The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-23
WHY RILEY DID MURDER
The Assassin of p. A. Largey
Makes a Statement.
A MISERABLE EXISTENCE
Crippled and Stricken With Poverty He
Begged the Business Men OF Butte
for work-He Says They Are Re-
sponsible for the Murder.


much interest a signed statement by
Thomas ]. Riley. telling of the reasons
which led him to kill z. A. Largely.
Mr.. Riley was not a witness in his re-
cent trial. and made no statement FIX
cept the one he made to a standard re-
porter Immediately after the murder.
After the trial Riley wrote a statement.
which was published in the Helena In
dependent. II is as follows:
Il wish o would correct the state
ment that I am ungrateful 10 my
counsel that defended me and saved my
life.
II never knew of a jury being left
separate in a murder case. and l
thought IL was wrong to do so. IL
Judge Smith will make my sentence
10 years, as the law will permit him
10 do. I surely ought to be thankful.
p. A. Largey's murder is chargeable.
to a very large extent. to the business
men of Butte. pleaded with very
nearly all of them To assist me to get
employment. that l might earn an
honest living; j travelled from one to
the other, till my leg became so sore
that death was preferable to me. and
I very near turned the u upon NY
self after the two shots had been
fired into my victim. and end my mis-
cradle and painful existence. But l
1 tnDuSnt L WOulu toHnDtl THESE ndTu-
ware people that wrecked my life to
n my earthly existence by a process
called law.
Law is not much to govern the
wealthy. II II was | would not have
been placed on trial for my life on the
worst charge in the world except trea-
son. 1t appears to me that the poor
has no rights that Is to be respected
by the wealthy. The poor can be torn
limb from limb without redress at law.
The prosecution in my case would have
people TO believe that | was trying to
hold up Zach of the hardware men for
all each of them was worth. and was
never satisfied with what was done
for me. But between me and them
and God. as he is our judge, NJ. j.
Cornell helped me to get $1,000, and
that was all | got from them. They
all knew that if I had the misfortune
TO go broke they was to use their in
fiuence in getting employment l was
able to perform. That was all l asked
them to do.
1--WE all have our sorrows. I well
know what a terrible sorrow and loss
the untimely death Of p. A. Largey
caused not only to Butte. but to the
state of Montana. And IL the readers
of this will imagine themselves in my
condition. with a wrecked life and
crippled condition. they can appreci-
ate my sorrow. And if after a few
years of my Incarceration in the peni-
Tertiary the remaining hardware men
and the readers of this think l have
suffered enough for my horrible deed,
they can petition the governor for my
releas
IT sincerely hope the people OF Butte
will consider the helplessness of the
other %cripples, widows orphans
made by that horrible explosion, and
make their life a little easier as they
near the grave. If the hardware men
xyhn WAS tho cause of the explosion
gave up all their wealth to the vic
Tins of that horrible explosion, can
any one say that IL would be more than
Just? Imagine IL you can some of the
horrors caused by that explosion. For
instance, a woman who lost her nus
band and two grown sons, all she had,
killed in that explosion. compelled
to take in washing for a living while
the people who caused IL could have "A
cash bank account of $400, 600. Another
so wealthy that he can buy n picture
for SAP. 500, and another who can take
a trip to Europe frequently. because
he has a very big bank account These
are the people | appealed to for en-
ployment. They told me they would
have me kicked out II I bothered them.
Threatened to send me TO the peniten-
tiary If I annoyed them. Humanity
can stand a good deal, but there is a
limit"
II think that explains 1t ALL" said
Riley last night at the county jail when
he gave out the statement. Il wanted
people to know that it was not Mr..
Iargey who gave me 81. 500, as has
been stated repeatedly in this trial.
They made II appear that / had said
that, when IL was not true. The fact
is that NJ. J. Connell gave me $1,000
and Mr.. Largely $500. I believe that Mr..
Connell will sometime do what he can
to help me get out of prison in a legal
way"
Riley's trial cost the taxpayers of Sill
yer Bow county $1.004.7 10. Considering
the Importance of the trial. Its cost was
surprisingly small.