The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-07
THEY GOT SEVEN YEARS
The Cuellos Have a Laugh
Coming.
FOUR YEARS FOR LEDFORD
These Three Men Tried Their Best to
Commit Cold-Blood and Brutal
Murder A Light
Punishment.
Is Judge Clancy losing his nerve?

Is Judge Clancy losing his nerve?
it from the sentences he passed on Peter
and Jim Cuello and Jack Ledford yes
terday, three of the toughest men ever
convicted of crime in the district court.
Each had tried his best to commit muir
der. The Cuellos had waylaid their
victim and shot him full of holes, but
in spite of it he recovered. Ledford's
victim, a frail woman, was beaten
with beer bottle and almost kicked
to death. Ledford was convicted Of as
sault in the second degree and the
Cuellos pleaded guilty to assault in the
first degree, or attempted murder. The
Cuellos We're let off with seven years
in the penitentiary and Ledford got
four years.
Thieves and robbers fare much worse
as a usual thing than murderers. Few
convicted robbers ever get less than 20
years.
The Cuellos We're the first to be sem
fenced yesterday morning. Before SEN
tence was passed their attorney, j. l..
Wines, made a statement to the court.
He said he had no legal cause to show
why sentence Should not be pro-
nounced, but he desired to say some
thing about the Intercepted letter. the
facts of which had become notorious.
He thought it his duty to call the
courts attention to it, The letter was
written, he said, to one of the defend
ants by meddlesome woman and the
defendants had no knowledge of it and
they should not be held accountable for
anything the woman might have writ
ten. Mr.. Wines said one of the news
no haI rlfn TO
who were mentioned in the letter as
having had knowledge of its contents
but for himself, he wanted to say that
he was never guilty of being party
to perjured testimony and never would
be. Mr.. Wines spoke with much feel
ing and said he was satisfied that the
defendants knew nothing about the let
ter or the evidence which the woman
had attempted to set up. on the con-
trary, they always stuck to the story
originally told by them of the shooting
ARRAY. Mr.. Wines said he had re-
ceived an intimation that the inter
cepted letter would get before the jury,
and believing that it would have an eff
feet on the jury he advised the defend
ants to plead guilty, which they did,
The attorney spoke of the wife and
children of Peter Cuello and said the
punishment would reach those who
were guilty of no wrong. AS Mr..
Wines spoke of the children his voice
quavered and his eyes moistened.
In reply, Judge Clancy referred to
the fact that the two defendants, Ital-
ians, had come from kingly country,
governed and oppressed by kings The
only thing that could be said in favor
of the defendants was that they left
their native country to come to Amer
lea, this grand republic--where every
man is a police officer and where every
man should be actuated by a desire to
preserve the peace" The court said
no one would attempt to deny that the
defendants had outraged the laws of
this country to which they had come
for their own betterment. So far as
their families We're concerned, said the
judge, they did not enter into any con-
sideration as far as the law and its
penalties We're concerned. The state
does not take account of individuals in
Furnishing crime. but singly uses them
as examples to deter others from COM
hitting crime. The court then sem
fenced the defendants to seven years
each in the penitentiary, which is
equivalent to four years and nine
months under the good time allowance
Jack Ledford was next sentenced.
Neither the defendant nor his attorney
had anything to say and the court SEN
fenced Ledford to four years, which
means really three years and two
months. The judge said, in pronounc-
ing sentence, that Ledford's assault on
the woman was entirely unprovoked
and without excuse, and that in kick
ing her teeth out and breaking her
jaw he showed a very depraved spirit
Mr.. Mackel attorney for Ledford. said
that at the request of his client he
would ask for stay and time in which
to prepare a bill of exceptions. He was
granted ten days.
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