Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-05-26
MUST GO TO
PENITENTIARY
L. L. MURRAY, OF BIG SOUTHERN
OIL CO., CONVICTED OF GRAND
LARCENCY AT KALISPELL
OPERATED in BONNERS FERRY
Sold Oil Leases at Ten Dollars Per
Acre-Failed To Deliver.

e. L. Murray, who with his partner
VISITED Bonners Ferry and many other
towns of northern Idaho, eastern
Washington and northern Montana
about year ago, selling Texas oil
leases, was found guilty of grand lar
cency last week by a jury in the dis
trict court sitting at Kalispell. Mont.
and was sentenced to not less than
one and not more than two years in the
Montana penitentiary
The evidence introduced showed that
Murray and his partner were selling
for $1,000 an acre oil leases that were
costing them $1.00 per acre and that
in many cases they did not even bother
about delivering the leases.
The Kalispell Interlake gives details
OF the trial of Murray as follows
In presenting the case Prosecuting
Attorney King explained that the ac-
tion grew out of the defendants ac-
tivities in this and Lincoln county as
salesman for Texas oil leases and al
legged that Murray had claimed to be
representative of Texas oil company
and that he had made several sales
but had failed to make the deliveries
of leases as agreed. The States first
witness was George Cross, who testi-
fled that he bought for himself wife
and son, leases on twenty acres, that
he paid 500 in cash and had given
notes for the balance and that since
the time of making the deal a little
over year ago he had heard nothing
from the transaction and that there
had been no leases delivered
He said that Murray had claimed to
represent the Big Southern Oil Co.
Mrs William Brennan was called; she
had also entered into similar deal,
paying Murray $3.50 as the initial pay
ment on a 30-acre lease and had never
heard anything since May, 1920 She
stated that she had written to the sec
retary of state of Texas and his reply
had said that there was no such COM
pany as the Big Southern incorporated
within the state.
The other witnesses for the State
testified with marked similarity, the
only essential difference being the
amount that they had paid. In every
instance they claimed that they had
neither received the lease according
to agreement nor heard either from
Murray or the Big Southern company.
The terms of the deal, too were much
alike-half of the purchase money was
paid in cash and the balance covered
by note. A list of the witnesses and
the amounts invested follows John
Posten of Libby, $50 cash, $50 note
Mrs. Anna Morrison. Libby, $50 cash,
$50 note; Ed Morrison, Libby, $50 cash
note; Fred Cross, Kalispell. $25 cash
S25 note; c. w. Altenburg. Kalispell
$50 cash, $50 note; Joe Seguin, Kalis-
pell. 5000 cash; S. G. Bibee, Kalispell
500 cash, 800 note; r. l.. Bretthouer
500 as part payment for an automo-
bile. Attorney King took the stand
and related a conversation between
himself and Murray shortly after Muir
rays arrest
Murray stated to King that he had
been associated with Howard C. How
ard W. A. johnson and c. B. Adams
under the name Big Southern COM
pany; that they were not incorporated
but were acting as brokers for the Tai
vez Oil company and were taking or
ders and selling leases for them; that
when they took an order for a lease
they sent it into the Talvez company
and that the lease was sent to them in
blank, filled in with the name of the
purchaser and delivered. He admitted
that he had used some money collected
in Kalispell for the purchase of an au-
tomobile but had intended to remit for
the Kalispell leases from sales made at
Nampa, Idaho; that he had sent the
necessary fund from Nampa for the
Kalispell leases and that the leases
had come to Nampa in his absence and
had been taken from the postoffice by
his associate who had taken advantage
of the fact that they were issued in
blank and resold them. Jailer Knud
son. who was present when the above
conversation took place, was called
and corroborated portions of the testi-
mony. The State rested after Knud-
sons examination and Attorney
Hughes briefly outlined his case to the
jury and called the defendant to the
stand in his own behalf. He admitted
his conversation with Attorney King
and was explaining his connections
and business methods when the court
adjourned for the noon recess.