The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-31
SENT TO MILES CITY
Mary, Alice and Lizzie Bell and
Willie Bracken Sentenced.
STORY OF THEIR HOME LIFE
The Sheriff Takes the Little Ana
conda Wallis to the Reform
Sohooi-Other Business
In the Court.

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Deer Lodge, March 30.-Mary, Alice
and Lizzie Bell, three little girls aged
10, IL and years respectively, were up
before Judge Brandy this afternoon Tor
examination on the charge OF incorrigl-
bility and with growing up in mendi-
cancy and want of proper parental
care. All those charges were more than
sustained by the testimony of Chief of
Police John White of Anaconda, ana
his assistant, Frank O'Brien, who tes-
titled that the trio was bad lot. They
roamed the streets in Anaconda at VIII
and on several occasions the officers
had to drive them out of saloons and
away from houses of i'll fame. Mrs.
William Bell, the mother OF the little
girls, was also present at the nearing
and confessed her utter inability to re-
strain the girls in their vicious habits.
She seemed perfectly willing that they
be sent to the reform school and thus
be relieved of their care and mainten-
ance. Her moral sense of decency seems
to have reached very low ebb, for
she unblushingly told the court that,
while she supported her family with
money earned at the wash tub she also
lodged and fed a lazy loafer by the
name of John Harris for the last two
years. This man Harris Jared well at
the Bell home and received more con-
sideration at her hands than her hus-
band who is now in Arizona, ever dld,
while the three little waits were al
lowed to wander through the streets.
half-clad and uncared for. The police.
however, had an eye on Harris ana
succeeded lately in sending him to the
county Jail ito serve out a sentence OF
so days for vagrancy.
The court also considered the case
of Willie Bracken, an incorr1gible
youth. and the same story of moral de-
pravity in homelife was unfolded. He
insisted that he never did anything
wrong, and when the court asked him
about his connection with the stealing
of buggy in the city of Anaconda and
trading il to Indians for two ponies, he
infinitely told the whole story and laid
all the blame on Davie Richards, an
other little boy who was chum OF
his. The boy stated that he did not
know where his father was at the pres
ent time as he had never written home
since he went away The father tele-
graphed Judge Brantly on Saturday
from Bozeman, saying that he would
take the boy and look after him, but
as he did not appear at the hearing
to-day, as requested, the court had no
guarantee that the boy would be cared
for and he was committed to the re-
form school with the three Bell girls
until all of them shall attain the age
of 81 years. Sheriff Fitzpatrick left for
Miles City with the four children on
to-night's train.
The criminal and civil calendar Of the
April term of the district court will be
called on Tuesday, April Z, at 10 o'clock
a. m.
The suit for divorce of Thomas JEFF
ferson against Addie Jefferson was
called up to-day and ordered placed on
the calendar and the default of the de-
PENDANT was ordered entered.
The final account of the administra-
tor of the estate of John A. Hammer
was submitted and approved. The
/ business affairs of the estate being set
tied the administrator was given
final discharge.
Attorneys ]. H. Duffy and c. NJ. Saw
yer of Anaconda were in attendance
/ upon court to-day.