The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-08
HOW ABOUT THE FLOATERS
The Nuisance Is Becoming OBJ
noxious and There's a Kick.
ONE MANS SMOOTH SLIDE
Walcott, for Flourishing a Gun in a
Threatening Manner. Gets Off
Easily, and That Fact
Causes Comment.

Missoula, Jan. This city has had
its share and perhaps more than its
share of the "foater" nuisance in its
justice of the peace courts. There have
been cases in which this practice has
been exercised to an extravagant de-
gree. but the limit was raised this
morning and the record established in
the case of Arthur Walcott will prob
ably stand unchallenged for some time
to come. Walcott Is the deluded young
man who has been fiourishing "A gun
around here for weeks and threatening
to kill a young woman, simply because
she had the good sense to reject his at
tentons. AS already stated in the
Standard. Walcott was arrested on a
charge of carrying concealed weapons,
the police thinking that he could be
disposed of in this way as effectually
as upon the more serious charge OF
threatening to kill. The case came up
before Judge Landers this morning and
Walcott admitted that he was guilty.
He did not even stand trial The JUS
tice of the peace imposed sentence of
60 days Imprisonment in the county
Jail and gave the fellow time In get out
of town. Walcott said that he would
go to Colorado, where he has a brother,
and the matter was allowed to drop
there
his IL the IlISI IlIIlt ifidl IL ilOdlcI has
been given except upon trivial charges,
such as vagrancy or drunkenness, and
now that the bars have been taken
down, there is no telling where the mat
ter will stop. Missoula is getting TO be
a good place in which to commit crime.
All that seems to he necessary is FOR
the offender to admit his offense and
promise to leave town. 1t may yet be
possible for a man to commit murder
here and be allowed to leave upon his
promise to keep away from the town III
the future. In Walcotts ease promise
to remain away for year was eNaeted.
There was nothing, however. to pre-
vent him from carrying out his threat
To kill the lady in the case before his
time limit for leaving had expired. It
looks like a mighty queer way of car
ryng out the laws.
According To the opinions of the best
lawyers in the city, no justice of the
peace has any right to give fioater. If
"A man is found guilty the law prescribes
the sentence that shall be imposed upon
him and the justice of the peace has
nothing to do but to impose that sem
tence. He has no legal right to sus-
pend it, 1t might as well become the
practice fer "A district court judge to
suspend a sentence in a nlanslaughter
case as far as the legal aspect of the
matter is concerned. 1t has been said
that Missoula never does anything as
ii is done elsewhere and there really
seems To be some ground FOR the charge.
When II comes TO originality in justice
Of the peace court practice. this town
can certainly show methods that cam
not be duplicated anywhere.
In the city council last night the ques-
ton of police court methods was once
more discussed. 1t has been argued pro
and con many times. No more definite
result was reached last night than has
ever been reached here. The mayor
and the aldermen all agreed that the
practice of the court is wrong, but not
one of them could give any answer to
the question. What are YOU going 10
do about it," As there was no answer
forthcoming TO this riddle. the matter
was dropped, as 1t has always been be-
fore.