The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-05-15
BLOOR GETS A YEAR
The Secretary Of The Senate Found
Guilty BY a Jury.
TO BE SENTENCED MONDAY
His Attorney Believes the Fact
That He Was a Middle-of-the-
Road Pop Had Much to Do
With His Conviction.
Special Dispatch to the standard.

Special Dispatch TO the Standard.
Helena, May N.-John Bloor. secre-
tary OF the senate. who was charged
with secreting the salary bill. is In jail
with the prospect of one year In the
penitentiary before him. After being
cut 30 hours the jury, at 4:3O o'clock
this afternoon. returned a verdict OF
guilty as charged in the indictment re-
turned by the Lewis and Clarke grand
jury. and fixed his sentence at one year
In the states prison. Judge Smith re-
fused to admit Bloor 10 bail and he
was removed to jail to await sentence,
which Will be passed Monday morning.
The verdict was evidently a compro-
mise, as the jury sent word to the court
at noon to-day that IL would be impos-
sible for IL to agree and asked the court
TO discharge IL. Judge Smith refused
to discharge the jurors and sent them
back TO resume consideration of the
cause. At 4:30 o'clock the jury sent
word that II had reached an agreement.
Bloor had been In the court house all
afternoon, as had been one of his law
yers, II. A. Carleton. who was engaged
on another trial. His other lawyer. T.
j. Walsh. was sent for and County At
torney Purcell was already on hand.
Bloor took bis seat beside his lawyers
with a gay carnation In his buttonhole.
He did not appear at ease. but when
the verdict was read he gave little evil
dence of his feelings. Both Bloor and
his lawyers were confident OF an ac-
quittal. Bloor refused to talk about his
case this afternoon. but Lawyer Carle-
ton said that he believed that the fact
that his client was middle Of the road
populist had more to do with his con-
viction than the law and evidence An
appeal will taken to the supreme court
as soon as possible.
The jury this afternoon acquitted
Lawrence G.. Merritt. indicted by the
grand jury for alleged perjury, whose
trial was commenced I'm the district
court yesterday. II was alleged that
Merritt, as witness In the action
brought by Matte T.. Burns to remove
Rev. John II. Shelton as administrator
and Mary s. Smith as Administrative Of
the Smith estate, tried recently In De-
rartment II. of the district court, swore
falsely. He alleged that certain assets
of the estate. consisting of $4,000. a
certificate of deposit on the Merchants
National bank and two promissory
notes had been I'm the possession OF Rev.
Mr.. Shelton. He swore that he saw the
notes and certificate and made a men,
orandum OF them which was produced
as evidence in the trial. No accounting
was ever made of the 100000 certificate
and II was alleged on former trial that
the administrators had made away with
IL for their own use. 1t was conclusive
ly proved that the 10000 certificate
never existed and that the notes re-
ferred to by the defendant We're in the
hands of Sanders 4 Sanders at the time
he said Rev. Mr.. Shelton had them. II
was not proved. however that Merritt
had been actuated by malice in his
false statements. He was mistaken.
but not wilfully so. and the court told
the jury that its verdict was just when
II was returned this afternoon.