Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-06
Each Sentenced to Seven Years
In Prison.
GETS 4 YEARS
And Leaves the Room With an I'M
aginary Halo of Bravado
lowering Over Him.

Peter and James CuellO were sentenced
to seven years in the pe%nitentiary by
Judge Clancy this morning for having
shot Dominick Vercello at Meaderville
on the morning of February 10. Jack
Ledford, the young ruffian who, on the
morning of March 20, kicked four teeth
from the mouth of Agnes Stevens, then
broke her jaw with another kick and
polished the job by striking her on the
head with a beer bottle, was given four
years in prison. He left the court room
with a smile on his face and an air of
bravado about him.
The Cuello brothers were sentenced
first and, considering the nature of the
crime to which they pleaded guilty, es-
capped easy. Before stating what the pun
ishment would be the judge spoke of the
course the legal proceedings against
them had taken and asked if they had
anything to say why sentence shoul not
be passed. Evidently not understanding
the question, both sat still, Peter with
his head bowed in grief and James look
ing about him in an apparent attempt
to concentrate his thoughts on something
foreign to the case. Their attorney, j. II.
Wines, answered for them. He said the
defendants had no legal reason to offer,
but as their counsel he desired the atten-
ton Of the court for a minute. He wish
ed, he said, as a sworn officer of the
court to make a statement. 1T is a ma
terial fact in this community as the
papers have published" said he, that a
certain letter written a few weeks ago
by one who was presumed to be a friend
of one of the defendants made it's APP
p~earance in this case. The writing of
that letter was the act of an ignorant.
internleddling oma l knew in a gen.
eral way some things it contained, but
was not cognizant of it's real contents. I
desire to make this statement because
everybody knows Of the letter and be-
cause one Of the morning papers made
some broad illusions to it. When l learn
ed of it's existence l notified the friends
Of these defendants that l wished to
withdraw from the case. I am sure the
defendants are ignorant as to the con-
tents Of the epistle and We're never a
party to it's compilation. When I took
their case they made a statement to me
and nave adhered to it throughout.
Knowing as I did what the prosecution
mad already produced and the existence
Of the letter I advised the defendants to
withdraw their plea of not guilty and
substitute one of guilty, for I knew that
with the contents of that letter before a
jury the verdict could be nothing less
than one of guilty. 1 desire to further
state that neither by word nor action has
either Of the defendants intimated to me
that their statement in the defense would
De other than the one originally made
to mel was not a party to the indicting
or that letter.. nor are the defendants re-
sponsible for it. In sentencing these
men there are others that will suffer
more than the prisoners. and / therefore
ASK that in passing judgment the court
will exercise a. wise discretion and tenn
per justice with mercy
well, in this case" said the Judge. IT
do not know that your clients understood
the English language very well and it is
therefore probably useless to say much
on the subject. This matter has many
bad features. The defendants are
Italians, unable to understand the Eng
llsh ansuage For years prior to coming
to this country they dwelt under an on