Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-11-08
FANSlAU MADE A CONFESSION
County Attorney Freeman Has Had
the Document Since the InfDr-
nations We're Filed.
II duplicates AIhers-Cases Against
Hannemhn and StansOs Were
Dismissed.

In the district court Wednesday, the
charges of cattle stealing against G. w.
Ilanneman, Edward Stamsoa and +. T..
tansIau were finally disposed Of.
In the cases Of the State VS.. IEanne,
man and State Vs. Stan8os, County At
torney Freeman moved to dismiss the
cases, on the ground that his PRINCIPAL
witness, and the one whose testimony
was necessary to convict the defendants.
j. W. Albcrg, is dead. The motion was
granted, ,llanncman's bonNsIncn were ex-
oncratcd and he was discharged, and
Stamsos was released from Jail.
+. +. FanbIau was brought into court
and stated that lie desired to Withdraw
his plea of not guilty, heretofore en-
| tered, and pleaded guilty. lie was re-
mandcd to custody to await sentence. to
be imposed Saturday, Nov. 9. The pen
atty Is imprisonment in the pcntcntiary
for not less tnan one nor more than IA
years.
1t will be remembered by readers of
IHE Tribune that A Albere Eanslau, Han.
hemhn aud StamsOB were CHARGED, ia
separate lnfOrmatIOns, with stealing two
steers belonging to j. I'll, Shepherd, Rob
| ert FINN and }. Ii. Lynch. A few days
before the date get for his trial Albere
committed suicide by cutting his throat
with "A razor. Without his testimony
the quit OF Hanneman and Stamsoe
| could not nave been proved, il at all
But County Attorney Freeman has
had IN his possession since the charges
were made against the four men a docu.
nont which would have proved Il grea (
surprl8e to three of the defendants. 1t
was the confession OF Fanslau, volun-
tarlly made to the county attorney and
toherilt DWyer lew days after he WAS
| arrested.
He WAS asked if he desired to mako a
statement, replied that he did, and, in
response to the questio9s by Mr.. Free.
man. told story which, if not impeach-
ed, would surely nave landed Albers in
the penitentiary.
lie said, IN substance, that soon after
ne met Albers, perhaps two or three
days, a DeTs began TO urge him to 90 out
on the range and drive in cattle. Aibere
SAID he was not particular, says lFansau.
concerning the hfAnds, but to get big
cattle, fanslau denurrod, no Says, but
Aipere continued to urgo him to steal
cattle and finally ne consented, driving
IN cattle several times, even going
az far as hlunarCh for them, but
confjnlng his operations mainly TO the
san River valley. Ajbers, l'anH!au Gays
urged him to continue III the work, and
to bTitg in IN Jre cattle at time. Fans
lau says be did not know that !ianne-
inan kne" that the cattle were 'cruOkuL. -
lie saw Eianneman and Albers talking
together, he Gays, at times when FansiAu
and AIberH had been planning 10 steal
cattie or discussing the disposition Of
beef from cattle already stolen, but did
, not know what they we're saving. Iney
would always move away from wnoro
fanHIau was, he says
fansIau says that otamsos did not
know, in FansIau's opinion, that tire
cattle which he assisted f;,l4Iau to
slaughter were stolen. E'aDsau was Il
poor bntchcr ana when he told A!hrrs
80, AIbcrs told hIm, says lanataDl to
hire ntanleos to assist him, and gave
inn money 10 ply f5tnDnsps.
Throughout fait5laU's c0nfn4eIon
runs a vein # bitterness toward AIbers,
vino, he says, failed to pay him what he
promised to lay Tor EansIau $ dirty
work,