling began. Officials. the boys
parents and friends combined in urg-
ing him to tell all he knew about the
loot under the Argus floor. He re-
manned silent.
Then He Fills Jail
And then, suddenly, without the least
show of emotion, James Sherman con-
fessed to murder and robbery.
Confessed Is right. With beautiful
sincerity and a convincing manner he
issued enough confessions to involve
half the citizens of Fergus county. He
seemed to enjoy confessing.
DR.. E. A. Long, dentist still in prac-
tice in Lewistown; Russell Hortop, a
bartender; Dave Atchison and Edward
Couch were named as perpetrators OF
the murder and master minds in the
robberies. A postoffice clerk, Jervais
was named as accomplish in that af-
fair.
There was nothing for the lawmen tt
do but follow out the leads. The jai
was filled to capacity. The city wa!
IN a turmoil. Sherman had described
the mart each man nlqvad in date I