The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-02
Oracle Woods Acquitted on the
Charge of Rolling a Visitor.
CONVICTEDOFI MORALITY
Her Companion scorched by the Court
Bench Warrant Found Mrs. Christ
Messner Drunk in a Wood
Box, in Peril.


charge of having robbed one Robert
Couture, gamester of $40, in the wo-
mans crob in the row, one afternoon
last week. Couture took the stand as
prosecuting witness. He described how
he had gone to the woman's crib, re-
manned there an hour or more, and
when about to depart had discovered
s4o in gold and bills missing from his
trousers pocket He was quite positive
the woman had taken it, He admitted
IN answer to question by the court
that he had taken few drinks" before
visiting the crib.
The defendant was asked if she wish
ed to question the witness. She said
she did, and proceeded to ask them
quietly. The witness, Couture did not
improve his case by the answers he
save to this selni-cross-examinati
Didn't invite YOU" put his inquisi-
tor, ito search the room, and even to
search me, when you said you had lost
some money? And didn't you search
the room?'
The big man made some mumblins.
inartculate reply to the little woman's
question, then gave the witness chair
to the defendant. She was sworn and
made her statement. She is a bit Of a
girl, quite young. Though dissipation
shows in every line of her face, her
voice and her speech indicate that
once she was person of some breed
ing. She told, in a low voice, of Cou-
lures visit to her place; she had not
taken his money and did not know he
had much on his person; he had bought
drinks three times; on accusing her of
having robbed him he had first said she
had taken $50, then increased the
amount to $50 and finally charged her
with having stolen $40 from his cloth
ing.
At the conclusion of her statement,
Judge Kennedy said he would consider
the verdict and Oracle was taken back
to her cell
After the disposal of another case she
again was called before the court.
May Have Been Robbed.
Oracle" said the judge, ut is posi-
Bile this man was robbed in your house;
1t is possible you robbed him. But the
testimony adduced before this court
does not warrant me in finding you
guilty of the crime of petty larceny.
You are discharged on that complaint"
The girl bowed her head and said
Thank YOU
But" resumed the court there is
complaint, made by the chief of police,
charging you with keeping a house of
prostitution. To this charge what have
you to say?"
~ don't know, sir" replied the girl,
what to say; don't know what the
the--rules about such things are in this
city. l.
How long have you been in Ana
conda?"
Il just came over from Butte on the
afternoon of the day l was arrested"
And how long had you lived in
Butte?"
six weeks"
Did you ever before follow a life of
prostitution %
No, sir; l was vaudeville girl. This
is the first time in my life l was ever
in crib-and,' with sob, its my last
time
What vaudeville house were YOU en-
ployed in, Gracie?"
In the Montana concert hail."
And this is your first experience in a
life of shame" unused the judge. why
did you leave vaudeville and come to
Anaconda?"
Because, sir" answered the girl, II
was taken sick in Butte with pneumo-
mia and lost my situation. When I was
able to get out again l was penniless.
A man I knew there advised me to go
to Anaconda and-and-take a crib for
few nights. till I could get on nv
feet again. He paid my fare, coming
here with me, and rented the crib for
me. | was to pay him back out of
the money I would earn"
The girl paused. Was this man to
act as a 'capper' for your placer" asked
the court.
No, sir replied the girl
But he was willing you should sell
yourself, in order to put yourself on
your feet! He was a good friend, in
truth! Is he in this city now?"
No. sir: he returned to Butte the
same day l was arrested"
The Courts Hands Itched.
"Ah! He went back to Butte, and left
YOU the moment you got into trouble!
He's creditable man. I'd rather get
my hands on him than on you! He
wouldn't go back to Butte-mmediate-
~ Do you know his name?"
He told me his name was Moffatt-
Tom Moffatt: 1 don't know whether
that's his real name or not"
P well, Oracle" said the Judge, not
unkindly, Il find you guilty of the
charge against you. The lowest fine
the law allows me to impose is $40, This
You will have to pay, or spend five days
in the county Jail. Yes, certainly, you
may send out and try. to get the
money"
The girl was led, sobbing, from the
room.
John Larkin, a laborer, was con-
Nicted of disorderly conduct in Steve
rue. The court was impressed with
the prisoners demeanor, and SUSPENDED
sentence. allowing Mclaughlin to go.
Fred Walenberg, very unkempt
man, who spoke broken English and
shrugged his shoulders like a French
charcoal burner. simultaneously crook
ing his arms and wagging his hands
after the fashion of the ancient Ribli
cal race, was arraigned on the charge
of vagrancy. His idiomatics and phys-
cal Wigglings were quite humorously
srotesque. His case was continued UNI
I'll evening.
The case of Christ Messner, charged
with disturbing the peace by breaking
down the door of his home and threat
ening his wife (who before her mar
riage was Kitty Bracken) with a re-
Nolver, came up in the police court
at last evenings session. Christ who
was out on a $50 bail bond, appeared
promptly for trial, but his wife was
among the missing Judge Kennedy
issued bench warrant for her arrest
and ordered her n he brpuphf hafora