Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-23
TESTIMONY
SUBMITTED
CHARLES VERONA. WITH
MURDER, WILL SOON KNOW
HIS FATE.
SOME OF THE USES OF
WOOD ALCOHOL TOLD.
Defendant Alleges that He Did not
Know Redskins Were Partial
to the Beverage.

Charles Verona, the Wyoming street
tailor, who has been on trial in Judge
Clancy's court during the last two days
for alleged responsibility for the death
of three Indians who drank wood alcohol
last February, will soon know whether
he is considered guilty or not guilty of
the charge of murder. The testimony
was all submitted today. and it is peg
sible that the jury will get the case
before night.
During the morning session Verona
testified on his own behalf, and created
a sensation BY branding William Nc
Grath as criminal liar. He also took
whrl at James Leyden, chief Of po-
lice attributing to him the remark
Hang the Dutch -- ---."
Frank p. Shannon "a druggist at the
Fair drug store, testified that he had
sold erona some wood alcohol on the
18th of last February. Verona. he said,
had asked him for a cheap grade of
alcohol adding that he wanted 1t for
clothes-cleaning purposes. The witness
said he had labeled the stuff poison
William McGrath, sergeant of police,
told the court and judge he had escorted
\eEOHd 1TOul the Clly 10 lue county Jdll,
and that while on the way the prisoner
had told him he had torn the poison
label from the demijohn, and was sorry
the Indians We're dead.
Verona said he was born in Austria
in 1852 and had been in America six
teen years. He once had wife, having
been married nineteen years ago. His
residence in Butte covered a period Of
eleven years. He told of dealings he
had with the Cree Indians during his
sojourn in Butte, but these dealings
We're in a fur line. Getting down to the
alcohol business, he said Phillis Car
dinal had called at his place of busi-
ness about 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon
of February Is, and asked him to get
some alcohol. He had questioned Car
dinal as to the purpose for which he
wanted the liquid and Cardinal told
him he intended to use it for cleaning
purposes.
When I went to the drug store after
the liquid" said he, II told the drug
gst l wanted it for redskins. ! never
bought alcohol for any Of them prior
to that time. I did not know the Indi-
ans We're in the habit Of drinking the
liquid"
On cross-examination Verona was
asked if he did not know, at the time
he got the alcohol, it was a peniten-
tiary offense to procure Intoxicating
liquors for Indians, and he replied in
the negative, adding that since his in
generation in Jail he had learn
ed different. He further said
the testimony given by Mr.. McGrath
was false "In his own heart he knows
it is false" said Verona. He swore
fol Wbar 7 fIyac on tho staps bo
city Jail. just being taken from the city
Jail to the county Jail, Jim Leyden said
to McGrath: Hang the Dutch - -
"Who was there when Leyden said
that?" asked Mr.. Connolly.
THE iailer-not Mr. Boyle but the
stout man. Leyden might have said it
for fun. He also said: See how quick
you can run against that hill"
William McGrath was recalled for fur
ther cross-examination. The witness
said he had testified at the coroner's in
quest, and believed he had said at that
time that Verona had told him he had
torn the tag from the demijohn. Mr..
McGrath was shown the testimony Civ
en- by him at the inquest. 1t contained
nothing about the conversation alleged
to have taken place between himself and
the prisoner while on the way from the
city to the county JAIL but the witness
added that to the best of his recollection
he had given the testimony.
A Mr. Mitchell, who was in Verona s
place of business at the time the Indians
applied to Verona for alcohol, told the
story of the murder of the Spanish dog
by the Indians and the delivery of the
animals hide in Veronas shop.
1--WE offer the skin in evidence" said
Attorney Gilchrist, tossing black wool
ly object over towards the stenographer
"Is the dog dead?" asked the judge.
William l.. Wise, a tailor and furrier
said he knew Verona only by sight, but
had an intimate acquaintance with wood
alcohol. 1t was used for various purpos.
es, such as cleaning, dyeing and dressing
| furs. Until about year ago witness had
done some trading with Indians. He did
| not know Phillis Cardinal. Indians had
| often asked him for alcohol, saying they
| wanted it for cleaning and tanning pur.
| poses, but he did not know whether they
| were Crees.
| C F. Fisher, also a tailor, said tha
wood alcohol was used by tailors FOL
cleaning dog skins, and M. S. Abram ant
| H. Friedlander gave similar testimony
the latter adding that Phillis CarGna
| had once called on him with his littlt
| demijohn and asked for "firewater.'
After the latter had finished recess
| until l o'clock was taken in order to Civ,
the sheriff a chance to capture the stem
| osrapher who took the testimony at tn,
coroners inquest on the body of the In
dians, the testimony of that gentleman
| heing desired by the defense