The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-04
NO WITNESSES AS YET.
Judge Knowles Gets Impatient at
the Delay in Bringing Jones
10 Trial.
The Marshal Explains the Dlfa-
Guilty Of Reaching tho Peo-
pie Wanted.
= Sovei Method OF Agreeing Upon the
Amouat OF "a Verdict Results In =
New Trial.

The witnesses in the ossO Of Charles
Jones. charged with murder. we're not on
hand sgain yesterday when thu United
States court was called 90 order. and the
trial had 10 be once more postponed. 10
was set for to-day. bot AZ IL is NOT likely
the witnesses can possibly ar i've before
this evening. tho chances aie that At will DO
to-moTrow or Saturday that tue trial can
begin, II IL does then. The trial had been
set for Tuesday last aud the delay in get
ting witnesses here has annoyed Judge
Knowles especially az there have been de-
lays in other matters before the court 20
worry him. When abe court was informed
yesterday that the witnesses had NOT arrived
he turned 10 Marshsl Furay and remarked
that he did not know what TO think about
she matter. lie said the subpmnas for the
witnesses had been issued nearly = month
ago, and the marshal had y Omised 10 per-
sonally see the matter attended to. Marshal
FuTay informed the judge that be had In
tended 10 STAT out himself after the wit
nessss over a week ago but had been called
20 Dssr Lodge by death In the family. and
then detained there by sickness in his fam
iy. He had al oRoe put the subpmnss
in the hands of his chief dep
uty George Lsskley, who had started
after the witnesses. who were people
living on the Blhokfoot reservation. The
snow had biookadsd travel and many Of
the witnesses besides had declared they had
no money TO pay their faro 20 Helena,
which neoessitated iBsuinR bench warrants
for them. Judge Knowles intinated that
the public business of the court should
receive more attention. and there the mat
ter ended.
The government has been particularly
unfortunate In the matter OF Witnesses in
the Jones case. The larger portion OF
these witnesses live on the Blaokfoot ressr-
walton. The reservation is about two days
travel from Helena. The Jones trial was
set for Jan. 2. The marshal concluded
that 10 get the witnesses here day or so
before that time would be ample. 10 have
brought them sooner would have obliged
them 20 remain In Helena al their own eE-
penss until the trial began, and even then
the pay allowed witnesses In the United
States court would hardly do more
than ray their living expenses.
For this reason the summoninR Of
witnesses was put of until near the time
for trial. Then when the mArshaPs deputy
went 10 the Blaokfoot reservation there
came a heavy snowstOTm which blocked all
travel. TO add 10 the difficulties several of
the Indian witnesses for the prosecution
aud some others for the defense. announced
shat they had no means 20 pay their rail-
road fafe, and bench warrants had 10 be
issued for them. Deputy Guthrie started
out on Tuesday with the warrants. A she
earliest he cannot get back before late this
afternoon.
Some Of the witnesses are hunters and
trAppers and may be Of in the hills at this
time. If they cannot be found on account
of the heavy snow, the case will have 90
proceed without thsm or else DO put of till
next term.