Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-08-13
TWO MORE CASES
GO OYER
RELEASED ON BAIL OF $500 EACH
next Term Of District Court
A Long One.

In the cases OF Herbert Thornt
aud 5. J. Toler, who were arrested
on complaint being sworn ou
against them by G. L. Hathawa,
for the embezzlement of from 81.
900 to $1,000 worth Of amslgan
from the Golden Rule Placer Min.
ing company's properties on Grous.
creek, it appears that the defend.
ants failed to produce evidence ex.
onorating themselves OF the accn.
aation of illegal possession of the
amalgam. A preliminary exami.
nation was given each man las,
week, which closed Saturday and.
summing up the evidence in
each case, they are as follows:
In the case OF Herbert Thorpe OF
Montclair, Colorado, q suburb of
Denver, the evidence showed that
Thorpe was the secretary of, and
book-keeper for the Golden Rule
Placer Mining Co., Ltd, whose
mines are located on Grouse creek.
in the Warren mining district,
Idaho county, Idaho; that Thorpe
left the mine bound for Denver
with the books and papers of the
company, for the purpose of pre-.
pairing a statement for the stock
holders meeting. A change in
the program caused Thorpe's trip
to be delayed; his grip was
opened by the general manager Of
the company for the purpose of
transferring the books and papers
Of the company from Thorpe's grip
to that Of the general manager;
this change was made in the pres.
ence Of witnesses, and bail OF
Gold amalgam worth $143.OO was
found, which was identified by the
manager to be the property Of the
company. The amalgsm was re-
turned to Thorpe's grip aud given
into the hands Of one Of the wit
nesses to be delivered to Thorpe
intact, but no mention of the ANAL.
gam was made for the reason that
il Thorpe's intentions were honest,
he would make his own explana-
nation without being asked. When
the time came for Thorpe to 90 to
Denver, he went to the witness in
whose hands the grip had been
left, and received his grip, took it
into the the adjoining room, took
out of the grip the ball of ANAL
gam, (Which, by the way was en-
closed in an innocent looking,
round tin bog with q screw top)
and satisfying himself that it had
been overlooked, or at least was
The same as he had left it put it back
into his grip. This occurred about
Dec. Is, 1902 and, though q set
element had been between |
Thorpe and the company in
May, 1908, no mention Of this ball |
Df amalgam was made BY him, at
any time, to any officer Of the com. |
pany who was authorized to re-
,eive the same.
The court repeatedly told the
prisoner, Thorpe, that if he had
any valid excuse to offer, any ex-
planation at all plausible to make
the possession of this
he would receive every
consideration 1T the hands OF the
,ourt and If his explanation had
my of the elements OF probability
n it, he would be discharged, but
Thorpe refused to make any stat
nent, and was therefore tried by
jury Of his peers.
The fact that he was the trusted
smploye Of the company; had the
of the amalgsm; that it
was found in his grips in transit
rom the mine to Denver, and that
he had no explanation to make as
10 how it got there, left no discre-
ion to the court but to bind him
)ver.
The company's manager, C. L.
Hathaway, had been carefully
every suspicious circum-
stance connected with the employees
hat were in any way concerned
With the cleanup that was COM
,leted in November, 1902, for the
'easOn that it fell about $500 be-
ow his estimates, and the arrest
Ind holding of Thorpe are the re-
Iult Of eight months of patient in
,estigation.
In the case Of j. j. Toler the
'vidence shows that Toler left the
'mplOy OF the company about the
9th Of last January. He arrived
n Grangeville the 18th, a. shown
" the register ct the Wiltse house.
md on the 18th went to Stahps
'sssy Office and had slO4.9 81 worth
II placer gold run into bar. He
hen took trip to Seattle, Taco
%, Portland, San Francisco and
Los Angeles and gave evidence of
Il