, 1922-01-25
GREAT JUG MYSTERY
PARTIALLY SOLVED
Jury Finds Honest Farmer Not
Guilty Of Having Liquor in
His Possession at Dance

The case of the State versus Rob-
than passing attention because of
the astounding nature Of the charge
made against the defendant, an hon
est. plain, industrious farmer. Iiv-
ing at the juncture of Pat O'Hara
creek and the Clarks Fork river.
Mr.. Hopkins who is democratic In
his tates and has a wide circle of
acquaintances. was supported in his
hour OF trial by the presence OF sym
pathetic friends who filed the court
room and blocked the doorway.
According to his testimony, Sher-
If Davis. with his deputy T. P. Gull
len, was stationed in the office of the
Irma Hotel for the purpose of de-
tecting any v~iolatcrs Of the prohibi-
ton law who might by chance be at.
tending the Stampede Ball held there
on the third OF December,
The two were OUT on the porch
when the defendant accompanied by
Andrew Iernberg and Buttons
Mount walked over to the Hopkins
ear and then down to the southeast
corner Of the Irma. This was a sus
pioious circumstance.
With great presence Of mind Sher
IFS Davis and Cullen ran around the
other way and through the alleys
i2no group caught sight of the officer
and their presence had such a damp
ening effect upon their spirits tina
they dispersed at a speed which wa.
something between a running wall
and a trot-"Buttons" who was squar,
gated, leading the procession.
Davis stated that the defendan
Carried In his hand somethin,
which had the familiar outlines of
Jug that he tried to place in the snow
Said jiig refused to stay put" so h,
showed it behind a rock a little fur
Their along where he, the sheriff, re
covered it and accused the defendan
OF being the owner. This the defend
ant denied.
The defense called Buttons" Noun
who testified that he had not eveI
seen the jug by the sulphur rock. ant
he accelerated his steps merely be
cause he had al antipathy for sher
ifs.
Then Rex Spencer took the stant
for the defense and testified that Il
was a community jug. and he hat
seen it upon three different occasions
hat evening-the last being less au
spicious than the two former visits
owing to the sudden appearance OF
the sherifs. Each time it was in a
different place and the last time be.
hind the sulphur rock as the Sheriff
and defendant had stated.
The honest rancher from the mouth
of Pat O'Hara took the stand and ad.
mitted that rumors of the jug had
reached him and accompanied by his
friends he had started out to verify
them; hat it was true that they had
walked down to the end of the hotel
but the sight of the sheriffs coming
on a high lope through the alley had
startled him, for he, too. had an anti
pathy for sheriffs, and he decided to
return to the ballroom. AS he walk
ed along he caught sight of the jug
behind the rock and stopped over to
see il he could be mistaken. Assur-
ing himself hat it was what it APP
peared to be, he sauntered on and
sat down on the running board of his
a to rest and watch the movements
OF the officers.
They were of a disquieting nature.
The sheriff promptly accused him of
the ownership which accusation he
denied vigorously. AS further proof
hal it could not be his jug. Mr.. Hop
kins pointed to the fact that it was
still half full, and any jug belonging
to him would have been at that hour,
one o'clock in the morning, quite or
nearly empty.
The evidence in the great jug mys-
terry was so contradictory that the
jury was out all night. The next
morning it returned a verdict of mot
guilty..
Farmer Hopkins returned to his
pastoral pursuits at the mouth of
Pat O'Hara Creek on Sunday morning.
sNr fs