The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-12-17
GRANVILLE HAD PLAN
TO WORK" THE
RAILWAY
Ex-Convict Gives Testi-
mony in Trial of the
Supposed Bandit.
SPECIAL no THE INTER MOUNTAIN.


Helena, Dec. I7.-Morc evidence was in
troduced by the state today tending to
connect Isaac Gravele with the blackmail.
ing letters sent to the Northern Pacific
road. Evidence considered very damaging
To the accused was offered. This consisted
OF the testimony Of former convict who
told what the accused said 10 him in the
pcnitentiary about plans for raising money
from the company, and the testimony OF an
expert on writing paper. The latter gave
testimony tending TO connect Gravellc
with the letters sent to the company.
T. j. Murphy, an ex-convict testified
that in the penitcntiary he occupied cell
under James Macarthur, who, it will be
recalled, was hung for the murder of
Dotson.
To "Work" the Railroad.
Gravelle asked Murphy to change cells,
as he wanted to be under Macarthur.
Gravele told the witness he and Nc.
Arthur had plan to escape from the pen
itentiary and to work" the railroad for
money. Later Macarthur did get out,
killed old man Dotson, was recaptured in
the Bitter Root country and hanged.
Evidence was then offered to show that
of the six threatening letters sent to the
railroad at least two were written in the
penitentiary by Harvey Whitton, a fellow
convict Of the accused. The letters we're
written OH stationery the same as furnished
by the Stratton School of Correspondence
for conviets and others. The letters were
carried from the penitentiary by Gravclle
in cane, when he was released, and
mailed in Butte after the envelopes had
been purchased there.
W. j. MacIIaffe, a Helena stationer,
tcstifyng as an expert on paper, identified
some of the letter paper in the letters as
being the same as that furnished by the
Stratton School Of Correspondence. TAX
ing the letter paper furnished by the
school and that contained in three Of tine
threatening letters he pointed out to the
jury that they were the same.
Envelopes the Same.
He also explained to the jury that the
envelopes inclosing the letters were the
same as the unused ones found in Gra-
velle's grip. The state introduced in evi-
dcncc a tablet of writing paper belonging
to Bessie Shanks, a Helena school girl
and MacHaffic compared this with some Of
the letter paper in other threatening let
ters, claiming the latter was torn from
the tablet The state expects to show that
the accused was acquainted with the
Shanks girl and prevailed upon her to loan
him the tablet upon which he wrote other
threatening letters.
During the trial yesterday afternoon the
prosecution sprung sensation when a
letter was offered in evidence that tended
to show that the accused tried to blackmail
the Great Northern road also. 1t was ad-
dressed to ]. w. Blabon, fourth vice presi-
dent Of the Great Northern and postmarked
Cascade. The road was asked for
81 1000 under the same sort of threat
contained in the letters to the manage
ment of the Northern Pacific. Last fall
when several newspapers printed story
to the effect that the Great Northern had
received such letter it was denied by the
CONTINUED on Page Five.)