Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-09
DUskY R0bBER
IS BOUND OVER
|Held-up James Viers in Broad
Daylight.
STORY OF THE VICTIM
johnson Knocked Him Down and
Robbed Him-The R0bber
Identified.
STORY OF THE VICTIM

g. johnson, a young colored man, was
given a preliminary hearing in Justice
Nichols court today on a charge of rob-
berry, n was bound over to the district
court in the sum of $3.50.
The complaining witness was James G.
VIers of Williamsburg, whose occupation
Is that Of night Waterman at he old
Colorado concentration. According to the
story of the affair Viers was deliberately
knocked down and robbed of $50 in the
broad light Of day, lei the corner Of
Renshaw hall allev and Galena street,
last Friday. Several persons witnessed
the assault and, consequently, Johnson
was arrested.
Uncle Peter Birch, a colored man,
employed ON the ranch of Leckhart &
! Clunie, was ONE Of those who raw 1t.
Oats de man., as sure as dere's a God
In heaben," said Peter, pointing his fin
ger at JOhnsOn. II saw him trip Viers,
hit him. put his han in Viers' pocket.
and then pull it out and run. We had
been drinking In the Afro-American club
and my tab called for $4.1O. l treated
the whole house and got eight drinks for
a dollar"
Peter also said that in the saloon John
son took Viefs into a back and
talked to him, and when Viers left the
place Johnson accompanied him..
The complaining witness told the story
OF the robbery. He said he had come up
town about 10 o'clock. At the corner Of
Main and Park streets he had met
"Uncle Peter" and Peter had asked him
to go and take a drink. He had accepted
the invitation and they had gone to the
clubs saloon. on West Galena street.
Johnson was there. After he left the sa-
loom johnson had assaulted him in an
alley and robbed him of the money. He
exhibited two marks on his head where
he said johnson had struck him. He de-
scribed the character of the money, add
Ing that 1t was a portion Of his salary
and he had just drawn it. Although
dazed by the blows administered, he had
felt Johnson put his hand in his pocket
and extract the cash. He had grappled
with the defendant, but has been over
| come.
On cross-exaGination the defense made
an attempt to show that Viers had gam
bled and drank his money and put up a
5ob on johnson to prevent trouble at
home, but 1t failed to work. Asked If he
had not dome something Of the kind be-
fore, HE answered in the negative. For
the benefit of the prisoners counsel he
traced himself from the time he landed
in the city until the assault was made,
going from store to store and telling
about the duration of time he had snent
in eac place.
James J. Ross another colored man.
said he had been in the saloon at the
time Viers and johnson We're there and
had seen them leave together. johnson
had hold of Viers' arm. When near Rem
shaw hall alley johnson had "hauled Off,
and struck Viers.
Ross did not know anything about the
robbery, but sal johnson was iavine
pretty close to Viers.
CHARLES NJ. Watts, barkeeper at the
club, stated that all of the nartias u,are
a little full. He had not seen the assa,1t
out a seen viers and johnson 20 into
q back rom together and had seen them
leave the saloon. He had known .Tohn-
son about six months. ~
fered. was OF