The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-30
CONVICTIONS At BUTTE.



The following il condensed from the Miner
Of last Saturday:
At 7:30 Friday the eight prisoners con-
victed Of felonies ut this term Of court were
brought into court for sentence by Judge
Galbraith, as follows:
George Wilson, for attempting to pass .
forged check upon Fred. Richie, one year
at hard labor in the penitentiary.
George Smith, grand larceny, stealing
powder from John Caplice g. Co., three
years at hard labor in the penitentiary.
Edward Griffin, for the same offense, but
who pleaded guilty, two years and six
months in the penitentiary.
j. r. Matter. grand larceny, by stealing
the change of two 500 notes at Coles circus,
said before sentence that in the eyes of God,
IL not man, he was innocent, and he asked
that the time he had been in Jail be deducted
from his sentence. The Judge replied that
he had been found guilty, and that under the
law he could not reduce the penalty fixed by
the jury. He therefore sentenced him to one
year at hard labor in the penitentiary.
David Magee, for the murder Of his step
father, was n accordance with the verdict of
the jury, sentenced to one year at hard labor
In the penitentiary.
THE CHINESE MURDERERs.
Elmer Cannon and William Riley, two of
the murderers of "Opium JIM" were then
directed to stand up. 1t will be remembered
that Cannon stood trial and was convicted
Of murder In the second degree, and that by
consent of the District Attorney, Riley
pleaded guilty to the same offense. Address
ing the two prisoners, Judge Galbraith said:
The life of every human being Is in the
eyes Of the law equally sacred. In this land,
where the life of one human being Is crimi-
nally taken by another, the law makes no
distinction in relation to the nature of the
crime, whether or not the person slain Is of
any particular race or color, or whether he
be rich or poor, high or low, or learned or
unlearned. The jury by their verdict must
have found that you killed, or stood by, aid
ed, abetted or assisted In the killing, with
malice aforethought, either express or i'm.
piled, of one "Ah Tit" q Chinaman. The
evidence shows the killing to have been of
the most barbarous character, bordering al
most, might say, upon torture. For at least
one-half hour this poor man was, according
TO the evidence, in the hands of his murder
ers, who drove and pulled aud dragged him
from his house to an em5ankment forty or
fifty feet distant and back again, cutting him
with
JACK-KNIvEs AND BUToHER-KNIvEs,
finally leaving him stretched upon table In
his own house, while one of his murderers
stood over him, and as he struggled to es-
cape, calculated, ono you don't" His left
arm, between the shoulder and the elbow,
was slashed deep with wounds; the hand Of
this arm was almost severed at the wrist, and
bis left breast was cut between the fourth
anu fifth ribs, and deep into the substance Of
the lung. Learned physicians testified that
these wounds were fatal, and that he died In
thereof, after lingering for six
or seven days The annals Of this Territory
do not contain the record Of q more cause
less or more barbarous murder, and my men,
DRY does not recall such another instance In
the criminal history Of our land. The only
which could have in my judg-
ment reduced this crime from murder In the
first degree to murder in the second degree,
was the fact that you had been drinking beer
and were at the time under the influence Of
which intoxication was Of such
n character as to prevent generalization and
deliberation. But ! am inclined to think
hat the length Of time you were engaged In
THE PENETRATION OF THE MURDER,
and your conduct Immediately after, upon
your arrest, one of you Riley running away,
and the other Cannon resisting the officer,
would have warranted the jury in finding
you both guilty of murder in the first degree.
I do not mean to reflect upon the verdict of
the Jury. 1t Is probably as correct a verdict
A. in the present condition of the public
expected to render. But the circumstances
Of the murder must be taken into considera-
ton by the court in rendering its judgment
might, indeed, impose upon you the sem
tence Of imprisonment for life, but In view
Of your youth, some degree Of mercy will
mitigate and soften its severity; and remem-
Der that good behavior in prison will reduce
your term Of Imprisonment, and If you live, |
will enable you to come from your seclusion
and punishment better men, and to regain |
FOUR lost position in society, which most |
sincerely hope you will do.
The Judge was about to impose the sen. |
;ence when he was interrupted by Hon. G. |
r. Borie, counsel for the prisoner, with a |
plea for mercy.
Judge Galbraith replied briefly that he had |
given the subject very serious consideration. |
His first opinion was to infict life sentence |
,ut he bad then concluded that mercy should |
inter into the judgment. He could not for |
get his duty to his position and to the COM
nunity, especially keeping in view that
yreat principle of law, sail persons are
quail" and the words of the higher law,
He has made Of one blood all nations of |
men who dwell upon the face of the earth" |
The sentence of twenty years at hard labor |
vas then imposed upon Cannon, and eigh-
cen years upon Riley. Farrell was then
allied up, and said that by the advice of his
counsel he bad pleaded guilty to involuntary
He was present at the time,
md If that constituted the crime, he must be
utility. He begged for mercy for the sake Of
lis old widowed mother whose man support |
le was. The Judge then sentenced him to
I've years at hard labor.