The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-01-17

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AS many as thirty charges
have been found by the grand
Jury against the five Sawyer bank
robbers, four OF whom have al
ready pleaded guilty to one
charge, that of burglary in the
third degree. These thirty char
ges of course means six separate
charges against each desperado,
and there may be more to hear
from. The six charges are bur-
gIary in the third degree, viz:
Breaking into the Sawyer State
Bank, grand larceny; stealing
money. from the bank, burglary
lin the third degree; breaking into
Brassett & Lund's hardware
store, grand larceny; stealing
guns and ammunition from that
store, burglary in the third de-
gree; breaking into Aug. Seger.
strom's clothing store, grand
larceny; stealing coats from that
store, grand larceny. A seventh
charge, that OF shooting with
intent to kill may be added.
The robbers will be given an
opportunity to plead guilty or
not guilty to each OF the above
charges and if they plead not
guilty, they will have to stand
trial. AS they have no means
Of hiring a lawyer the state in
that case will have to furnish
them a lawyer. In case that
they are tried, there is no reason
why all will not be convicted on
each and every charge and the
Independent believes that those
who plead guilty will get off with
a lighter sentence than the ones
who stand trial. This is only
natural.
Those who have pleaded guilty
to burglary in the third degree
are John Hayes, Chas. Sullivan,
Dad Duffy and Ed. Robinson.
Bert Conroy, the "smart guy"
OF the. crowd, was arraigned be-
fore Judge Goss Saturday morn
ing and was informed thata true
bill had been found against him
by the grand jury and he was
told that he could enter q plea
at this time if he desired. He
stated that he wanted to stand
trial and when asked if he had
engaged an attorney, he an
swered in the negative. The
Judge then said that he would
appoint Greenleaf & Leighton to
defend him. Conroy seemed in
terested and said, II would ask
your honor that you appoint
someone who will take an interest
in my case"
Chas. Sullivan was brot before
Judge Goss Saturday morning
and entered a plea OF guilty to
the charge OF burglary in the
third degree: Sullivan is a little
more than 21 years OF age and
claims that it is he who cracked
the big safe.
John Hayes was: also brot be-
fore the Judge that morning.
The Judge asked Hayes what
his right name was and the fel-
low answered "John Hayes
s.Isn't it. Smith?" the Judge
asked. The prisoner. turned
white and almost reeled over and
could hardly answer, for his real
name is Smith and he has spent
"a term in the penitentiary at
Sioux Falls, S. D. The prison
warden recognized the picture OF
Smith in a paper sent there.
Smith was in the pen for stabbing
q man and was let out only last
summer.
1t is believed that the robbers
will plead guilty to most sof the
charges for they do not care to
have their past history dug up.
tt might lead tO many more
crimes, some Of which perhaps
are much more serious than the
ones which they are now con-
fronted. II the robbers are SEN
fenced the limit for all the crimes
with which they. are charged,
they may be making twine at
Bismarck thirty years from now,