The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-07
JUST A WASTE OF TIME
Hearing in the Austrian Dance
Hall Row.
THE CASE WAS DISMISSED
A Host OF Witnesses, but They All
Seemed Determined 10 Keep
Back the Facts-Nothing
Could Be Proved.

anC hall row or the nlEhl OF the 4tn
of July last finally got started in
Justice Lauraudeau's court yesterday
afternoon. Joseph Styer, who was bad
ly beaten up in the row and who has
been lying i'm "A critical condition at the
Sisters hospital even since. was able to
Joseph Smith. the other prosecuting
witness. was shot in the arm and not
so badly hurt.
h four defendants who were accus-
ed of assault i'm the first degree, were
John C~rismanovich and Frank
Hon. c. Il. Connolly appeared
in the case for the state and Attorney
Kirk appeared for the defendants. There
were 80 witness and ? interpreters sub
%poenaed.
Joseph smith, the first witness for the
prosecution. described the ARRAY as al
ready outlined in the Standard. lie
said that Hoff had nothing to do with
the scrap. Barich did nothing to him
either. All the people We're against
him and Styer, but Crismanovich and
Wursha alone were in against him.
Smith said he was put out Of the saloon
by Crismanovich merely because he said
he didn't want anybody to get drunk.
The witness said that Wursha fired 5
shots at him after they left the dance
hall. lie fired two shots at the witness
just as he was coming out of the dance
hall and three more were fired at him as
he was running away one of the shots
struck him in the arm. Wursha fired
that shot. He was positive of that.
on cross-examination Attorney Kirk
asked Smith how long he had been in
Butte and how many times he had been
arrested FOR lighting since he had been
here.
Il object to that" said Mr.. Connolly,
you cannot prove his reputation by his
own testimony. and If you want to go
into this thing we can show that the
whole settlement down there is "A pretty
tough proposition"
Joseph Styer. the other prosecuting
witness, told of the assault ON him and
named all four of the defendants as be-
ing concerned, but Barich was the man
who beat him up most.
Mrs. jennie Lukanish was the next
witness for the prosecution, hut the
prosecution didn't get much satisfaction
out of her. She saw IA kind of "A general
row there but couldn't, or wouldn't, con
meet any of the defendants with the row.
ID YOU know Frank Hon"
Yes"
Did you see hin there
Il don't remember seeing him there"
ID you know Barich?'
Yes"
What was ne DOING"
He was just dancing. that's ALL"
DO you know Crismanovich?'
Yes"
Was he there
yes"
Did you see him in this row?"
NO." .e
Was he dancing too?"
Il didn't see him dance. He was just
kim Of laying around"
The witness also saw Wursha there,
but didn't SEQ him in the row She saw
the row and heard the shooting, but
couldn't say who was fighting or who
fired the shots
John Brodrich. the only other witness
for the prosecution, was equally unsatis-
factory. lie saw the row but couldn't
give the details and couldn't connect
any of the defendants very definitely
with the row. That closed the case for
Z the prosecution.
Nj. X. Binder. an employe Of the West
eTn Iron Works. was the first witness
for the defendants. He was in Niche
lich's saloon and saw Smith and Styer
mixed up in a fight with two other men,
but neither of tho two fighting with
Smith and StyT was any one of the
four defendanist lie a known the
four ~defendaBts several months, but
"HR '@ANA 49, - 49, 49,
row.
George Mehelich. proprietor Of the sa-
loon and dance hall in East Butte
where the row started, was the next
witness. He knew the prosecuting wit
nesses and defendants. There was no
trouble until smith came up and caught
I Crismanovich by the coat. The witness
said he would nave no fighting and put
! him out of the dance hall. He also
put Styer into the dance hall, who was
taking Smiths part. The four defend
ants meanwhile remained i'm the saloon.
They We're just having another drink
when somebody came i'm and said there
was a fight, that somebody was killed.
The witness was positive the four de-
PENDANTS We're i'm the saloon with him at
the time The witness heard three shots
later, but could not tell who fired them.
He did not see any gun ON Wursha. He
saw nobody but Styer.
ON CrOSS-eNaminatiOn Mr.. MpheliCn
denied that he Is in the habit of closing
his eyes every time there Is "A fight
down in his place.
After the nth witness had been ex-
amined, County Attorney Connolly said
he had had enough, and said If the rest
Of the witnesses We're put on the stand
N could doubtless be proven that Smith
had never been shot at all and that
Styer had not been lying i'm the hospital
since July :.
With this evidence" said MIR. Com
molly. Il am satisfied that no jury
would find the defendants guilty. IL is
just a waste Of time to examine any
more Witnesses. and ! move that the
case be dismissed
Ii was dismissed.
Notice To the public is given that |
have Withdrawn from partnership in
I the HFFRa "a II II Iha.l.E q - AIAEa