The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-22
Dramatic Scenes in the Trial Of the
Alleged Dynamiter at
Il Helena.
Old Friend Of Defendant Tells the
Story of Gravelle's Numer-
GUS Operations.
How He Conspired to Blow Up
Bridges and Blackmail the
Northern Pacific.
Special to The Journal.

Helena, Mont, Dec. 22.-There was
g dramatic scene in district court late
yesterday afternoon when Myroll
Shanks a resident of Helena and an
old friend of the defendant, oelaneu
the confession alleged to have peen
made to him by Isaac Gravelle, VINO
is on trial for the recent dynamite !
outrages on the Northern Pac11lc.
Gravelle. according to shank tes
timony, made his headquarters at
Shank's house Mrs. Shank also tes-
titled at great length, minutely con-
Meeting Gravelle with the dynamite
plots.
Said He Was he Man.
Did he ever say anything to you
about dynamiting trains?" Shanks was
asked.
He did some time before Aug. 49,
replied the witness.
What did he say?"
HE said he was the man who was
doing the work. He said he was dy-
namiting the Northern Pacific for
S5O,O0O."'
Did he say what he had done?"
He said he da blown up the bridge
at Livingston and that he had put
dynamite on the track at Bozeman.
He said he had put In pretty heaVy
jolt at the bridge, and when he was
riding thru Livingston It had gone OH
and had shaken him. He said he had
robbed the powder-house at Bozeman.
He said he intended to take the bridge
at Townsend and blow out a big pier
if they did not come to his terms
The Meeting at the Bridge.
He said that one night when he
was camping near the bridge at Town
send, a fellow came around one sloe
of the brush and he was on the other
side. The man asked him what ne
was doing there, and" the witness
said, "Gravelle told me he replied
that he had come after water
Witness testified that Gravelle told
ing the bridge. Gravelle told the wit
ness that the Waterman then sat down
on the sack he had with seventy-fve
pounds of dynamite in 1t, and Gravelle
said:
IF the fellow had known what he
was sitting on you could not nave
seen him for dust
1T was at this point that Gravelle
smiled, the first time since the trial
began.
After the Money.
do you remember anything occur
ring Aug. 23?" shanks was asked.
Yes, sirS that day Gravelle said ne
was going down to get the money that
night. He left my place the evening
of the 23. I next saw him the morn
ing of the 2Sth. Between and
o'clock he raped at the door ana 1
let him in. He had borrowed my rifle
and he set it down in the corner and
said he had made bull of it. He
said men came with an engine and
the money, but he fell down hill with
his lantern and the light went out;
that the wind was blowing and. he
could not light it again, as he had
used up all his matches. He said he
cried like a. child when he saw all the
money going from him.
The "Printed Writing"
Witness then testified, in reply tc
q question, that he had seen Gravelle
writing once on an oat box in his sta
BILE, using Mrs. Shank's writing tablet
He said the sheet was exposed to We"
4 and he saw on it some printed writ
I ing He was shown one of the printed
threatening letters and he said it was
similar to that he had seen IN the
stable.
Did Gravelle say anything to 70,
about the letters?"
"TIe said he had written the com
pany he would give them till Sept: 2
He said the time was short. He lef
on the evening Of Sept. 2, saying NJ
was going to get his money. He sait
he was going to take them on the hill
this time. He came home about mid
night. He said he had waited abou
two hours and they didn't come, am
when he was a mile away he saw tn
engine. but he could not give tn
signal
Addressed to Hannaford.
Did you ever see any fuse or cap
about your place? %
Yes. in the barn. Gravelle said h
tried to get some powder, but Their
was none with him. He said he go
the fuse and caps from the ston
quarry
when you saw him writing the let
ter in the stable did you see the ad
dress?"
Yes, it was j. M. Hanaford.'
did Gravele see you looking at tn
letter he was writing on the box?"
He did and just smiled. On Sep
49," continued Shanks, 'Gravelle toll
me that he had been over at Butte
that he had put jolt over there an
had made a mistake and had put it o
the street car track. He said he rod
along and went into some tailings an
/. was almost drowned; that they Wer
soft and he had to pull his horse OF
by the bride. He said he had to was
his clothing"
+ The witness testified that Gravel
told him he had dynamite cached {
(. several places. One was on the roa
4 leading to Canyon Ferry and the othe
was in a hay stack.
Great Northern, Too.
j "He told me-" said the witness, "h
q was going to take the Great Norther
FL and that he had dynamite cache
~ along that line"
Did he ever threaten you. ?"
FL Gle told me on several occasions
81 I did not do as he told me he woul
81 settle me-"
The DISCRIMINATION was yer
y brief.
q HIRED MAN POISONED