The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-09-21
SAND COULEE ELOPERS CAUGHT
Chris Hoffman and Mrs. Jennie Wall
ing Arrested Taking the Train
at Steel.
They Were Going to Spokane, but
Will Spend Their Honeymoon
in Jail.

Deputy Sheriff Dryer came in Tues
day morning after an exciting chase
after a couple of Sand Coulee clippers
whom he captured at Steel while they
were waiting for the train to take them
to Spokane. The facts in the case are
as follows:
Both the man and the woman arc
married and left deserted families be-
hind. The man in the case, in particu-
lar, played a v|illainous part as he left a
Woodworking and faithful wife who had
helped to start him in business, without
a dollar and scarce Il loaf of bread in
the house to feed her children. The
mans name is Chris Hoffman,
a baker by trade, who formerly
lived in this city and worked
in the Vienna bakery. His wife lives on
the river bank and has been taking in
washing and doing other work to assist
in supporting the family. Some time
ago she gave him all her little savings to
start him in business at Sand Coulee.
Here he became acquainted in the course
of bis business with Mrs. Jennie Wal
ling, wife of a foreman in the Sand
Coulee mines, and succeeded by the use
OF an oily tongue and false representa-
tons in seducing her affections and get
ting her to agree to elope with him. He
sold out his bakery business and taking
the money came to this city. Mrs. Wal
ling met him here last Saturday and he
sent her out to a ranch up the Sun river,
where she introduced herself to some
acquaintance of Hoffman's as his wife.
Hoffman followed her Sunday and
spent the night with her at the
ranch, introducing her to his friends
who were not acquainted with his fam
lily as his wife. Monday morning he
hired a team and, taking a circuitous
route to deceive the people as to his des-
tination, drove to Steel, where he and
Mrs. Walling spent the night at a hotel
as man and wife. The sheriff received
a warrant for them, charging them with
adultery, Monday and started after them,
catching them at the depot at Steel
just as they were waiting for a train to
take them to Spokane. He brought the
guilty couple into the city early yester-
day morning and they we're taken before
Judge Race at 10 a. m. Here both par
ties pleaded guilty to the charge of
adultery and the woman was sentenced
to thirty days in the county Jail, her
husband pleading with the court
to make the sentence light. Hoffman
was bound over to the district court un.
der $500 bonds, but as he wal anxious to
plead guilty and take his medicine at
once he was taken before Judge Benton
in the afternoon, where, on his waving
all rights, pleading guilty and asking for
immediate sentence, the court gave him
ninety days in the county jail and a fine
Of $50.
There is said to be another warrant
out for Hoffman, charging him with
stealing a watch and chain and other
articles from his former partner, Pau
Gladisch. He also borrowed money from
every person he could before leaving the
city. Quite a roll was found on his per
son and the money was turned over by
the court to his deserted wife, who was
left without the common necessaries o.
life by the heartless wretch.