The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-18
ARRESTED FOR MAYHEM
A Serious Charge Against Book
keeper Fred c. Reese.
BIT OFF PITTS FINGER
Both Are Employees OF the Butte Hard
ware Company They Had Fight
in the Office Concerning
Ledger.

Fred C. Reese, bookkeeper for the
Butte Hardware company. was arrest
ed last evening on a warrant sworn out
in Justice Laurandeau's court, charging
him with the serious crime of mayhem.
The warrant was issued on a complaint
sworn to by W. Z. Pitts. a collector for
the same firm, who processes to believe
that Reese deliberately planned to do
him injury According to Pitts state
ment Of the trouble, he pitts began
working for the Butte Hardware COM
pany about q week ago as collector.
From the outset Reese seemed, or acted,
as though he thought the newcomer
was after his job, and frequently ac-
cused him of things he had not done.
Yesterday morning Pitts went to work
as usual and, on entering the office, was
aecosted by Reese. who said: We
might as well come To an understanding
at once
Pitts did not understand what was
meant and Reese informed him he had
been handling the ledger, which he
theese) would not longer permit without
specific orders from the manager. Pitts
replied that he had never touched the
ledger upon which Reese called Pitts a
liar and then they mixed matters. Pitts
was getting the best of the encounter
when two other employees of the firm
meled him. During the fight Reese got
one of Pitts fingers in his mouth and
bit off the end, necessitating surgical
operation.
Pitts stated that the two men who
held him We're employed in the cellar,
and as it was something unusual for
them to come up into the store, he be-
lieved they had been hired to help win
the contemplated fight for Reese He
had not worked at the place long
enough, however, to learn their names.
Reese could not be found last evening
to allow him to tell his side of the story.
He was arraigned before Justice Laur-
andeau and demanded a preliminary
hearing, which was set for Tuesday.
and the defendant released on $500
bonds.
The case against Bob Snadwell. pri-
yate secretary to jew Jess for robbing
Nj. X. johnson of $140, in Pete Hansens
saloon in East Galena street, one night
last week, was dismissed when called
for preliminary hearing in Justice Laur-
| andeau's court yesterday. 1t was am
nounced that Constable Harrington had
been in possession of a bench warrant
for the complaining witness, Johnson,
since the case was up on Tuesday, but
had been unable to locate the gentle
man. Mr.. Connolly moved that the case
be continued indefinitely and the de-
PENDANT allowed his liberty on his own
recognizance. Mel Wines. counsel for
Shadwell, opposed the motion, and as
there appeared no likelihood of finding
Johnson, the case was dismissed, a s the
record shows, for want of prosecution.
There is no doubt that Johnsen's dis
appearance is due to his having been
squared.
Attorney BIoor appeared before Jus
| tice Laurandeaun in the case in which
j. Q. Davis is accused of petit larceny
%.
the Blue Bird mill. and waving the APP
| peaIance of the defendant and conse-
| quently the reading of the complaint,
| entered a plea of not guilty and had the
! hearing of the case set for next Wednes-
| day.
| A complaint was filed yesterday in
| Justice Laurandeau's court charging p.
II. Burns with petit larceny. Burns is
| the man arrested day before yesterday
| for stealing coal from the Western Fuel
| company. The case will be heard some
| time the coming week.
County Attorney Stapleton when seen
| last evening relative to the mayor )
sharp response to his appeal for assist
anee in his effort to enforce the gam
! bling or rather anti-gambling act, was
| disposed to treat Mayor Harrington S
criticisms lightly.
You always notice." said he, that
when people are hit. they invariably
/ ST. int baths IL iIpA. t19S dIlbA tie dS-
sault to pass unnoticed. The latter is
our position in this case We don /
| feel as though we had been hit, al
| though someone else appears to- If we
| felt disposed to pick the mayor Ia
| pieces, we could find ample opportunity
| to do SO in his letter. For instance in
one paragraph he denies there was any
| lack of publicity in the arrest Of the
| gamblers and the forfeiture of their
| bonds, and cites the police court docket
/ as evidence, and in almost the next line
| he says that primarily it would seem
| the place of the county attorneys office
| to enforce state laws. What law was
/ he enforcing when he ordered the ar
rest of the gamblers? 1t could not have
! been under any city ordinance, for the
/ only city ordinance on the subject was
| repealed by the enactment of the state
statute prohibiting gambling. If the
/ mayor does not know that his legal
| adviser ought To.
But speaking seriously, we don't care
| who wrote the letter as long as the
mayor signed it, and if he is sincere ia
! what he says in the last paragraph. we
will be glad to overlook any reflections
/ cast at us and confine our consideration
| of the mayors letter to that paragraph
/ for we are certainly in dead earnest.
and il is his earnest cooperation we
"A StfY.eaf