The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
THREATENED MRS. KITTY
And the Court Found Christ
Messner Guilty.
NOW HE'S DONE WITH HER
Wife Told How Husband Had Menaced
Her With a Butcher Knife and
Gun-He Denied It, But
Yves Convicted

The longpending trial of Christ Mess
ner on the charge of disturbing the
peace by breaking in the door of his
home and with a knife and pistol
threatening to slay his wife, was the
feature of yesterdays police court.
Christ was convicted. and Judge Ken
nedy suspended sentence with the very
distinct caution that the next infrac-
ton of the peace of Anaconda by the
defendant would land him behind prison
bars as surely as the court held the
bench. Christopher was not desperate
ly polite during the course of the judic
| ial proceedings, nor did the magistrates
| consideration in suspending sentence
serve to improve his temper.
In mandatory conference at the
close OF the case. when CHRISTOPHER
stood on one side, the prosecuting at
torney and Mrs. Christopher on the
other side-all three in front of the
judges bench, the husband shook his
fist in the air and declared vehem-
entity:
"All right! BY -. I'll leave her alone
from now on!-I'll never look at her
again."
IF you two can't get along together,
and it appears you can't that's the very
best thing you can do" replied the
Judge
Mrs Kitty (nee Bracken) seemed to
think the court was correct, but she
said nothing.
Mr. Shovlin. the Messners' landlord,
was in court and took occasion to pro-
test to Judge Kennedy after the trial.
that he could no longer and would no
longer tolerate the husband and wife,
or either of them. as his tenants. With
their constant brawling, he said, they
We're running the value Of his property
by giving the neghborhood bad name:
and twas just this: If they didn't get
out he'd have 'em put our, for the rent
was now overdue.
Then the Judge said they'd have to
get out. at once. Mrs. Messner pleaded
she had no money to pay the rent, no
| money to have the furniture moved and
| no place to go. Mr.. Duffy told Messner
the manly thing for him to do would be
| to secure lodging for his wife, pay q
months rent in advance, pay the ex-
| pense of moving her things-which
wouldn't be more than dollar, and
then let her go her way The wife said
she could take in sewing and support
herself Gf her husband would not sup
port herr, as soon as she grew little
stronger Messner grumbled that he
had no money: but MI Duffy was quite
Finally the loving husband went off in
some sort of mood, leaving his wife
in the court room.
Messner appeared in court without
counsel. Whether he put his faith in
the merits of his case or fondly dreamed
of acquittal through the efficiency OF
frequent Interruptions and denials from
himself. deponent sayeth not; but Ger
tain it is that Christopher was astride
the long end of the judicial see-saw and
badly NEEDED some heavyweight legal
light to act as ''candle-man" for him;
having none, the marvel is that when
Christophers see-saw suddenly col
lapsed he was not thrown with more
violence.
Conjugal Earthquakes.
Officer Powers was the first witness
called. He testified, by way of pre-
amble, to the frequency of the recent
social eruptions which had threatened
the physical permanency of the Mess
ners' conjugal retreat: Furthermore, how
he had encountered Mrs. Kitty's hus
band on the street and admonished him
to stay away and leave Mrs. Kitty to
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