Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-07-24
JEW JAKE" ACQUITTED
Of Shooting Henry Smith at His Pre-
liminary Examination Last
Saturday.
The Testimony of all the Witnesses
Show that the Deed was Done in
Self-Defense.
Smith Getting Along Nicely and Has
an Even Show With Grim Death

Smith Getting Along Nicely and Has
all Even Show With Grim Death
in the struggle.
Henry Smith, the man who was shot
by jew Jake" last Thursday morning is
recovering slowly but surely under the
skiilfuI treatment Of DR.. Fairfield The
Doctor has had a wide experience in
such eases and will pull Smith through
if anybody can.
Jew Jake had his examination be-
fore Judge Huy last Saturday aud upon
the overwhelming testimony of witness
ess, both for the prosecution and defense,
was officially requested to go and sin no
more Smiths statement, taken upon
oath before Judge Huy, is as follows:
HIS STATEMENT.
II an the person wounded by Jacob
Harris on the night ef July 18th, 1886. I
had no quarrel with Jacob Harris, I had
a quarrel with another party. l was TN
der the influence Of liquor at that time,
! don't remember OF doing anything to
Jake. was quarreling with a man l
was playing pool with. That is how it
started. | believe they say l had razor
when | was shot. ! don't know whether
| had it or not. | don't remember max
ing any threats | was standing on the
porch Of saloon when shot. | was no.
where near Harris with razor He was
about eight feet away. / don'tremember
about g@ing against anybody. l was hit
hy rock 1t about the time was shot"
Smith subpmned George Farmer, J. w.
Rinker and Mr. Healy who testified
substantially tile same as the witnesses for
the defense.
JAc0E :itS1,-.Ts
was called. ii his own defense and reiter-
ated the statement published in the last
Issue Of the TRIBUNE.
A. j. MATTHEW'S
"Snith and were playing a Egame
of pool when dispute arose re-
garding rules Of the game which ended
in q slight quarrel. Smith seemed de-
termined TO force me into quarrel, and
| quit the game and sat down at the faro
table. Saw Smith have razors in his
hands. He followed Jake (Jew jake
and me out Of Spurgin & Crowder's, and
over to Deyine's and then back again to
Spurgin>s. | then started with Jake for
his room to go to bed, at his instigation
to avoid trouble with Smith. When on
our way, looked back and saw we were
stillfollowed by Smith. We stopped
in order to allow him to go ahead of us,
but he stopped also; we then proceeded
to Pratts where Jake rooms. l went to
bed. Was not present when the shooting
took place"
CHARLES MANSFIELD
WAS present during the dispute between
Smith and Mathews over game of pool.
Smith was very quarrelsome and abusive
and seemed determined to pick fight
with Mathews, whom he abused and
threatened"
JAMES TYREN.
II closed the Exchange at 10 o'clock,
and went up to Spurgin & Crowders
when | noticed Jake, Mathews and
Smith Eat the bar. Jake and Mathews
went out and were followed by Smith.
Heard Smith making threats to get even
with Mathews, or if not with him, with
his friend, (lneaning jake and wanted to
get slash at one-eyed Riley. After
Jake returned from putting Mathews to
bed Smith kept circling around him. |
saw that Smith had razor or knife in
each hand and / yelled "razors," and
went out in the street to find a brick.
Heard Jake tell him number of times to
drop them razors or he would shoot
Smith made no answer, but did not drop
the razors, and Jake snapped the pistol
which missed fire. Jake called to him
again, and then fired. Saw Smith stag
ger and fall ran to him and picked up
these two razors (here the razors were
shown in court which were lying about
eighteen inches apart, partly under
Smith"
Here the defense introduced testimony
relative to the previous character of the
defendant, Jacob Harris.