The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-12-07
JONES
GOES FREE
The Jury Finds Him Not
Guilty Of Muir
On the Theory That He
Acted in Self
Defense
Story Of the Tragedy as
Told by Eye Wit
ne06e9.

Morgan Jones, charged with the MUIR
der of Joseph Huneault: was acquitted.
The case went to the jury at S o'clock
Tuesday afternoon. They brought in
their verdict at 4 o'clock Wednesday
morning. Jones was at once set at lib
erty.
A number of Jones friends were over
from Butte. Their Joy yer the result
knew no bounds. They constituted the
happiest crowd of people thst has left
Virginia for some time.
The trial began Monday morning
with hon.. Edward Booth, and Judge j..
l.. Wines of Butte. and Col. J. E. Cal
laway as counsel for the defendant, and
county attorney Lew l.. Galloway and
Hon. Robert Smith for the state.
Very little difficulty was experienced in
selecting a jury, which consisted of c. n.
Morrison, saml Ogden. Jobn T. Seyler, s.
Gainan. ST.. F. 4. Benton, Chas. Boyd,
Grassland Brook, 7. Breen, Elias Gilner,
Floyd Tinsley. }. W. Brook.
In his opening statement the county
attorney said that the statutes of Mon
tana required that he make to the
jury a statement Of the evidence the
state expected to ad auce in the case, so
that they, hearing, might understand
the theory of the case, and so, in their
deliberations, act with understanding.
The state would make but a brief state
ment, leaving the evidence to be given
by the witnesses. Suffice it to say that.
on the nineteenth of September last,
at what is known as the Twin Pine
mine on Camp Creek, in this county,
there occurred a tragedy, of which this
trial is the result, and which came
about in this wise. The defendant in
this case and one William Hughes had
received their discharges from the
mine superintendent. or had quit. and
packed up their yalises to leave. Joe
Huneault was the mine s~uperintend
ent. some dispute arose as to the
wages paid. and this was the reason
Jones was discharged. Anyhow, they
took their ~vulises over to the boarding
house in Madison county and then Wen
to a saloon and got some drinks. Whe1
they reached the boarding house agail
Z they found Mrs. O'Laughlin and Jo'
Huneault there. A dispute arose and
slight quarrel. The theory of tn
= stotn'. IL ,roS thaf 1nprs w. ,, RI n
his discharge, and when Huneault. il
:, quarrelling, accused Jones of stealth,
two pillows, Jones pulled his revolve
and shot past Mrs. O~.Laughlin. VIII
was standing between Jones and HI
~neault. the bullet striking Huneault j
TIE hack of the head. The state woul
p, owe that Jones made confessions c
what lie had done to Oscar Vance. job
o Is. Botteco and Joseph |. Haines.
t. The witnesses for the state were e2
amined by the county attorney. wit
+. the exception OF Mrs. O'Laughlin an
John Is. Bottego, who were take
charge Of by Mr.. Smith.
j. L. Wines then made the openin
statement for the defense. He said fC
some reason the county attorney ha
,e not rome into details in his statemen
The d~efendant.' he said Twill NJ
y deny that he fred the shot which eau
le ed the death of Joseph Hcnault, b,
~ We expect to prove that the deferdal
- is not a murderer: that he is innocel
Of any crime: that when he fired Il
y, fatal shot he was exercising a lawf'
it perrogstiye-therig of self defense.
ct He then went on to say that couns
h, for the defense expected to prove tn;
ID on the evening Of the 10th of Septen
IS the defendant and a mar named Hugh'
who had been working at the Twi
Pine Mine, had quit and expected
=, go to Butte. Hunault was foreman
~ the mine. He and the defendant hs
had some trouble over wages. jon
= and Hughes ate their supper in II
, boarding house and went out. H.nau
i. then. put in his appearance at tt
boarding house, white with anger, ar
Mrs. O'Laughiin discovered that !
was exceedingly anUrv. Two sha,