The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-07-29
An Error Of Judgment Was the Mos,
Serious Offense That Could Be
Charged Against Him-Many
Mistakes Have Given Har-
ris Hard Time Since
He Came to Butte.

NA~ O~ee>~
Robert Harris a well known race
horse man, was taken into custody yes
terday on two charges He was, sus-
pected of completely in the robbery of
a diamond stud from the shirt bosom of
c. r. Rockwell at Columbia Gardens
last Sunday and identified by Mrs. Rock
well. He was also charged with hold
ing out 5000 alleged to be given him by
Dan McGinniss of Idaho to bet on a
horse at the track last Saturday. As to
the first charge. 1t is but fair to say that
Harris was out of town all day Sunday
on a fishing trip with John Campbell,
the we'll known race-horse owner. As
to the second charge there is a conflict
of authority. both the pool sellers at the
track being certain that he bet the
money to the amount stated, though of
course they do not know whether on the
right horse or not.
Last night Hugh Wilson procured the
release of Harris, as none who knew
the latter believed him guilty of the
offenses charged, and he was never
known to be in any such trouble before.
His appearance is the very OPPOSITE of
that of man given to such petty
crime. This morning the NEcC.inniss
COlilUidlil as utSlll1SceN, DuL HARRIS was
held on the other charge. and. plead ing
not guilty, the charge was set for July 6.
The diamond which Rockwell lost has
caused no end of trouble for the po'ice
since it's disappearance. Several peop'e
have been held pending Investigations
of the affair. but one after another they
were DISCHARGED. as no evidence connect
ing them with the affair could be Sc
cured.
Mr.. Rockwell, together with his wife,
visited Columbia Gardens last week,
and when they We're returning home the
diamond stud which Mr. Rockwell had
been wearing in his shirt front was
missed. The matter was reported to the
police department, and Detective Muir
ply has given his attention to the case
since that time. The big detective is de-
termined to locate the guilty person ana
recover the diamond for Mr.. Rockwell if
possible.
The first complaint unon which Harris
was detained by the police is one booked
under the axiom THE same old story"
Mr.. McGinnis is an elderly gentleman
with an open countanance and very
pleasant to converse with. lie states
that he first met Harris in Harmon $
saloon. The Idaho man declares that
Harris mac de him believe that they had
been good friends mum Der of years ago.
and soon Mr. McGinn:s confided in him.
He wanted to bet some money on the
horse races. if he could win. Harris
knew how he could do it without fail SO
was fixed up without further delay No
Ginnis gave Harris 5000 which he was
to place o nthe horse, Sir Dougal &C
cording to the story of the former. He
did not see Harris again until after the
last race Saturday when Harris said that
he had bet the money on Mont Ea gle.
McGinnis expected to receive consider
able money from the tout as Sir Dougal
had taken first place and he therefore
concluded that he was being jobbed when
he got nothing in return for his 5000 but
a few pieces of pasteboard which might
have been cashed had the front horse
dropped dead coming W the stretch as
he expressed it.
When Harris was searched at the Jail
he had in his possession nearly 800 and
a ticket to San Francisco. He stated
that it was his intention to leave for the
coast that afternoon.
Harris is sai@g to have witnesses to
prove that he was not at Columbia Gar
dens on the evening Mr.. Rockwell lost