Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-12-19
JOHN G0WANS
F0UN GUILTY
CONTINUED from First Page.

for some time before the shooting Of
Brown. He had known Brown since
the fall OF 1896 and had sheared with
him in easOn OF 1898, 1899 and 1900.
OF the quarrel at the pens un the Goth
defendants story differed little from
that "a witnesses for state, except
that he said Brown had abused him
10 n greater extent than detailed
by Others. Gowans also said that
Brown had fnnlly borrowed $40
from one OF the boys and ofieredit To
Guwans demanding the 30 e. change
Mt once. Gowans not having themo-
ucy with him he offered Brown sew
rrHl -aorn sheep to balance accounts
anl tli4 settlement was practically
agreed upon when the noon hour mr.
rived. OI tile trouble uu the 2;irl at
the dinner table his story dii not dill
Ter materially from that ui others.
llr claimed De- though Cor was adj
dressing hlmcuncrruingth the Anderson
giri. After thrcup was thrown Brown
made "a motion 10 throw the saucer
hut WIVES deferred by the cook. lie
said hr believed from threats made
10y Brown that he should leave the
runch and puIt the crew ur that
Brown would surely kill him; that
he did not know where Brown went
when be- lett the dinner table. His
story at The actual killing and the
happenings of the few moments be-
lore was cNuctly the same AZ told by
previous witnesses. He said hc had
been told Brown was n dangerous
man. had hcurd ui n number uitights
Lee had had, knew Brown had II gun
on the ranch If not on his person. lie
said that the foul language used to-
Wgrl him repeatedly 10y Brown
ugul-ud II feeling ui passion md that
be- was acting with that feeling pre-
dominating when he killed Brown.
lie said lac came 10 town aUd tried to
give himself up but found no one ui
The .hgrin's force on hand Finally
Town Marshal Kane caInc and in
gEircl n hc was The man who was
"uylng tu hgcnk into jail" During
tli, recital the members Of the SHEER
ms force seemed nervous und not at
ali ms though they enjoyed it.
Gpwmls' cross examination by
County Attorney Smith Was short
but severe, the principal admission
gained was llut h. really killed
Brown because he would have bccr
prevented from talking by him. II,
said he got the rifle to protect hi-
own life hut could offer no cNplHna.
ton for having pnrsucd Brown and
-huuting him ia tho back.
On redirect Gowns liked the time
bet wrcn the quarrel ana the shot al
five minutes.
saturday morning GDwHns WIFE
again put ON the stand on direct cx.
animation uud said that he had lmt
NO personal malice against Brown
that he Ind known al Brown haviHg
trouble with Ia Smith, L@uutcnbcr@
| John Gunner, ". j. Winnctt, Wheeler
and others. The particulars ui som,
al these QuArrclS were gone into. IN,
defense made privately To- the court
offered To prove certain facts concern
ing Browns quarrcl~, but the matter
was not permitted To go into thcevl
dcnce nor was it made public.
Richard Hills, another OF The shear
rs,tuld the same story as thcOtlers
he fixing the tim, at ten minutcs,a nt
not more than three minutes bet wccI
the time al the men leaving thchous,
ana the firing of the shot.
l.. T.. Bond, another shcarer, CAV,
the time as under six minutes anC
SAUL lltll 'ibN tllr lDuhth lht ~ W Nv
man when he emerged from cabin.
II. C.. krpiOrd, also n shearer, re
duccd the time to II minute. lii
Testimony marked the variance will
McCartney's who had given it shall
an hour.
Then came a lot of character wit
nesses the defense proving by then
that Gowans' reputation for peac,
and quietness had been good and at
tempting to show that Browns wa
bad. Fred France OF TT. Magginnl
was the first. lie had known boil
men and said Browns reputation
was bad and Gowaus' was good. Oh
cross examination he said he hat
known OF Gowans having troubl
with Nick Wctter.
W. IL. Colder Of Alpine, told ubOu
the same.
". j.. Winnett and w. +. Bean CAV
the same replies, hut the state elicite,
IRON them that Winnett had had
personal quarrel with Brown un.
that Bean had been in disagreement
Nith him,
John l;owlry followed In the sam
line.
Dick stuart gave the same test
muuy, but hr had II quarrel Wit
Grown.
Andrew Reynolds III TT. Magginni
Thought GuwuEs a very good ma
and Brown u very bad man. but i
ha1 "a tistir encounter with Brown,
j. H. Elliot aud Jos. l.. Asbridp
Encw of The reputation of both me
i gud sail GowHns' was good IN
Browns was bud. Neither al thvI