Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-27
LANG t BOUND
OVER FOR LIBEL
CHARGED ENGINEER BoRDNER
WITH STEALING COAL FROM
HIS ENGINE.
THE TESTIMONY PURGED
BORDNER OF ACCUSATION,
Lang Trapped by Railroad Detective
Could Not Give Bond and Goes
to Jail.

John F. Lang, charged with having
libeled w. BOrdner, an engineer on the
Montana Central railroad, by writ lg an
anonymous letter to Superintendent Ross
on May %, and claiming in the epistle
that Bordner was surreptitiously supply
ing Mrs. Parker, his landlady, with coal
from his locomotive, was given a pre-
liminary hearing in Justice Nichols court
today and bound over to await the ac-
ton of the district court, his bond being
fixed at 1000. Not being able to procure
sureties, he was sent to the county Jail.
The testimony in the case completely
purged Mr.. Bordner Of the accusation
against him and branded Lang as either
a nav or a fit subject for a commission
on insanity. 1t also showed that the
company has in it's employ a detective of
no mean ability, for it was through his
efforts that Lang was trapped into an
admission of guilt. After the letter was
received by the superintendent the COM
pany's detective called on Lang and got
him to make written application for a
job on the road. This was for the pur-
pose of obtaining his handwriting for
comparison with the writing Of the
anonymous ktter. Lang looked upon the
suggestion of the detective with sus-
picion, but took the baf and was landed
without the aid of a net. The two letters
were then turned over to Attorney j. l..
Wines and that gentleman called Lang
1Allo MS OAAlSC " a ldlh. Alll
admitted having written the anonymous
communication. The attorney told him
he had done Mr.. Bordner a great wrong
and it would be nothing more than right
for him to make the proper ~retraction.
Thu attorney made arrangements for a
the latter failed to keep the date and
crimina proceedings against him fol-
lowed.
Lang had no counsel to defend him at
the hearing today. He insisted upon tell
ing his story of the affair, but the more
he said the deeper he became immersed
in the meshes of his own folly.
w. Bordner, the complaining witness,
testified that his occupation was that of
a locomotive engineer. He was in the
employ of the Montana Central Railroad
company, doing duty in the yard, which
extended to a point about a mile beyond
.Voodville. He was shown the letter writ
ten by Lang to j. T.. Ross, an officer Of
the company, located at Great Falls, and
identified it as the one he had received
from Mr.. Ross. The latter had given ii
to him at his request, sending it through
the company's mail some time after June
II. AS to the allegation in the letter to
the effect that he had thrown coal from
the locomotive for the benefit of Mrs.
Parker or anyone else he said it was false.
Mil Skunk, who fires the locomotive
for Mr.. Bordner, testified that he was
with Bordner during the entire month of
May and he had never seen him throw
coal from the locomotive. If Bordner
had done such a thing he would have
certainly known it.
John S.Ross, yard foreman and switch
man for the company, testified that he
was with Bordner's engine from May Is
to June IL and he had never seen him
throw coal from the locomotive. Had
Bordne done such a thing he, too, would
have known it. The allegation that he
had done SO was false.
Emmett F. Wornack, one of Bordner's
switchmen. said Bordner had not thrown
coal from the engine and that the state
ment made by Lang was false.
r.. A. Haughley. another switchman
was very emphatic in saying that the &C.
cusation made by Lang was false.
Ralph Parker, IA years Did, residing a.
635 East Park street, said he was a sor
of Mrs. Parker, who kept a boarding.
house; that Mr.. Bordner boarded at hi;
house; that Mr.. Bordner had never
thrown coal from his locomotive for him
to pick up or for any other member o,
his family to pick up.
Lang testified in his own behalf, an6
in view of the fact that he was his own
counsel was informed by the court thai
1t was not compulsory, as what he would
say might be used against him. He said
he desired to testify. "On Thursday
evening I came home" said he, land
heard a noise in the stable. back of Mrs
k house. The next morning I saw
a wagonload Of oal standing there. A