Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-02
DAMAGING STATEMENT.

Young Stenberg Tells of Snitz-
gers Connection With
the Explosion.
How Snitzger Tried to Make a
Tool Of the Young Lad
and Failed.
From Thursdays Daily.
The recent attempt to blow Oscar Stem
berg out Of existence by means OF giant
powder still continues the ~reigning sensa'
ton OF the city and o~vershadows all other
sensational news. The victim OF the hellish
plot is rapidly recovering and will probably
be able to leave his room in o lew days,
That he 10 not o quietly sleeping in the
silent city Of the dead is through no fault
Of the fend or fends who plotted his de
struction as the deliberateness OF the man.
ner in which they executed their most
atrocious attempt at murder evidences
Justice seems to be in a fair way OF over
taking the guilty ones and punish them
for their crime.
Preliminary examination OF Mrs. Stem
berg, August Stenberg, wife and SON of the
injured man, and Larry Snitzger, the three
fore Judge Newkirk yesterday. The exam.
nation was begun in the morning and
Alice Rose. Mrs. Rose Perkins. Sheriff
Lloyd and Deputy Nichols were the first
| witnesses examined.
Mrs. Perkins testified that she was the
first person outside OF Stenberg's family to
arrive at the scene OF the explosion. She
described the disturbance and condition OF
the surroundings, and said that Mru. Stem.
berg had told her that the explosion served
Stenberg just right and that he ought to
have been dead long ago..
Miss Roses testimony was to the effect
that she had heard the explosion and had
seen smoke issuing from the transome OF
Stenberg's room. She also stated that she
had seen Stsnberg's son break in the door
and help Stenberg out.
Mr.. Lloyd's testimony a pertaining
to matters in connection with the affair
which came into his possession officially,
and he also produced several keys which
were found in possession Of Mrs. Stenberg
at the time Of her arrest.
The testimony Of Mr.. Nichols was rela-
| tive to q statement made to him by August
| Stenberg after he had beer in Jail several
| days. He testified that the hoy had told
| him he had given q brace and bit to Snitz-
ger at the latter's request and that Suitz.
| ger had also asked him to bore q hole in
| the wall OF his fathers room to see if the
| anger was sharp. That the boy said he re-
fused to do 80 because it would spoil the
| board and that the boy had told him that
he had not seer any Lule in the wall We
nesday afternoon, the day before the ex'
| plosion, but had seen one there Thursday
and that was all he knew about it.
Prosecutor Lippincott now asked that
| the boy be placed upon the stand as a wit
ness. To this Messrs O'Donnell and Staple
ton, attorneys for the defense, objected
| upon the ground that the court could not
compel a defendant to testify against him
| self nor to give evidence damaging to
| himself. Much time was spent in
| arguing the matter and the court
took q r. cess for Inner. In the afternoon
| when court reconvened and the case was
| taken up again argument was resumed
| Counsel for defense held that as the boy
twas q co-defendaDt he could not testify
without eliminating himself. The prosecu-
Il s--.-L-l 49, 49, Hh~,,tl hn onorn
| and said that the attorneys Tor the oppo.
| site side could object to all questions cal
culated to draw out testimony damaging
to the witness. This continued for some
time and the pr, secution finally asked for
| the boys discharge from custody condi'
| tional upon his re-arrest should the evl.
dence he would give warrant such proceed
ings. The defendants counse again
objected and objected most strenuously.
The court sustained the objection and ruled
that the boy could not be compelled to
testify as long as he was a c~o.defendant:
During all this legal warning the object o.
all the discussion sat upon his chair ap
parently Indifferent and Of the many per
sons in the room appeared to be the least
interested in what was going on. Mrs
Stenberg occupied q sea- by the side OF heI
attorneys, and with the exception OF occa
sionally looking in the direction where sew
eral reporters sat taking down the proceed
tinps, appeared to be staring into vacancy
From her countenanceit was impossible tt
tell that she was in the court q virtua
prisoner, charged with q most horrible OF
tense, because it was as immoblle and hxee
as the face of q marble statue. Snitzgel
sat apart from the others n alone in {
chair placed against the railing dividing th'
court room. He kept up a constan
chewing and appeared to derive great
pleasure from something he was masticat
| ing. Occasionally he would smile con
~temptuously ut remarks make by the at
t~orneys and make q brazen attempt a
actual laughter when he saw some of tn
spectators were looking at him.
Seeing that he would not be allowed te
introduce the boy as q witness as long al
he was under arrest and charged with com
plicity in the crime, District Attorne.
Lippincott formally moved for the defend
ants discharge. The court discharged tn
bow and as soon as he had done SO Attor
ney O'Donnel leaned over in the direction
Of the now liberated prisoner and told hin
to 'sskip." Mr.. Lippincott said such con
due. on the part Of the opposing counse
me-ited q fine for contempt and proceeded
to roast the gentleman in a lively manner
Mr.. O'Donnel defended himself and dc
manded that the prosecuting attorne.
make q personal apology to him LOT darn
to suggest such q thing as filming him 10
contempt. The apology, however, still re
Imains to be made. The boy did not seer
to desire to leave the and kept hi
seat. By this time a subpoena for him hat
been made out and thesheriff served it the
and there.
The boy was now sworn and made tn
following statement:
"wednesday (Oct. 23) I was at schoo
I came home to dinner at IL O'Clock an
saw Snitzger sitting in the kitchen. d,
said 'Hellol' and l answered. Hell
Larry I sat down, and ate my Dime
and when I got through Snitzger gave N
So which he owed me. asked him to ca
! dinner and I think he went into the othe
room and then came back and ate dinner
; While Snitzeer was in the kitchen lathe
came in and put q pot on the stove: II
came back and took the pot n left tn
room. When I left the kitchen Snitzge
was still there. Monday or Tuesda.
} Snitsger asked me il l would loan him
, brace and bit. ! told him he could hay
them II he would return them, and ais
> told him that he would have to pay 10
them II he lost them. He said he wante
! them to bore q hole through q wall to 100
at some women, and asked me Tor a Tile t
3 aharnen the bit, / told him I had no flt