On the evening of Sunday, September 23, 1906, 52-year-old Policeman Joseph A. Freshman was walking his beat in Butte, Montana, when a man stepped from the shadows and attempted a robbery. The assailant initially did not realize his target was a police officer; when he recognized Freshman’s uniform the encounter turned violent and the robber opened fire, mortally wounding the officer.

Freshman had served with the Butte Police Department for six months. He left behind a wife and four children. Investigators arrested a suspect after the shooting, but prosecutors could not build a case and the person was released. No one was ever held accountable for the murder of Officer Freshman.

Did anyone in Butte at the time know more about that night or the man arrested and released?