The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-03

PLEADED GUILTY TO one COUNT
Declares He Will Earn All the "Good Time'' Possible
and Thus Shorten Years of Imprisonment
Followed Fathers Advice

Butte, March 1.-George C. Cole
yesterday in Judge McCleran's court,
pleaded to the charge of robbing Ex-
press Messenger A. E. Devoe of SO,
property Of the Northern Pacific Ex-
press company. Judge 8McClernan
upon the prisoner waving the statu-
tory time in which judgment would
be passed, Immediately sentenced
Cole to 20 years at hard labor in the
ate penitentiary.
Cole appeared in court without an
attorney, John r. Grice having with
drawn through filing notice of such
intention just before court adjourned
Friday evening. Cole refused the
offer of the court to appoint another
attorney and defiantly stated that he
would go through with the whole thing
this morning.
The first bill of information read
was that charging Cole with robbing
w. M. Bell of rs cents.
In answer to this charge Cole said:
II plead not guilty to that charge" Z"
When the bill charging the robbery
of tDeyoe was read, Cole replied: II
plead guilt to that charge" To the
assault in the first degree on the per-
son of G. G. Hotrum, Dan Boyle, An
gus Macarthur. w. H. Bell, Henry JON
drow and George OFT. Cole pleaded not
guilty
Pleads Not Guilty.
County Attorney Breen suggested
that probably the prisoner did not
understand that the assault referred
tc consisted of the firing of rifle or
gun at the men named. Cole said he
understood, but that he had not COM
mitted those offenses.
You have under the law" said the
court, two days time before judg-
ment shall be pronounced on you
Cole swung his hat and stepped
jauntil forward as he said: ooh,
we'll, I'll take il right now.'
mo; ! haven't any reasons, but l
want to say few things" in reply
to the question whether or not he had
any reasons to give why sentence
should not be passed.
"All right, proceed
"Well. l want to say that as far as
taking anything from any person,
didn't take anything from anybody.
shot over their heads.
1T is very likely, isn't it, that
tried to kill anybody when, as far as
this Jondrow is concerned, | stepped
in between him and my partner to
keep my partner from shooting him.
It's very likely I'd do that if wanted
to kill anybody, isn't it?
$50 far as this man OFT is concern
ed, he said himself shot over his
head, and he said it was about three
feet over his head. That shows
wasn't trying to kill anybody.
$50 far as there being SO or 60 shots
fired, why that was not so. 1 only
had ID shells when l went out there"
did you shoot along side of the
train with the rifle?" asked the coun-
ty attorney.
81 shot over their heads, and I used
13 of the Shells"
Along the train?"
"No; l shot over their heads. I
didn't shoot at anybody. If wanted
to kill anybody | could have used
The shell had left when that fellow
came to the door of the car and began
'rhat Macarthur charge. Why,
shot three times with the revolver
and fired all of the charges into the
ground right at my feet
Cole appeared to be more concern
I'd about the charge of his attempting
10 kill some one than as to his prob
able punishment.
When the court pronounced SEN
-ence giving him 20 years at hard
labor, he listened respectfully and
turned without remark or expression
10 the deputy sheriff ordered to take
him back to the county jail.
Tn ancwar tn a uueStiOn CouutV AT.