The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-20

OF the late Patrick A. Largely, who was
killed by Thomas j. Riley in the bank
ing room of the State Savings bank. in
h city of Butte. Mont, on the 18th day
OF January, 1898; that he was present
in SAL city Of Butte on the said 18th
day OF January, 1888. and on the streets
of the said city most of the time on
said day succeeding the killing Of the
said Patrick A. Largey, and knows OF
his W personal knowledge the condi-
uon OF affairs and the feelings of the
people OF the city of Butte generally on
said day in reference TO the killing ~
the said Patrick A. Largey. That al
most Immediately after the killing OF
the said Patrick A. Largey affiant
heard large numbers of persons on the
main streets OF the said city of Butte
discussing the said killing. and heard
said persons discussing the question Of
taking the said Thomas j. Riley from
the custody of the sheriff Of Silver Bow
county and hanging said Thomas j..
Riley without process of law. That
! affi8nt verify believes, and therefore al
leges the fact to be. that the number
OF persons who were discussing the mat
ter of hanging the said Thomas J. Riley,
to his w personal knowledge aE'i
with whom he came i'm close, If not i'm
mediate, contact OF said day, reason
ably exceeded the number of 800 people.
fo ~ "a 40 Nv III itdbf VI dlliiht
extends. and afiant AYERS that he had
ample opportunity to ascertain and be-
come familiar with the facts. there was
no other topic discussed on the streets
Of Butte during said day than the kill
ing of the safi Patrick A. Largely and
the lynching of the said Thomas ].
Riley. That so intense was public eX-
element that the interests of the people
OF the city of Butte seemed concentrated
upon the killing of the said Patrick a.
Largely and the circumstances sur
rounding the same. and all other topics
OF discussion seemed for the time being
to entirely pass out of the minds of the
people generally. That the excitement
became SO intense among all classes of
people. and the talk of lynching the said
Thomas J. Riley became so general,
that there was a constant anticipation
among the people of violence to the said
Thomas j. Riley and of trouble gener-
ally i'm connection with the killing Of
the said Patrick a. Largey. That said
feeling ran so high that this afiiant. in
company with VIII l.. Clark. the private
secretary of the aid Patrick A. Largely.
went out on the streets of the city of
Butte and talked to many and divers
people in reference 10 suppressing said
feeling of excitement and the talk of
%lynching. and used their endeavors to
persuade such persons To give up such
purpose of lynchlng the said Thomas j.
Riley. That afIiant Is not able to state
at this time the exact number OF people
he spoke to while engaged upon this
mission. but that he car state positive
~ that he spoke to a great many groups
of people congregated upon the streets
OF Butte n who were discussing the
said matter. ms that he Is certain hat
he must have spoken to as many as 30
such groups gathered upon the streets
and so discussing the said matter, That
I'm GnfH tTafGnfinnG nnl I'm anIna M
ing To suppress the said excitement he
was Informed by numerous persons that
they would endeavor to suppress such
excitement and allow the law To take
its course IL there was a reasonable as
surance that the defendant. Thomas J.
Riley, would be convicted and hanged,
but that If the law should miscarry
and the said Thomas j. Riley should be
acquitted, that they would give no
promise that the people Of Butte would
not take the law into their own hands.
That from said conversations afliant
learned. and therefore alleges. that the
purpose and feeling among the people
to lynch the said Thomas j. Riley was
very strong, and the determination Of
the said groups, the most Of which he
talked To. was set and aggressive, and
that II was only because Of the rela-
tionship of affiant to the said deceased
Patrick A. Largely and the expressed
NiSi's " tlt ltiiliN VI TIT SAN al |
rick A. Largey that the sale Thomas j.
Riley should not be violently, or at all,
dealt with, except according to law, I
that any influence could be cNerted up
ON the said groups of people in the way
of allaying the feeling then existing.
That affiant and others spent the
greater part of the afternoon of the
said 18th day of January. 1896, in nus
attempting to overcome n arrest the
declared purpose of the people generally
of the city of Butte TO lynch the said
Thomas j. Riley"
The general affidavit, signed by a
undre or more citizens, reads as fol-
lows:
The undersigned. James IL. Lynch.
OF the county of Silver Bow, state II
being duly sworn. deposes
and says: That he lis "A citizen and
of Silver Bow county, Mon
tana; that as such he has a large aC-
quaintance in said county among the
people thereof. Afflant has resided in
said county OF Silver Bow for the
period of - years; hat ne is by
occupation engaged I'm the real estate
business. that he has read the
in the daily press of the killing OF
A. Largely on the 18th day of
January. 1898, and further details of
alleged facts published in the daily
press of the city of Butte subsequent
to said date i'm regard to said crime.
That in addition thereto he has talked
to divers and sundry persons i'm refer
ence to the death OF Patrick A. Largely.
and the circumstances surrounding the
same, and has heard such persons very
generally discuss the facts i'm regard Ia
killing and express opinions
as TO the guilt or innocence of
the defendant. Thomas J.. Riley. and
also heard said persons and other
in said county discuss the
trial of the case OF the
state Of Montana against Thomas j.
Riley. That without exception. SO far
as afiant now recalls. in all such in
and conversations the parties
with whom he has talked have eX-
pressed unqualified opinions as To the
guilt or innocence of the said Thomas
j. Riley. such as would ~disqualify them
from acting as Jurors in said case.
affiant believes. and therefore al