Celebrating History: Lots in cops and court including 'Long George' Francis

By Emily Mayer

The Havre Plaindealer’s July 12, 1919 edition was chock-full of local news. The big news stories were about recent raids resulting in arrests for gambling, blind-pigging, or vagrancy. Of course, most of these raids took place near Shorty Young’s infamous Honky-Tonk. Both men and women were busted, and one special agent took extra effort to arrest a “Chinaman.” That portion of the lengthy article reads:

Some of the methods pursued by these investigators have drawn considerable criticism and one or two alleged cases are especially repugnant to all sense of honor. One of the special agents is said to have rented a shack of a Chinese landlord on the lot back of the Chinaman’s place of business. Very late at night after the Chinaman had retired the man is reported to have aroused him and sought some liquor for a very sick wife. The Chinaman refused but the man is reported to have returned later and became more importunate in his appeals for the relief of his wife. The Chinaman finally said that he had some in a bottle and would let him have some. The Chinaman is now under bonds and has his opinion of a white man’s idea of honor.

The longtime criminal libel case against the Rev. E. J. Huston, O. G. Larson and Henry Kurtz was formally dismissed by the District Court. As for the reverend, he had returned Wednesday of that week from a big Methodist conference in Columbus, Ohio, celebrating the church’s centennial founding.

Former speed officer L. E. Johnson was arrested for, of all things, speeding. He was serving as a special deputy sheriff and felt the appointment entitled him to some perks. Judge Pyper didn’t see it that way and fined the former speed cop to a $10 fine.

Work on dividing parts of Hill and Chouteau counties for a new county to be named Liberty were progressing. Counter petitions from residents were also being submitted, asking not to be included in the split. The counter petitions created confusion among the Commissioners, so they went out to the ranges to do some research. Regardless, all were preparing for legal battles.

The Plaindealer announced 80 eighth-grade students passed their exams and ran a lengthy article naming all of the students in Hill County that were successful.

The Great Northern Stampede was another hit, but there were problems relating to taxes to be collected in events such as this. Readers will recall that during The Great War, taxes were implemented on any sort of gathering, and the law was still on the books.

BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO HAS THE BUTTON NOW

For various exhibition taxes provided by statute, the county officials claimed some six hundred odd dollars due the county for the various shows here in connection with the Great Northern Stampede. The Great Northern Stampede organization assumed responsibility for the various shows here so the county officials made their demands to them for the various taxes due. The Great Northern Stampede protested the amounts levied and it dragged along until the last day when papers were prepared by the sheriff’s office directed to attach and close them up unless the license money was forthcoming. Under protest the Great Northern Stampede presented a check for the amount claimed which was accepted by the county treasurer’s office and the sheriff’s office was notified that settlement had been effected. The shows continued their performance finishing their engagement here and then leaving. In due course of time the aforesaid check came back to the treasurer’s office with the notation “payment stopped.” Now the sheriff’s office, the county attorney’s office, the treasurer’s office are busy trying to pass the buck from one to the other while the Great Northern Stampede insists that they were not right in trying to collect that money.

With the Stampede in town, guess who finally made an appearance? “Long George” Francis was apprehended and brought before Judge Rhoades for the sentencing he had evaded for over a year. The sentence was not less than six months but not longer than 12 years on a grand larceny charge, that of stealing a horse. Long George wasn’t by any means lonely in the jail, as he was reported to have several friends stop by to see him during his incarceration.

It’s nice to have friends!

Havre’s downtown was going to have some changes.

HAVRE DRUG MOVING INTO NEW QUARTERS

Montana National Bank Plans Handsome Bank on Old Site

The Havre Drug company which for 14 years has occupied the Boone building has moved across the street into the building recently occupied by the Buffalo saloon. The Montana National bank will move into the place vacated by the drug store.

The Havre Drug company was first organized in 1905 immediately after the big fire. Daniel Boone and Thos. McKenzie were the first stockholders. Later Mr. Boone bought out Mr. McKenzie and managed the business himself until he sold out to the directors of the Montana National bank in January, 1918. They sold the business to a corporation of which J. Casman and Raymond Love are the principal stockholders. It is under this management that the store will open in its new quarters.

The new building is fitted up in the most modern way. There are booths at the back where customers may hear records without being disturbed. A soda fountain will be run in the basement under the management of “Doc” Hunter.

The Boone building will be entirely remodeled before the bank moves in. Frank Merrill, cashier of the bank, recently spent six weeks in the east selecting the new furniture and fixtures. There will be an entrance both from Third Avenue and from First Street. The estimated cost is $10,000 for the remodeling. The building will be ready for occupancy in about two weeks.

The Boone building is located on the southwest corner of First Street and Third Avenue, where the exit from Havre Beneath the Streets is located. The former Buffalo Saloon, now the home of Havre Drug, is currently Master Sports. Daniel Boone came to Havre in the 1890s and worked for Henry Stringfellow in Stringfellow Drug Store located where Town Square is today, near the center of the lot. The store burned down like many others did during the Great Fire of 1904. During reconstruction, Stringfellow decided to engage in a mercantile business to compete with Frank Buttrey and opened the Havre Commercial Company and getting out of the drug store business. Boone and McKenzie, as stated above, went into the drug store business. Boone was originally from Roanoke, Virginia, and served on several boards, was a founding member of the Havre Elks and the Havre Masonic Temple, and served for many years as the treasurer for the city of Havre. His wife, Elizabeth Price Boone, was one of Havre’s most prominent social matrons and was also active in the Havre community, helping form the Havre library and the Eastern Star.