The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-03
THEYCOTEICHTYEARS
W. q. Darling and Arthur FirpO
Sent to the Pen.
THE COURT WAS MERCIFUL
Evidence introduced to Show That
the Bank Robbers Only Made
One Very Bad Break During
Their Career In This Town.

AnotT SdT GeT his OwTts
Special Correspondence Of the Standard.
Deer Lodge. Nov. 2-There was
pathetic scene in the district court here
to-day when the aged mother OF Ar
thur Firpo. the young bank robber
from Anaconda, heard Judge Theodore
Brantly pass sentence upon her boy
and his misguided companion in crime,
William H. Darling. These are the
two men who attempted to rob Hoge,
DAILY & Co.'s bank in Anaconda Oct. 10
last. They had pleaded guilty to the
charge of burglary in the night time,
which Is classified by the law as bur-
glary In the first degree. and had
thrown themselves upon the mercy of
the court, after making a full confess
sion.
This was the day set by the court for
passing sentence. The court desired to
hear some testimony in the case with q
view to fixing the punishment. The
prisoners were brought into court at 10
o'clock. Both young men looked hag-
gard. Firpos mother. an aged wo-
man, bent and gray, sat near her boy,
her eyes red from weepeing. ]. b. Lo-
see, w. +. Furay, John S. Hickey, Mr..
as to the previous good character Of
the prisoners. Mr.. Hickey. manager OF
the futile works, testified that he had
known both the young men for some
years, and that they had worked in the
Tuttle company's shops. They were
industrious, sober and apparently hon.
orable young men. Up ito the time OF
their arrest charged with this crime he
had never heard a word uttered against
their character. He knew that they
had been On the habit of sending money
to their mothers, and he thought they
kept good hours and good company.
Several of the witnesses testified that
Arthur Firpo had been the sole sup
port of his old mother for several
years, and that he was exceptionally
considerable in his treatment of her.
Ftrpos mother went upon the stand
and tearfully told of how good her son
had always been to her. She said he
was both kind and generous to her and
never knew him to do a wrong before.
The prisoners were put upon the
stand and closely questioned by Coun-
ty Attorney Trippet as to the manner
in which the crime was perpetrated.
They told frankly and in detail how
they had planned the robbery while
engaged at their work In the machine
shops, and how they finally made the
attack upon the banks treasure box.
N6IL0eT Onc SOuSlk W NdCb Vic biehAAiS
upon the other; they candidly admitted
that one did as much of the planning
and of the actual work as the other.
They said that they used about five
ounces OF nttro-glycerine to blow up
the safe. This was enough to have
blown the entire bank into atoms If it
had not been closely confined. Darling
said he prepared the explosives the
Saturday before the crime. They had
obtained a great deal of Information
about the way safes are cracked from
a fellow workman In the futile shops.
who had once been an expert for a
safe and lock company IN the East.
They said they had taken cayenne pep
per along with them into the vault so
that when they got ready to leave they
could scatter the stuff upon their trail
and thus destroy the scent On case
bloodhounds should be put upon their
track. They had been told that red
pepper would do that. Darling said he
prepared the DISCUSSES which they wore
in the form of hoods over their heads.
He said he devised the plan of having
q red blanket to put over their heads
when they were at work on the roof.
This was because the roof and brick
walls were red and anyone passing be-
low would be less liable to detect them
II they correspondent with the color of
the roof. They said they went on the
roof about IL O'Clock that night and
got the hole through the roof about !
O'Clock. 1t was nearly O'Clock before
they got a hole through the brick
work and climbed down into the vault.
They said they saw several thousand
dollars in silver, but they didn't want
that kind of money and they didn't
molest 1t. They said they were lying
down on the roof of the vault when
the explosion occurred.
Attorney ]. H. Duffy. counsel for the
prisoners, made an able and earnest
plea for leniency. He pointed out the
fact that both the prisoners were sup
porting aged mothers and had always
borne a good character previous to this
fatal misstep. Mr.. Duffy said the pris-
oners had come into court. frankly con-
fessed their fault, expressed their sor-
row, and had solemnly promised to re-
form and become good and useful men,
bers of society as soon as they re-
gained their liberty.
In passing sentence Judge Branty
ably analysed the crime and pointed
out the many circumstances which en-
tered into the case. He said while the
crime was an enormous one several
mitigating circumstances entered into
II which caused him ITO temper the SEN
tence with mercy. The young men had
shown that they are not hardened
criminals, otherwise he would have felt
disposed TO give them the limit. The
law fixed the maximum penalty at Is
years. He sentenced them both TO
eight years in the SJenifendary at hard
labor. This viii gecuire them to serve
five years and a half. II they get the
usual allowance for good conduct. The
prisoners themselves admit the SEN
tence was a just and at TIE same time
a mercfful one.