The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-11-23
MAN WHO KILLED
HERDER IS FREED
Jury in Stanley Case Gives Verdict
of Not Guilty of Murder and
Accused Goes Free; Shot
in Defense of Life

In the trial of Newton Stanley
Charged with having cold-bloodedly
murdered Bonofacio Yragui, a Bas-
que sheepherder, on Sunday after
noon, September 18th, on the range
in the Alkali canyon district and in
the vicinity of homestead belong
ing to Stanley's father, counsel in
the case concluded their arguments
to the jury yesterday afternoon at
4:30 o'clock and with the reading
by Judge Callahan of the instruc-
tions of the court-which were
markedly fair the case was then
rested in the hands of the Jurors.
at 5 o'clock, and four hours later
the jury filed into court and re-
turned verdict of not guilty.
On the retirement of the jury, to
enter into its deliberations, some of
those who had closely followed the
case gave expression to the opinion
that the jury would not be out
long before returning a verdict of
acquittal, whiles others were per-
suaded that the defendant would
receive very light prison sent
ence; and still others seemed to
think that he would. be lucky if he
escaped harsh sentence, the vari-
ance in opinions being due, in no
small measure, to the personal
prejudices of those who lent express
sion to them.
Witnesses in the persons of John
Van Ripper. Dan Devaney and Pat
Heard, were put up on the stand
by the defense, all of whom were
present, in the camp of the parties
who were there for the purpose of
gathering chokecherries, and were
gathered together around the camp
fire at the time that Newton Stan
ley was there, en- route to Cedarville
to have doctor attend to the
dressing of his wounded hand. They
heard and took part in all of the
conversation that was held there
the night of September II, but
neither of them heard any con-
versation akin to that which Rev.
Bruce narrated when he was on the
stand the day before. Van Riper
and Heard were quite positive that
Newton Stanley had not entered in
to any details regarding the cir
cumstances, and it would not have
been possible for Rev. Bruce to have
held such a chat with the defendant
as that which he had recounted as
having taken place between him
self and Stanley. The talk had
been general, in nature, and Stanley
did not enter into any explanation
regarding the trouble. Their test-
mony was of such a nature that
one who heard Rev. Bruce testify
and then heard Van Riper and
Heard give their version of what
took place, could not well avoid
reaching the conclusion that one, if
not two, of the witnesses most
surely handled the truth in a most
careless manner. Still, they were,
one and all, remarkably good wit
nesses. None of them manifested
zeal out of the ordinary and there
was naught in the demeanor of a
single one of them to justify one in
arriving at the conclusion that the
story either of them told was
tissue of lies founded upon very
meagre facts. Yet, somebody, if
not. two somebodies, it was apparent,
had deviated from the straight path
of Truth; and that constituted one
of the puzzles which the jury had
to solve.
Dan Devaney, a cattleman who
has had some exasperating ex-
perienees with the sheepherders, up
in the Alkali canyon country, was a
good witness for the defense. He
answered, upon being questioned,
that he is friend of Newton Stan
ley and he unashamedly told, in