The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-12-21
THE ROAD AGENTS.
sAt Hard Labor in the U. 8. PsnitentiAr,
Tor the Term or Yeur Natural LIfe."
An Interesting Scene in Court.

Our court record last week included the
fact that Marian Gamble, known as Mike,
the chief Of the trio who robbed the MAI
coach on Jones' hill last summer, had beer
guilty of robbing the mail coach and placing
the life OF the driver In jeopardy, the pen.
slty for the offense being arbitrary-imprist
onment for life. Wylis and Sheldon, his
accomplices, subsequently plead guilty toj
the mere fact of robbery, and were on satur-
day evening sentenced to seven and half
and ten years respectively in the peniten-l
tiary. Gamble was sentenced at 2>pom.l
Tuesday.
u. s. District Attorney Dewitt is fully sus-
tanned in admitting the plea from sheldonl
and wylir of lesser offense. tits question
tionablr IL it could have been proven that
they directly threatened or menacsd the
driver. They paid attention to the passen-
gers, and a. they were little distance of
and had but little to say, 1t is not absolutely
certain their identity could have been
proven. As precautionary measure against
any miscue in the United States Court, 1t
had been deemed advisable to also indict all
OF them by the Territorial grand jury for the
same effense. Succeeding CANDLES convic.i
ton It was understood they were willing to-
plead guilty, on condition that the Terrific
rial indictments should be quashed. District
Attorney Pemberton very properly declined
to do this, and IL was the delay OF the pris-
oners In accepting this situation that defer
red the case until the fifty jurors were
brought here from Butte. They finally con-
cluded to take their medicine" and plead
guilty anyhow.
II being deemed desirable to send Gamble
to some Eastern prison, his sentence was not
uronor need until Tuesday. He was brought
in with other prisoners by the sheriffs. He
is man of medium height and frame, and
has fallen off considerably from sickness
since incarcerated. He looks pale, care-worn
and some what languid. He was soon after
called to his feet by Judge Galbraith, who
recited the formula of his trial and convic-
ton, and then said:
"Have you anything to say, Marian Gam
BILE, why the sentence of the court should not
be pronounced upon you""
eyes, your Honor, have" He then de-
livered an impassioned ienunciation Of the
manner of his trial, informing the court that
he knew In some Of the States and Terri
tories, and he believed in this, they were
entitled to have their case laid over six
months to get their witnesses, but that In
this case they were denied this right by the
court that although certain jewelry was
found on him, he had never robbed the
coach that the jewelry was given to him in
Helena, and because he would not give the
party away he had to suffer; that his COM
panions had confessed to save their lives,
knowing that they could not get Justice
Here the court informed him he must con-
fine his remarks to his own case. sn1&
Gamble said, al am going to talk as long
n you will let me-" and again began TRADE
about the injustice of his trial, when the
court informed him that II the court had
erred the Supreme Court would reverse 1t.
Gamble again began, and AZ he drifted
back over the same ground and became more
vehement the court interrupted him by pro-
nouncing his sentence at hard labor for life
in the y. 8. penitentiary at Deer Lodge.
az knew you would sentence me before
got through" said Gamble, and as Sheriff
McMaster led him from the bar he half
turned and hurled Parthian shot as he
Missed through his set lips the farewell
| "God help you If ever I get out, old man
that's my last words to you On this EARTH
Judge Galbraith was apparently quite com.
posed during this scene, and there was not
even perceptible change in his tone or in
the deliberate utterance Of the sentence, as
/ he endured the TRADE of Gamble, but when
the threat was uttered there was CLEAN In
his eye that suggested If he was off the bench
what would be left of Gamble in five min
utes wouldn't be worth putting in the peni'
Tertiary. .-
Gamble throughout was very earnest. He
has very heavy, ponderous kind of voice
and although uneducated, IN man of great
deal of native force. The rascal felt aggriey
ed at the court for not letting them stave of
this trial on affidaytt about. aeme mythical
witnesses, until the witnesses for the prose
cution would die or get scattered, and he had
gall enough TO vent his spite on the Judge, In
the court room. There is no doubt whatever
/ of his gailt He said to person during the
| trial, when witness was being examined
who told how cool he vas during the rob
bery-"The he trembled like a dof
when had my gun on him." Gamble isl
good man to keep an extra lookout for IN thu
/ prison- He Is only ~ years, old, and abou
the time the snow goes off in the spring, b.
Twill want to go down ana take look at TIL
Ceur d. Alene mines. This is his second tern
in the Deer Lodge Penitentiary, he having
been convicted ut Gallatin Of horse stealing
in 1881 OF 49, He then gave his name a
Frank Adams. He escaped while working
under guard outside the penitentiary.. .r1