The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-14
VICTIM OF OLD FARO
Young Davis Is Sent to the Peniten-
tiary for One Year.
1T IS HIS FIRST OFFENSE
lie Has a wife and Child and the
Court Is Lenient-Ea ldwin, Who
Carved a Hack Driver. Is
Given Two Months.

George T. Davis. the young man
who. while acting as Butte manager
for the Missoula Mercantile company.
I gambled away about a thousand dol
lars of the company's funds and then
I fled to Texas, where he was captured
and brought back to Montana, pleaded
I guilty in Judge Speer's court yester-
day afternoon to the charge of grand
larceny and was sentenced to one year
In the penitentiary.
Frequent efforts had been made to
save Davis from the penitentiary on
account of his wife and baby and his
high family connections. and II Is I'M
derstood that the Missoula company
would not have prosecuted him IL the
amount of his embezzlement had been
made good, but Notwithstanding the
high standing of some members of his
family they would not come to his res
cue.
Davis trial had been set for yester-
day morning but when the case was
called his attorney, Mr.. Haldorn. asked
that il go over until o'clock by which
time, he thought, some disposition
would be made of Ii. Manager Thomp-
son of the Missoula company and
Colonel Marshall. attorney for the COM
pany, were present and consultations
were held and the defendant and his
counsel had hopes of reaching some ar
rangement by which the prosecution
might be dropped but they were not
successful and when court reconvened
Mr.. Haldorn announced that Davis
would plead guilty. Mr. Ha dorm plead
ed with the court for leniency ana said
Davis had for a number OF years been
a valued and trusted employee of the
MisSoula Mercantile company and was
sent to Butte to take charge of the
companys business here. In some in
axnlna hla "a fst, Cd Int. n
gambling house and the result was
that he gambled off his employers
money and fled. He was brought back
and confessed his crime and expressed
contrition- Mr. Haldorn said Davis
had a brother who was member of the
Canadian parliament and another who
held high position with the Great
Northern railroad at st. Paul, and be-
sides had wife and a baby less than
, a year old. In consideration of the
young mans excellent record In the
past and the other matters recited the
attorney said the court should be
lenient and give the young man a
chance to redeem himself. He intends
when released from Imprisonment, said
Mr.. Haldorn, to pay off his indebted
ness to the Missoula firm and Manager
Thompson and Colonel Marshall Joined
in the request for mercy for Davis.
Colonel Marshall stated to the court
that Davis had been a faithful employee
before his fall and that he had been
trusted implicitly. but he proved re,
creant TO his trust when sent TO Butte.
Since he was brought back from Texas
/ he has made every effort to reimburse
| the company and no one connected
with the firm has any desire to see
severe punishment inflicted on the
| young man.
Judge Speer, in passing sentence,
said he had sent many men TO the peni-
tertiary but the majority of them were
habitual criminals, and he regretted
to be called upon to sentence a man OF
Davis character. The Judge said he
had seen many bright and capable men
l go TO ruin in Butte. With the hope, he
said, that the prisoner would redeem
! himself and yet become a useful MEM
Der of society he would let him off
with a sentence of one year.
Frank Baldwin, who carved a hack
| driver named Goforth and was con-
victed of assault in the third degree,
was sentenced to two months in the
county Jail The prisoners counsel
Mr.. Leehey, asked the court to be easy
with Baldwin as he had already been
in Jail 10 weeks and his health was
failing rapidly. II confined much long
er, he said, the mans health would be-
come permanently impaired. The court
did not believe that Baldwin was
regular criminal and was therefore
| disposed to be lenient with him.
William Burnley. charged with assault
In the first degree, and Barney Hughes,
charged with burglary. pleaded not
| guilty.