Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-05-27
SEVEN YEARS
FOR STICKNEY
After Many Trials the Notorious Kid.
napper Gets a Penitentiary
Sentence.
LEcTURED BY JUDGE LESLIE
Jurist Took Occasion to Give the
Young Man Some Good Advice
-Flippantly Received.

Robert Malcolm Stickney, convict
ed of the crime of kidnapping. was
sentenced yesterday by Judge Leslie,
OF Great Falls, TO serve seven years
in the state p%enitentiary. He was
taken to Deer Lodge by Sheriff Bcnner
on the afternoon train.
In passing sentence the court took
occasion to make a few remarks cOn
corning Stickney and the charge on
which he was convicted. In a man
ner denoting pity, Judge Leslie stated
that to him ii was a sad spectacle 10
see a man of the capabilities and cdur
cation Of Stickney devoting his cnCr
gies TO purposes Of SO base % charac
ter as those which had been clearly
proved against him. The court stat
ed that he could moi conceive how
a man of Intelligence. IN whom the
spark Of honor had NOT bnon totally
crowned, could throw aside every n
tribute of manhood aud sto0p to the
despicablc mission which the prison
er had made an effort 10 accomplish.
The court stated Inrtncr that, while
the laws ur 1885 provided punishment
not in excess uG five years for the
crime Of Kidnapping, the law of 1901
allowed the jury ar the to 3
discretion in thr passing Of sentence,
limiting the maximum punishment on
ly by the lifr OF the prisoner. The
court stated that. while he felt In
clined 10 expose the extreme limit,
ne would consider that Stickney was
still "A young man. with whom reform
might be possible. and would therefore
inflict as mild a punishment as would
be within the bounds of reason. The
court then sentenced Stickney to sew.
en- years of hard labor in the state
penitentiary.
After the court had passed sentence
upon him, Stickney turned to Deputy
Sheriff Hogan, remarking that, cOn-
sidering the manner in which the
Judge had commenced to lecture him,
he would not have been surprised had
a life sentence been imposed upon
him.
That was quite a boost the judge
gave me-, said Stickney, when he re-
ferred 10 me as being a man of good
address and education. Yes. It was
quite a compliment, but he spoiled il
all when he closed with the seven
years. That means about four years
and nine months. oh. well. | shall
have lots of time after | get out"
Following the passing of sentence,
Judge Leslie made an order. directing
the official court stenographer to fur.
nish Downing & Stephenson. attor-
neys for S~tickney. with a transcript
of the testimony in the ease, and the
time in which to prepare. file and
serve a bill OF exceptions was extend
ed 30 days.
After a hard fought legal battle
lasting more than four months. Stick
ney was finally convicted last Tues
day of having brought Miss Halle
Walcott from Denver to this city on
the false representation that upon
reaching here she was to be given
employment in the chorus Of a bur.
lesque opera company. Arriving here
on the morning of December is. 1902,
Stickney escorted Miss Walcott and
three other young women to the
Klondyke saloon and delivered them
10 Mrs. Ruth Bourrassa, for whom he
had made the trip TO Denver on a
mission to procure girls for her house
OF ilEfame-Grcat Falls Tribune.