Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-07
SOLD
DIAMOND RING
THE FACT THAT CONNECTS HIM
WITH THE THEFT OF GRACE
M'GINNIS' GEM.
He ACTED AS HIS OWN
COUNSEL At HEARING.
Charge Against His Partner Is Dis
missed-Case Continued Until
Tuesday.

The preliminary hearing in the case OF
the state against Charles Harris. charged
with the theft of a diamond-set ring,
valued at $500. from Grace McGinnis. on
August 2S, was commenced in Justice
Nichols court today, but on account OF
the absence of material witnesses for the
prosecution a continuance was asked for
and granted until l o'clock next Tues
day, after three persons had been exam
ined.
The charge against c.. E. Thompson,
who bought a precious stone from
Harris on the day of the theft, and was
therefore accused of having received
stolen property, on the supposition that
the stone was the one stolen from Miss
McGinnis, was dismissed at the request
of the prosecution.
Harris and Thompson are colored.
Harris acted as his own counsel, but did
not ask many questions of those who
testified against him.
Grace McGinnis stated that Harris had
worked for her as a porter about three
weeks. About 1880 on the day of the
robbery she had missed the ring. On
the night before a gentleman had given
her some jewelry to keep for him and
she had locked it in a bureau drawer
along with her own valuab!es. She had
worn the ring during the night and laid
it away in the morning. She had not
seen it since it's disappearance. but two
men, musicians. had told her they had
seen it pawned for $40. She might have
pulled the ring from the drawer and
dropped it on the floor at the time she
took out her visitors jewelry to return
to him.
Detective Murphy testified that he had
arrested Harris, but he knew nothing
about the theft save what the defend
ants partner had told him.. There was
some kind of a deal between them by
which the partner was to give to Harris
some money as a consideration. Harris
bod ox-o~ o1r,iftaI Ln had fhn rir hut
his partner had said he had sold a stone
for $17.
J. c. Thompson of 222 South Arizona
street said he knew Harris. IN the 2Sth
of last month Harris had entered his
place of business at 1913 South Arizona
and expressed a desire to enter a friendly
game. Harris said he a no money,
but had called witness to one side and
offered to sell him a stone for $40. He
did not know the value of the stone and
would not have thought of giving $40 ON
it had not a man called Tom. the bar
keeper, said it was worth it. Harris had
the stone wrapped in a piece OF tissue
paper. He had given Harris the money
n gone out. Returning two hours
later he missed the stone and asked Tom
to search him. Tom had not known the
SO had been paid. Tom had searched
the witness and also Harris, but did not
find the stone Harris, he said, had told
him another man had given him the
stone anu the $lV Hdu DeeH given It'll
only until the following day. Thompson
further said he was drinking at the time,
which was nothing to his credit; that
he had been told a good test for q gem
uine stone was to place it in the dark
and if it could be seen 1t was all right.
He had placed it in a dark hole, but
could see nothing. After he got the
stone from Harris he had placed it in
an upper pocket of his vest. Harris and
the barkeeper had both searched him for
the spark after it's loss was discovered.