The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-11-04
The Verdict.
I'VE, the jury in the case
of the State of Montana
versus Robert Lilly, find
the defendant not guilty."

| oLeVe HOFFMAN,, wagner, IarmeF.
| G. j. d. Anderson, Malta, farmer.
John H. Simpson, Saco, farmer.
Victor M. Lake, Lovejoy, farmer.
Defendant Released.
| A little after II O'Clock last even
ing it was noised around town that
the jury had reached verdict and
number who had remained up ex-
pecting an early verdict went to the
court room to hear the decision.
After the judge had taken his seat
Clerk of Court Porter arrived and
took his place at the desk and the
jury filed in from the jury room.
The foreman, Claude w. Moore,
handed the verdict to Judge Thomp-
son, who turneE it over to Clerk
Porter, who read the verdict as quot
ed above. Judge Thompson then
told the defendant that he was at
liberty and after receiving the con-
gratulations of large number of
friends who were present and
thanking the jury, Mr.. Lilly left the
court room with his wife and chill
dren, who have stood by him faith
fully during all the trying ordeal.
Present in the court room when the
|
officers, were Attorney Hurd for the
defense, large number of friends
of Mr. Lilly from the mountains
and two reporters for the Enter
prise. The verdict seems to meet
with popular approval as the SYM
pathies of the entire community
have been with Mr.. Lilly during the
entire period he has been in custody
The Trial.
District caart opened here at 10
o'clock Monday morning with Judge
r. A. Thompson presiding. The first
case called was that of Robert Lilly,
Echarged with the murder of Guy
Hamilton at Whstcomb, July 4, 1915
'lne work uI drawing a jury pro-
gressed more rapidly than was ex-
pected and by O'Clock in the after
noon a jury had been secured after
80 of the first days venire had been
| exhausted. Attorney O'Keefe Of
Chinook, represented the state as
associate counsel with County At
torney Wolfe and did most of the
questioning of jurors for the state,
while Attorney George Hurd of the
firm of Norris e Hurd, and Tressler
& Kirton, appeared for the defense.
One of the first witnesses called
to the stand was DR.. Sweet of Fort
man, who testified to being called to
examine the body of Hamilton after
he was shot and pronounced him
dead. County Surveyor Richardson
identified a map of the place where
the murder took place at Whitcomb
showing the saloon of Lusk e VIM
berly and showed to the jury the To-
cation of the door which Hamilton
entered at the time he was shot.
Marvin Fifer, Robert Cloves and
Henry Pennington all of whom were
present in the saloon when the
shooting occurred were on the stand
during the afternoon and each gave
his version of what happened.
One Other Present.
The witnesses seemed to think
there was one other man in the sa-
loon at the time but the exact iden-
tity of this person has not been es-
tablished, the testimony conflicting
as to whom he was. The defendant
Lilly was behind the bar at the time
Hamilton entered and warned him
not to come in, but Hamilton kept
coming towards him and as he ap-
preached closer with his hand be-
hind him Lilly is alleged to have
fired five shots at him. Sheriff Shaw
identified the bullet found in the
wall of the saloon as one he had
found in the wall of the saloon as
one he had extracted from the hole
made in the building the next day
after the shooting and the gun sup
posed to have been in the possession
of Lilly.
The trial progressed very smooth
| ly and there were no tilts between
the lawyers, the only point raised
in the case being as to whether
Hamilton had his hand at his left
side or on his hip pocket as if about
to draw a gun. The witnesses do
not seem to be clear on this point.
Tuesday morning court recon-
vened at $3.50 o'clock and the state
introduced few more witnesses
who testified along the same lines as
the ones did Monday, and practical
ly no new evidence was introduced
by the state. About II O'Clock the
counsel for the state announced that
they were through and the first wit
ness was put on the stand for the
defense in the person of the defend
ant, Robert Lilly
With the starting of the case for
the defense the incidents that occur
red two days before the shooting
were testified to by the witnesses as
they remembered them at this time.
me story In substance was that
Robert Lilly was the agent for the
administrator of the Jack Lusk es-
tate and a part of his business was
to look after the several cabins
owned by the estate at Whitcomb
| and collect the rent from the ten