White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-16
M'OONALO TEMPERS
MERCY WITH JUSTICE

hOPC sOu VIII Oc dS lcuItul d6
you can with me, Judge. l never stole
before and never will again. I've
had my lesson"
This was the fearful admonition
made by r. b. Memmott to Judge ID.
{. Mcdonald in the justice court yes
terday afternoon. Nemmott had
pleaded guilty to charge of petty
larceny, committed, as he said, while
under the influence of liquor and had
asked permission to make a state
ment to the court. The respondent.
Il young man of good appearance,
broke down and wept while telling
his story. In answering questions by
the. Judge 1t was brought out that
Mermott had wife and young child
in Lexington, Neb. He was ON his
way 10 Los Angeles, Cal, where he
had the promise of managing a bust
ness at $40 per week, and his wife
was coming on to take a bookkeep-
ers position in the same business
He was supposed to have reported for
work Friday and would have been
there but for his convivial tendencies
and the opportunities offered to be
sociable during his stay in Ely.
Memmott and his buddie. W. e.
Ross. arrived in Ely Tuesday night
bound for California. They were
travelling IN a Ford coupe and had
left Salt Lake Monday afternoon. On
their journey from Utah they had
considerable tire trouble and arrived
in Ely with one rear tire completely
OF, the car running on the rim. They
sought lodging in rooming house
and, as was brought out at the hear
ing, Ross went to bed and Memmott
n1ado tho OF nf nj MI,
and seeking the acquaintance of
Ely's night life.
Wednesday morning Memmott took
the car TO the garage of Fred West
and asked permission to make some
tire repairs. Memmott was later
Joined by his travelling companion
and the pair left town. Soon after
ward Mr. West discovered two tires
missing from the Ford car of Vergil
Ruppe of Duckwater and he lost no
time in making his discovery and
suspicious known to Sheriff Nichol-
son. The sheriff and Deputy Sheriff
Bud Bodell picked up the trail and
overlook Memmott and Ross at the
Galloway ranch at Currant. where
they had camped for the night. The
missing tires were found in their
possession and the two men were ar
rested and brought back to Ely and
placed In Jail. A formal complaint
charging petty larceny was sworn to
by Mr.. West The two men declared
their innocence and accounted for
the tires by saying that they had
bought them from a boy in Ely
The case was brought up in the
justice court yesterday afternoon,
conducted by Assistant District At
torney III. V. Vargas Memmott
pleaded guilty. as above noted, and
Ross entered plea of not guilty. In
statement to the court Ross said
that the tires were stolen while he
had been asleep and without his
knowledge. When he saw them in
the car the next day after leaving Ely
he was suspicious that they might
have been stolen, and he noticed his
partner was somewhat "tanked up"
The tires seemed worn and of, not
much value and he did nothing to-
ward having them taken back to Ely
and they continued on their journey
Ross statement was accepted by
the prosecuting attorney who moved
that the charge against this respond
ent be dismissed .and this was done.
Memmott took the stand and told
his sorrowful tale. He made no at
tempt to cover up anything and i'm
pressed the court with his apparent
sincerity and that 1t was his first
fall from grace.
He had arrived in Ely weary from
his journey, and seeking nourish-
ment in a buffet he had been served
with bread. milk and puttermilk But
he made his grand mistake by not
stopping at buttermilk. Said he to
the Judge:
They used me so we'll in the buf-
fet / thought II was up to me. so ]
bought for everyone in the house
Then somebody else bought, and after
that everybody bought. didn't re.
alize what l was doing and later one
OF the boys suggested a little game
and We went across the street and
PLAYED cards until morning
After that l decided to get my
buddy and make an early start. After
breakfast I took one drink and 1t
made me drunk. When / got to the
garage all could see was tires and
punctures. That is the way 1t came
about and IL l had been in my right
mind 1t never would have happened.
I'm sorry
Judge Mcdonald said: You must
realize that petty larceny is seri-
GUS offense and the practice must be
stopped"
The fact of the job in Los Angeles
and the wife and kiddie back in Me-
braska then came out and the Judge
closed the case:
II fine you $40. But the sentence
Is suspended on the condition that
you leave town at once and proceed
on your way. II we hear that you
have not the sentence will be In
force
Memmott promised and humbly
thanked his honor. The two young
men left the courtroom together to
resume their interrupted journey.
Roes told the court they were trav-
cling from Denver, Col. to Holly
wood, Cal.
The complaining witness did not
appear In court and 1t was reported
he had been called to Duckwater.