The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-26
WAS A GREAT SURPRISE
Mr.. Trippet Did Not Expect a
Verdict of Acquittal.
OTHER CASES DISMISSED
The County Attorney Makes Few Re-
marks = Thinks 1t Inadvisable to
Prosecute the Charges Against
Shannon and Weatherill.

Yesterday morning in the district
court County Attorney Trippet asked to
have the informations against j. N
Shannon and J. s. Weatherill dis
missed. The men We're charged with
gambling, but in view of the verdict
of the jury in the case against w Il.
Griffin, the county attorney considered
1T inadvisable to prosecute the other
two men.
In making the request Mr.. Trippet
took occasion to make a few remarks
He said that the case against Griffin
was the strongest of the three and that
to say the least the verdict of acquittal
was an amazing one To him. He could
not conceive of a stronger case against
a person accused of crime than that
which the state had made out against
Griffin, and 1t was incomprehensible to
him how the jury could have acquitted
the defendant.
He could explain the jury's action in
one way only, and that was that if the
jury had imposed a fine upon Griffin
they feared that the fine would not
have been paid and in default Griffin
would have gone to the penitentiary
1t was clearly apparent that the jury
did not wish to send him 10 the peni-
tertiary.
There was considerable difference in
the circumstances surrounding the
case of Griffin and those of Weatherill
and Shannon. Griffin he considered a
professional gambler and a single man.
Weatherill was n married man and
since his arrest has engaged in legiti-
mate and honorable occupations and
has given indications of desiring to be-
come an honorable member of society
Shannon had become a cripple and had
family dependent on him. Besides,
said the county attorney the testimony
in the case "A rsiinSt Griffin v.aE far. mora
conclusive than he could offer in the
cases of Shannon and Weatherill He
thought, however. those these two men
could be convicted, though they were
only aiders and abettors, while he con-
sidered Griffin the principal. But in
view of Mondays verdict. he would not
press the matter further, and asked the
court to dismiss the cases.
In concluding his remarks Mr.. Trip
pet gave warning that. though one man
had been acquitted. he would not per-
NIT gambling in Deer Lodge county
His concluding words were
The verdict was very discouraging,
but l want right now to give it out
cold / will prosecute any person
engaged in gambling to whom my
attention may be called. / want it
understood that the failure to convict
in the case tried in this court yesterday
must not be taken as giving a license
to persons to evade the gambling law,
for as long as / am county attorney the
law shall be enforced to the best of my
ability, at least"
The court said that inasmuch as the
jury in Mondays case had brought in
verdict of aequittal, there could be
little hope Of conviction in the other
two cases, and the county attorney
might do as he pleased about dismiss
ing them. The court thought that the
jury had formed its opinion more upon
the merit and wisdom of the law than
upon the evidence in the case. 1t was
the province of the jury to convict or
acquit as in their judgment they saw
fit.
Court will be in session again this
morning al 80 o'clock.