The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-26
.NETTIE WILSON IS FREE
She Was Found Not Guilty Of
the Murder of Barrett.
1T WAS NOT UNEXPECTED
The Defendant Was Weeping Woman
and There Was Not Evidence
Enough to Prove the Killing
Was Not an Accident.

Nettie Wilson, who shot and killed
Jacob Barrett, was declared not guilty
! of murder yesterday afternoon by the
jury that tried her. and she is again
free woman. Her acquittal was not
unexpected, in fact few looked for a
| different result, because there was suf-
ficient room in which to raise doubt
that the killing was other than an ac
cident, and then. too, the defendant
was a weeping woman, frail creature,
and the jurors We're sympathetic men.
What other result could have been ex-
| pected?
The facts of the killine as they had
been generally understood before the
jury decided otherwise, was that the
woman. on the 18th of last December,
went to the room of her lover Arthur
Donnelly, with whom she had had
quarrel. and after taking another drink
of whiskey, she grabbed revolver
from the bureau and started toward
Donnelly, who was lying on a bed.
"Jakey' Barrett. who was in the room,
saw that she meant harm to Donnelly
and he sprang at her and tried to take
the gun away from her. She resisted
and told him to go away In the scuffle
for the possession of the revolver it was
discharged, either accidentally or
through sudden anger in the woman,
and Barrett was shot through the head
and killed The SHOOTING was most
probable accidental but it is also be-
lieved that it was the womans inten-
tion to kill her 'lover," or at least to
make bluff at him. The jury, how
ever. decided that she had no such in
tention and that the whole business
was an unfortunate accident
The Woman's trial was concluded at
an early hour yesterday morning. The
arguments were brief and the case
went to the jury at 1890 o'clock. At
3:15 o'clock they came into court with
the verdict. Before it was read the de-
fendant was very nervous until the YER
dict was picked out from number of
other papers by Judge Clancy, and her
attorney, j. l.. Wines, recognized it as
the verdict of not guilty and spoke as
suringly to his client. Her face bright
ened up Instantly and then the verdict
was read, after which her attorney
shook her by the hand and Judge
Clancy said he hoped she would in
future be "a better person" than she
had been before she got into her pres
ent trouble. She did not promise to be
better, however, but walked out of the
court room, where she awaited the
jurors, and as they passed her she
/
received the congratulations of a num-
Der of her acquaintance and hard
featured friends from the lower part of
town. Then she went back into jail
gave her friends there goodbye, got a
few of her belongings and passed out
into the world with 40 blood of a fell
low creature on her hands and her con-
science weighted with the responsibility
of his death.
That's the story. .o
When the trial was resumed yester-
day morning Mr.. Wines. in opening the
defense, made a statement to the jury
and said he claimed and it would be
shown that the shot was fired acct
dentally and that the defendant had no
thought of killing Barrett. or any one
else. She thoughtlessly picked up the
revolver from the bureau and Barrett,
thinking that she contemplated sui
eide. jumped up and grabbed the gun
and she, fearing that something would
happen, for an instant retained her
hold on the weapon and in the tussle 1t
was accidentally discharged and Bar
rett was killed.
Arthur Donnelly. the fellow who had
lived with the defendant was the first
witness for the defense and he contra
dicted the testimony of Police Captain
Dawson relative to what was said and
done in the room after the shooting.
Donnelly said the woman had been des-
pendent and in i'll health and several
times had threatened to commit sui
eide, and Barrett knew that she had
made such threats. The witness denied
that the woman told Captain Dawson
that Barrett had stepped between her
self and Donnel1y and tried to act as
peacemaker The witness said it was
himself that made a remark about the
peacemaker but by that he meant that
Barrett had been good friend of both
and had tried to 'get them together
again.
On cross-eXamination Mr. Connolly
read from a transcript of the evidence
before the coroner's jury. in which
Donnelly had testified, regarding the
shooting. that Barrett had jumped up
and tried to act as peacemaker.
You are at this time particularly
friendly toward this defendant, are you
not?"
II am only friendly in this way, that
I know it is an accident"
Donnelly was asked if it was not a
fact that he was putting up money for
the defense. and he ~nid he had paid
s62 to the woman's attorney, but had
not agreed to pay any more. though
he would pay it If the attorney said he
owed it.
Nettie Wilson, the defendant, was
next put on the stand and was asked
about the statement of Captain Daw-
son that she had told him that when
she started for Donnelly, Barrett
stepped between them and attempted
to act as peacemaker. She said she
went to Donnelly's room because she
had heard that he was sick Her feel
mgs toward him at the time were
friendly, and she went to his room for
no other purpose than to make
friendly visit. She was also a friend
of Barrett and never had any trouble
with him or i'll feeling toward him. The
witness said she had for a long time
been i'll and had been subject to spells
of dependency. and that she had sew
eral times said to Donnelly that she
might just as we'll put an end to her
life as to be sick all the time. She
said she was altogether sober when she
went to Donnelly's room on the night
of the killing. While Donnelly was
drinking the milk punch offered him by