The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-26
IT'S A GOOD SHOWING
Very Little Criminal Business Before
the Court This Term.
THOSE WHO WERE GUILTY
Poor Old WylIie Goes to the Pen for
Year-Bateman's Lecture-A
Turkey Has Been Stolen
for Thanksgiving.

Nissoula. Nov. 25.-All the cases set
down for trial in the district court dur
ing this term were disposed of on sat
urday and the jury was discharged Tor
the term. There has been a great fall-
ing off in legal business during the past
two years, and especially in the Grim
inal line, all of which goes to demons
trate that the citizens of MISSOURI
county are becoming more peaceful ana
law abiding. The only criminal cases
set down for trial this month were one
against j. II. b. Wilson, charged with
arson in the second degree, the build-
ing set fire to being a small shack near
the Bitter Root railroad track, in which
the defendant himself was living. Then
the case against Nelson Wyllie, crazy
negro, for attempting to burn the house
of Ed HIATT near the Rattlesnake creek,
and the case against j. b. OConneii,
Jack the Ripper" charged with grand
larceny, and the case against A. wy
man for horse stealing. The cases
against Wilson, Wyman and OConnell
were tried last week and in each In
stance the jury brought in a verdict
of guilty and fixed the penalty at one
year in the state prison. Wyllie enter
ed plea of guilty to the Information
filed against him, and this morning
all three prisoners were brought into
court at 10 o'clock to have sentence
passed upon them.
Before passing sentence upon the ne
gro Miller. Attorney Duncan asked
leave of the court to Introduce testi-
mony, showing the previous good CHAR
acter Of the defendant in mitigation OF
the punishment. Permission was
granted and several witnesses were In
PRODUCED. After hearing their testi-
mony the court said that he had per-
sonally known the defendant for
number of years and that he had all
ways considered him to be harmless
and of good character, and that he was
satisfied that the defendant was not In
his right mind at the time the building
was set fire to. In consideration OF
these facts the court gave the lightest
sentence permitted by law and fixed the
punishment at one year in the state
prison. After passing sentence the
court advised the prisoner to save up
his pension money that he receives each
month and when his term in prison ex-
pires TO return to his old home. The
remainder of the day was taken up
in the hearing of motions.
Major ]. c. Bateman of the j. o. G..
T., continues to hold meetings at the
different churches in the city and is
arousing a deep interest in the subject
OF temperance among the citizens Of
er and his meetings were every even
ing attended by a large audience. The
several ministers of the city are coop
Grating with him in his work and much
good has already come from his ef-
forts. While Missoula Is not the worst
town on earth for intemperance, still
there is room for improvement along
that line, and IL is a subject that has
been but little spoken upon for three
or four years. Quite a large number
of citizens have Joined the order and
new members are joining at each meet
ing.
This morning several drunk and dis
orderly cases came up before Judge
Ross and were disposed of in short or
der. Three complaints were also filed
by the city marshal. two of them being
against parties charged with adultery,
and the third a complaint against a
hobo named Lee Kohn, in which he is
charged with having stolen a turkey of
the value of 81 from Sam Scott. This
is the first turkey stealing case that
has come up in the courts for two
years, and II comes in the nature of a
surprise, as everyone thought after the
exciting turkey cases OF two years ago,
that in the future Thanksgiving tur-
keys belonging TO another man would
be regarded as a dangerous plaything.