The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-17
otto S|EGEL FREE AGAIN
Couldn't Prove His Ice Was
Impure.
THE CASE is DISMISSED
It Resulted in Nearly a Personal En-
counter Bstween Two OF the
Attorneys The City
Attorney Scored.

Missoula, Aug. 1.-THE ice quaran-
tine business had another airing in the
court room of Justice Houtchens this
afternoon. The hearing was an inter-
esting and exciting one and attracted
large crowd. At one time it looked
as If there would be a personal encoun-
ter between two of the attorneys, but
the trouble was averted and the case
proceeded.
Mr.. Siegel was arrested this time on
complaint that charges him with the
violation of the quarantine order of the
board of health. A jury was demanded
by the attorneys for the defense and
some time was spent in securing Jurors.
When the trial was begun it was late
in the afternoon and it looked as if the
court would be in session for most of
the night. Happily, however. the trial
was brought to sudden termination
by the motion of City Attorney Hughes
to dismiss the case
The incidents that led up to this mo-
ton were full of interest. The trouble
began when Attorney Evans, for the
defense, in cross-examining a witness,
asked if the ice that he bought of Mr..
Siegel was good. The city attorney OBJ
jected to this question upon the ground
that it had nothing to do with the case.
The attorneys for the defense argued
that upon the question of the quality
of the ice depended the whole case and
that it was the duty of the city attor-
ney to first prove that the Ice was
| impure before he could show that a
quarantine had been properly estab-
lished. The matter was argued at
| length The defense presented author
| tiles and presidents sustaining their
contention and the city attorney mis-
quoted what these attorneys read. The
arguments had progressed to the point
where Attorney Evans for the defense,
was arguing as to the motive of the
| prosecution, which he alleged was not
| the purest in the world. He said that
the present hearing was the result of
| a broken promise on the part of the
city attorney, who had told him Mon
! day morning that the case would be
dismissed. and then when the principal
witness for the defense had left town
he had called the case for trial without
giving the defense time for preparation.
| He scored the city attorney severely
and the audience was enjoying the
situation. when City Attorney Hughes
stood up and reached across the desk
of Justice Houtchens for an iron
weight that lay there. AS he seized the
weight, Attorney Evans exclaimed:
Drop that" and stepped forward to
| take it from him. Justice Houtchens
interfered and Attorney Hughes dis
avowed any intention of using the
weight for purposes Of assault. Attor-
ney Evans then apologized and the case
proceeded. Mr.. Hughes denied that he
had promised to dismiss, the case and
then the court decided that the prose
| cution must prove that the ice was i'm
pure before it could show that that q
proper quarantine had been estab-
lshed. Attorney Hughes said that he
was not able to prove that the ice was
impure and asked that the case be dis
missed. This was done and Otto Siegel
is free again.