The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-27

neu LOdSe, FeD. "a ,i2 "a. llg
OF the famous Brid.,.' o4nA robbery
case began before Judge Frank Henry
in the district court today and the
courtroom was crowded with specta-
tors. The six men alleged to have
been implicated in the crime appear
ed in court, but only three, Will Coun-
tiynlan, Jesse Lindsay and Pat Muir
ray appeared as defendants in the
first case. They are the ones the
with the robbery.
Another sensation in the case came
to light this morning, when Mike
Murray, brother of Pat Murray, one
of the accused, visited his brother in
the Jail. Sheriff NJ. w. Potter search
ed Mike Murray and found on his
person a loaded six-shooter and
razor.
The sheriff at once swore out war
rant for his arrest on the charge of
carrying concealed weapons.
The effort to secure jury was a
tedious job. The regular panel was
soon exhausted and a special venire
issued. Every prospective juryman
sworn had read and talked of the
case, but some said they had not form
ed an opinion and, with the exception
of the few challenges, these were ac-
cepted.
Horace T. Lambert, who was taken
to Big Timber few days ago to an
swer to the charge of horsestealing,
was present in court with the others,
and during lull in the proceedings,
Lambert and Jack Kirely were ar
raigned on the recently filed informa.
tions charging them with bank rob.
berry. Both of them pleaded not gull
|! ty. F. E. Stewart asked that his name
be entered as attorney for Lonesome
Joe Wallace, and that his client be
! given a separate trial.
This was granted. Attorney Sydney
Fox, who is assisting Acting County
Attorney L. o. Caswell, asked that the
| name of Deputy Sheriff James Pauley
be endorsed on the informations as q
witness. 1t was stated that Mr.. Pauley
will be called upon to testify to Ger
/, tain conversations he is said to have
| heard between the accused men, while
acting as jailer, in which they con
! fessed to participating in the banl
! robbery and told how it was accom-
| plished.
When Lawyer Fox asked for the en-
! forcement of the rule excluding al
witnesses from the court room, Judge
! Goss said he would insist on the rule
| being applied to the officers of the
court who are witnesses for the state
1 But Judge Henry ruled that the of
/ ficers were necessary for the running
be excluded.
At the opening Of the afternoon ses
sion, County Attorney Caswell made
!, his opening statement.
Il do not expect to state now all We
i expect to prove" declared Mr.. Cas-
we'll to the jury. 1--WE will show yol
that the Bridger bank was robed o1
! $4,000 in daylight holdup, and tha
the cashier at the point of gun, was
obliged to give up his money; thai
; the parties who committed this crime
rode from Joliet to Gebo and from
there to Bridger; that Will Country
man rode bay horse and stopped a
the livery barn of E. S. Beeman al
Gebo and exchanged horses.
| I'VE will show that Mr.. Beeman's
horse was never returned and never
can be, because of the disposition
made of it; we will show that the
man who remained outside of the
bank, holding the horses, has beer
positively identified as Will Country
man, by a man who conversed witt
him and by another who saw hin
from across the street, and that the
two men who entered the bank were
Jess Lindsay and Pat Murray
Red Lodge, Feb. 25.-The climax o.
| the sensations in the Bridger banl
robbery case came late this afternoon
when Lonesome Joe," alias Lew Wal
| lace, whose real name is H. l.. Hughes
took the witness stand and gave ev
erything away, declaring positively
that Will Countryman, Pat Murray
and Jess Lindsay. severally and col
lectively, told him they robbed the
Stockgrowers' bank on December 2.
He gave statements tending te
prove a complete alibi for himself;