Great Falls tribune., 1889-04-10
THE HUNT CASE.
JUDGE DfAS GIVES HIS DECIS-
ION,
Ihe Defendant Held for the Action
OF the Grand Jury-FulI Text
of his Opinion Some
Witnesses Held. m


| (ffoln Saturday daily. y H. =.-sN=
1 The people who nearly filed the pro
bate court room last evening waited with
much suspense for Judge Dyas' decision
Az the appointed hour Judge Dyas open,
ed court and read the statement append
ed. 1t was received with silence, which
was soon broken by the bail bond prelim-
inaries. County Attorney Taylor asked
that Ormond, Devlne and Carter be bound
over to appear as witnesses. Mr.. Brady,
Tor the defense, asked that Miles, Stone
and Miss Chrisolm be likewise held over,
Carter was quite surprised when told that
he must provide bonds or go to Jail.
Bail bonds were signed promptly by ] .
Matthews, Charles Wegner and others for
the appearance of James c. Hunt to an
swer the charge of completely in both
robberies.
There has been an unusual amount of
interest manifested by the general pub
lie during the progress of this tlial. The
defendant has been an honored citizen of
this city for some time past and was a
man OF good reputation and has MANY
warm friends. The charge preferred
against Mr.. Hunt in this action is SER
ions one, upon which, should he be CON
victed, would amount to a felony.
The court has, during tedious exam
nation of some three days duration, al
lowed considerable latitude on both sides
OF she case in order to establish the prob
able guilt or innocence of the defendant.
The attordeys in the case have conduct
ed the trial with all fairness and entirely
without any feeling of bitterness or NAL
ice on either side. The prosecuting at
torney, Mr.. Taylor, has been Jealous in
the discharge of his duty and at the same
time fair and impartial and has with
drawn objections to the admission of tes-
timony which might tend to establish the
innocence OF the defendant, with the ex.
pressed view of presenting all facts OBJ
talnable to the court Mr.. Hunt is man
Whom have been proud to consider as a
friend and have always found him to be
gentleman in every sense of the word.
There is responsibility resting upon
me in this matter which under Ordinary
circumstances would not SO much affect
me. Representing the people of Cascade
county as I now do, it is not for me to
reason or to render decision in accord
with my own personal feelings IN the
matter.
I have followed closely the testimony
adduced in the case from the beolnning
to the end. have compared the testi
mony of the witnesses given at different
times during the progress Of this action
and have made due allowance for any
discrepancy therein. I have carefully
noted the testimony of the witness Or
mond, and while there are certain differ
ences with regard to dates, his statement
in material points remains unshaken.
In the matter of corroborative testi-
mony l hold that sufficient amount has
been produced to establish probable
cause of the defendants completely in the
commission of the robberies of the Harris
store, or the circumstances thereof.
When the prosecution had rested in
this action believed there was a prob
able cause for believing the defendant
guilty. | was in hopes the defense could
clear the matter up. When the defense
closed my opinion was unchanged. l |
then asked counsel to argue the case in |
hopes that some point favorable to de-
fendant had been overlooked by me.
After the long and able debate by coun-
sci upon.the merits of the case last even
ing, my opinion was still unchanged. | |
then adjourned the case for final decision
until o'clock this evening in order to
FULLY review the testimony which he'd
oeen reduced to writing. While | know
hat any decision l might make in this
natter will be severely criticised, no mat
er which way it should be, the decision
am about to render is very disagree
lble duty to me and one which 1 would
gladly avoid. ] make this decision with
! sense of duty, and if have erred in the
natter the defendant will have ample op-
'ortunity to establish his innocence in
ourt hereafter and sincerely hope that
le may be able to do So