Browning chief., 1942-05-01

demand to stick 'em up" backed by
menacing shotgun after which
Clarke would frisk the victim. For a
long period of time the two carried
on their partnership, but as had hap
pened to many who had piled the
same trade, their career was finally
brought to a close.
Helen's story concerning her rela-
tionship with Clarke and her daring
business was related in her own words
at her trial Her story went as follows:
"On Aug. %, 1891, was 20 years
old and I have known Clarke about
2. years. first met him at my fathers
ranch in Washington near Rockford,
about % miles out Of Spokane. He was
working at that time for a railroad
contractor by the name of Andrew
Peterson. One Sunday I insisted upon
going to church, distance OF two
miles and a half. AS father was away
from home with the team, walked to
a neighbors house where I met Clarke.
He had a horse and buggy and he
asked me where wanted to go. told
him and he invited me to go with him.
He asked me to wait until o'clock
when he would return for me which
he did. Our friendship grew rapidly
from then on and I often went to
church with him.
"a couple of years ago he coaxed
me to run off with him. We agreed to
go to Spokane together to hunt work.
I secured a room at the Eagle hotel
in Spokane where Clarke came often
to see me.
II worked for two months at the
hotel and then returned home where
Clarke visited me the first evening.
Then he asked me if I wouldn't like
to go to Montana and convinced me
that could get good wages there. He
said that my fare to Missoula would
be $3.50 and that he felt certain that
I could get good position. He went
to Spokane and I followed him. got
a room at the Bellevue hotel, and
he met me. That evening he said, II
you are going to Montana you can't
go in girls clothes He said that I
had a boys face and features. told
him to give ME four days In which to
think it over and he did. The first
thing he did on the fourth night was
to take ME down to the Theater
Comique where he got me to take a
couple of drinks I became very dizzy
after drinking them. At IL o'clock we
had more drinks. I became so dizzy
that I didn't know what I was doing.
"The next morning he asked me If
I were sick and I said 1 was and
wanted to go home. I asked for my
clothes but he said I had no clothes
and it would not be pleasant for me
to go back after being in the Comique
dressed in boys clothes. was afraid
then and decided to let it go. The next
morning we took the train for Missoula.
Was Clerk in Hotel
"At a Missoula hotel that night
was asked by man whether wanted
a job. He said he wanted young man
as a clerk in a hotel. The hotel was
the Grand Central and it was a small
place. The mans name was Charlie
Broadbent. I worked for him and
Clarke worked for a steamfitter. After
two months I went to work at the
State Lodging house for Mrs. Kline.
She had a young niece and we used
to have many conversations together.
Mrs. Kline, who believed that I was
a boy. thought that I was making up
to her niece and fired me. went to
work for Charlie Tiano after that.
tending bar in the Affiliations saloon.
I worked there last winter. I got a
letter from Clarke who was working
at the smelter in Anaconda and finally
he came to see me. Charlie Tiano sold
out to a colored woman and Clarke
went to work for her. did not have
much to do. Clarke wanted to go to
Butte, but I did not want to. He said
we would find work, so We decided to
go and on our arrival took room
on Park avenue. He went at o'clock
the next morning and did not return
until the next morning. When I
asked him where he had been he said
he had been gambling at the Com
bination house. The next night it was
the same thing. also the following
night.
I'VE then came to Helena"
At the trial Helen declared that she