The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-03-17
nART|N Is GUILTY
JURY FINDS HIM GUILTY AS
CHARGED
GRAND JURY RECOMMENDS
Other Circuit Court Matters OF
Intrest-Fish Wardens
Plead Guilty

lnJreSC-f1Sh WardenS
Plead Guilty
The most important case that has
been tried for several years and one
that has attracted the widest local
attention was the State VS.. Martin in
which rather suspicious character
about town was this week found
guilty of attempted murder. Read
ers of the Union will remember the
dastardly attempt on the life of Miss
Stella Mcmahon committed several
months ago. A short time after she
was struck down this Martin was
brought to her and she at once iden-
titled him as the man who attempted
her life. 1t was evident from the
testimony that Martin meant to kill
another lady whom he accuses of at
tempting to induce his wife to leave
| him.
| A large number of witnesses were
examined and the court room was
crowded with men and women dur
ing the trial. States Attorney Gard
ner conducted the prosecution in a
clever and forceful manner and at
times his eloquence wrought the
spectators to the highest pitch Of
sympathy and emotion.
Too much praise cannot be given
to Attorney Bangs who defended in
O mastery and brilliant manner the
accused. His arguments were well
put and sounded so reasonable that
nothing but mass of terribly dam
aging evidence, including the in,
eliminating actions OF the accused
while on the stand brought convic-
ton. 1t was as pretty legal battle
our courts have witnessed for many
a day. The jury was out all night
and the verdict Of guilty as &C.
cused" was heard with satisfaction
by great majority of our people.
THE FISH wARDENs.
| Otto Beranek and Frank Faulk
ner, former fish wardens, who we're
arrested and found guilty in justice
court of dynamitirg fish last sum
mer, we're arraigned last week anC
plead guilty as charged They wert
given the minimum fine, $25 apiece
and the costs taxed up to the county
Among the recommendation OF the
grand jury are the following:
"Slncc the holding Of the session
of the last grand jury called in this
county, We are advised that tw(
mysterious and violent deaths have
occurred, one in the western portion
of Pennington county, and the Other
in tllc eastern portion thereof, bu
no evidence has been produced be
fore us and we have been unable tt
find any evidence as to who may
have perpetrated these crimes, i
such crimes have been committed.
The report continues: we have
visited and examined the county
Jail, which we have found well KEEP,
and in as good condition as It's con
struction will permit We recon-
mend the placing of heavy wire
close mesh screens on the outside OF
the Jail windows to avoid the pass
ing in of any weapons or other art-
Gle to the prisoners. We find that
recently an inmate has procured {
file, apparently passed in by the
windows, and has improvised saw
with said file and clock spring, by
means of which he attempted to es
cape"
On investigation. we find tha
many inequalities exist in our assess
ment, and that such inequalities arr
becoming more marked as condi
tions change, many of the valuation!
remaining unchanged on the assess
| mcnt books although great change.
have taken place in the actual valu
ations of the properties so listed
| These inequalities are in some case
! most glaring, and we recommend
that a most careful revision and re
| adjustment be made on the assess
| ment of the property in our county
| with the view OF equalizing the sam
| and making it as just and equitabl
as our present revenue system vii
| permit.
/ ION examination, we find tina
j SOma rpnairS are napdad ahout fh