The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-11-18
WEST GIVEN
THREE YEARS
SECOND SAFE RoBBER GOES TO
DEER LODGE.
lis on TRIAL ONCE MORE
Must Answer Charge Of Destroying
Public Property-other Inform.
ations Are Dismissed.

+. ations Are Dismissed.
William West will keep Edward
Buckley company at Deer Lodge. The
charge of having assisted Buckley In
robbing the safe of the Billings Brew
ing company found him guilty of burg
larry in the first degree and fixed his
sentence at three years Imprisonment
in the state penitentiary.
West undertook TO establish an
alibi and IN his own behalf testified
that he was confined in the city Jail
all of the night of May Is, the night
the burglary was committed. In this
he failed, as Chief Morse produced
the record and showed that West was
not arrested until the following day.
No attempt was made by the defend
ant to show how he came into posses
sion of the Eagle charm and the
other things taken from the safe in
the brewery office and which he at
tempted to sell at Miles City and sub
sequently sold in North Dakota
town, transaction that led to his
arrest and return to this city for
4, trial.
Griffin Is Discharged.
AS was intimated few days ago,
the prosecution decided not to push
the charge again Patrick Griffin, who
was arrested in company with west
While at first 1t was believed that he
assisted West and Buckley in COM
mitting the burglary subsequent de-
velopments made 1t quite clear that he
was not implicated and had simply
met West atterwsfd and travelled
with him. On motion of the county
attorney the information against him
was dismissed.
Although freed so far as the charge
OF burglary is concerned, Griffin is
still in custody, awaiting trial for
breaking Jail. Should he be acquitted
of this offense he will be turned over
to the authorities of Sweet Grass
county, who hold a warrant for his
arrest on a complaint charging him
with forgery.
Second Burglary Charge Dismissed.
On mosion of the county attorney
Judge Loud ordered dismissal of the
second information against Buckley
West and Griffin. In this they were
charged with having robbed the safe
of the steam laundry, which was
blown open the same night as that OF
the brewery. Still another itforma
ton charged the three with grand lar
ceny. In this they were accused OF
having stolen diamond ring, watch
charm set with diamonds and other
articles of value, all taken from the
safe of the brewing company.
For Jail Breaking.
This morning the state moved the
trial of William West on an informa
ton charging him with the destruc
ton of public property. It is held
that he broke Jail the same night that
Grady, Mosier and the others es
capped.
| From what has been learned the
defense will be stubborn one. AL
though the attorney for West, c. H
CriNpen, has not made the matter
public, it is understood that he will
undertake to show that his client did
no more than crawl out through the
hole made by others, after the cell
doors had been opened with the lever
found the morning after the men were
gone. Should it be shown that others
were the ones who destroyed the
property then it Isl believed the in
formation against Buckley and Grif
fin will be dismissed.
escaped, but hints have been thrown
lout that an effort will be made to fas
ten the guilt of planning the escape
and the attendant saving Of bars upo1
Grady and Mosier or some of the
others who still remain at large.
Because of the widespread knowl
ledge Of the delivery considerable
trouble has thus far been expert
enced in securing jury to try West
!. The regular panel had become ex