The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-04-03
He WAS A BANK R0BBER.
Stanley Miller Convicted Of the Bold
Holdup At Harlem.

Holdup At Harlem.
The trial of Stanley Miller. on al
charge Of attempting TO rob the Fret
National bank at Harlem, vas CON
menced 10 the district court Thursda y
afternoon, when a jury was selected
as follow: Chas. Crepeau, S. F.
Allen, William Collins. A. E. Bier
ring, Alex Barley, Joo. F. Sullivan,
Jas. D. Wolff, A. A. Dyrud, w. r.
Early. c. q. Ragland, Jos. Sulliv an,
and I. N. Fleenor. Attorney Fl. 8.
Mckinley appeared on behalf OF de-
fendant, under appointment by the
court.
Testimony for the prosecution was
given by several witnesses at the
Thursday afternoon and Friday morn
ing sessions OF court. The important
Witnesses against the accused were j..
A. Hatch, cashier Of the Harlem bank,
and j. A. Rasmussen, his assistant,
who was compelled by one OF tie
bandits to line up against the wall
while his partner raked in about slO,-
600 worth of currency. Attorney John
| Collins and Fred Brockwsy were the
other members of the quartet who
were placed in this unpleasant pre-.
dicament. aud each OF these four wit
nesses identified the prisoner as the
bandit who covered them with his gun.
j. P. Laswell, the town marshal who
shot one of the robbers, also gave
testimony for the prosecution.
The attempt to rob the Harlem bank
was made on the morning of Monday,
July 81 of last year, when three men
on horseback rode into Harlem, and
dismounted at a place close to the
scene of their intended holdup. One
of the men remained with the horses,
while the other two entered the bank.
Approa aching the cashiers window,
one OF the intruders pulled his gun
and ordered Cashier j. A. Hatch and
his assistant to throw up their hands
and stand back to the wall while his
partner passed through q door to the
inner portion of the room.
Having gained access to the inside
of the counter the bandit produced q
sack and raked in all the money that
lay near the cashiers window and
then went to the vault, but he suddenly
remembered that he had left his gun
on the counter and returned to get it.
Tn r{olzirr ~ Tho ,uoonnn hnvvoUar
something caused it to explode, and
the noise led to unexpected develop.
, ments.
The attention of j. P. Laswell, the
Harlem town mnrshal, was acted
by the sound of the pistol shot, and
approaching the bank building from
the rear he entered through the back
door. Proceeding to the banking
rooms Mr.. Laswell caught sight of thu
men lined up against the wall, ant
realizing the situation he stepped intt
, the room in a crouching position jus
as one of the bandits emerged from
the vault with a load of plumber. Thu
situation called for quick work, ant
!. the officer was equal to the occasion
He fred q fatal shot that brought tn
robber to the floor, and there followed
promiscuous shooting and confusion
during which the other bandit ESCAPED
through the front door,. He reached
the horses that were in charge of hi
y partner, and the two men mounted an
rode away at a hard gallop, firm
several shots in the direction of tn
bank building to discourage pursuit
Posses were organized to trail tn
fugitives, and the Fort Belknap In
dian police also assisted in the search
but without immediate result. Tn
bandits we're traced to q camp in th
Kittle Rockies, and later were reporte
to be in the vicinity of Lewistowr
~ and finally Stanley Miller was take
into custody in the Yellowstone cour
try on evidence that convinced tn
N authorities he vas one of the men in
N plicated in the affair.
W At the Friday afternoon session
NJ court, Stanley Miller, the allege
N bank rob Der, took the witness stan
~ ia his own behalf, and declared mos
NJ positively that he was in Wyoming
n the time of the Harlem ho!dup. Al
cording to the story told by defendan
he was working for a man name
Maginnis, located a Shoshon'
Two or three character witnesses wer
called by the defense, their tes.imon
being to the effect that the accused we
=, a man of good repute when they kne
him twelve Or fourteen years ago.
The attempt of defenda Ant to pro,
-, an alibi vas met by the production
II testimony by the prosecution to IL
-, effect that the prisoner had admitte
-, that he was in Cutbank, Mont, la
summer. The defendant, howeve