The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-28
He MAY Be IN FOR LIFE
James w. Lacey Is Fixture at
the County Jail.
CAN'T GIVE PEACE BONDS.
He Threatened to Exterminate His
Whole Family-Habeas Corpus Pro-
ceedings Did Not Materials
ize in His Favor.

James w. Lacey, who has been in the
county JAIL or rather in the custody
of the sheriff since about the 1st of last
October, because of his ina bility to give
$500 bond to keep the peace, will have
to remain in Jail at least four months
longer, if not for life, under the decis
ion made by Judge Clancy yesterday in
a habeas corpus proceeding. Lacey
threatened to kill his wife, and she had
him arrested and placed under bonds,
in default of which he was sent to Jail.
For Some months, however,. he has
been acting as trusty at the Jail, and
because Of the liberties thus allowed
him his wife has been very much put
out and has several times complained
to the sheriff. About a week ago Lacey
concluded that he had been under re-
straint long enough, and his attorney,
NJ. D. Kelly. commenced habeas corpus
proceedings. The constitutional ques
ton whether man could be kept in
jail for life for failure to give peace
bond was raised, but when the case
came up for hearing yesterday Lacey's
Deputy County Attorney Kelly under
took to represent both the state and the
defendant.
At the request of the court a number
of witnesses were subpoenaed and eX-
amined for the purpose of determining
whether the justice of the peace had
acted properly in requiring a bond to
keep the peace Mrs. Lacey testified
that on the LIST of last October her hus-
band asked her to call at the Silver
Bow block for the purpose of signing
some papers. She did so and then he
followed her, out into the hall and
threatened to put an end to her right
there. On the 9Th of the same month
he came home and kicked in the front
door of the house and told her that he
intended to commit murder before he
went away.
William Beebe, a sonin-law of La
cey. testified that he was at the house
when Lacey kicked in the door and he
went out and gave Lacey "a swipe in
the neck and a few kicks in the ribs
Beebe said he had heard Lacey make
all kinds of threats to kill and to exter-
inmate the whole neighborhood.
Attorney W. D. Burbage, another
witness, testified that he had had a talk
with Lacey about the time of the
trouble with his wife, and Lacey said
he intended to kill the whole - out
fit"
w G: Pfouts said Mrs Lacey had
several times fled to his house for ref
uge.
Lacey put all the witnesses through a
crosS-eXaminatiOn and then went on the
stand himself. He said the stories
about him threatening to kill anyone
were all mOOnshne. He said he was
an honest, Woodworking man and if
allowed to get out he would be good
and provide for his family. He blamed
Beebe for all his trouble. Beebe, he
said, was no good and had not earned
$50 in any one year in six and he could
prove it.
Judge Clancy told Lacey that he was
extremely sorry that he was powerless
under the law to do anything for him,
and especially as Lacey had worked
hard and earnestly in trying to inf1u-
ence the court by telling the latter, that
he, too, was a native of Missouri. The
judge said that knowing Lacey as we'll
as he did he thought a year in jail
would do him no harm, in fact, it might
do him good by giving the whiskey in
him time to soak out, and so Lacey was
remanded to the custody of the sheriff.