The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1924-11-06
LIFE SENTENCE FOR
BANK ROBBERS.
Mars Brothers Arraigned Here, Plead
Guilty and Sentenced With Myers
By Judge Johnson.

mont on October 81 and on the same
day engaged in fight with Officers
at the southwest entrance of the Lew
iston Orchards, in which fight Traffic
Officer Gordon Harris was killed
were brought from the Lewiston Jail
to Nezperce last Friday and ON the
following day arraigned before Pro
bate Judge Niles. They waived a
preliminary hearing and plead guilty
to the robbery charge and were taken
back to Lewiston, where at 10 O'Clock
last Monday morning District Judge
Miles Johhson passed sentence upon
them and Myers, who had been pre-
viously convicted in the Nez Perce
county district court of the murder
of Officer Harris, giving the three
life term in the state penitentiary.
The penalty for the crime to which
they plead guilty is five years to life
imprisonment, and Prosecuting At
torney Pennell of this county recon-
mended to Judge johnson that their
part in the crime warranted for them
the extreme penalty.
Judge johnson first took up the
cases of the Mars boys because of
their prosecution having been made
in Lewis county where the bank rob
berry was committed. The testimony
during the trial of Myers developed
the fact that the robber gang was rid
ing in car belonging to one of the
Mars boys and that one of the Mars
boys had been barber in Craigmont,
where the robbery was committed.
Judge johnson first asked as to the
ownership of the, car used by the rob
bers and james Marrs raised his hand
to indicate ownership. The court then
asked which of the defendants had
operated barber shop in Craigmont
and James Mars again indicated it
was he. Judge johnson then ad
dressed James Marrs, charging him
with being the real leader of the rob
Der gang and primarily responsible
for the killing of Traffic officer Har
ris. Judge johnson said in part:
feThe information that the court
has, is that either at LaGrande, Ore
gon, or Pendleton, you were the
owner of an automobile. You got ac-
quainted with the defendant, Sam
Myers. You had already known the
other member of your party who has
not yet been apprehended; that you
made proposition that you would
permit the use of your automobile to
take this party to Craigmont. The
defendant Myers didn't even know
there was such place as Craigmont.
1t was upon you to furnish the auto
mobile to take them to this bank, to
rob this bank-planned in another
state. You also stated to them that
YOU were known in Craigmont by
those bankers, having been in bust
ness there, and that they would have
to go into the bank. 1t was under
stood that they were to do the shoot
ing, if any shooting was to be done.
In other wards, you started the mach
inery in motion by the use of your
car and became deliberate party to.
the scheme of robbery, and if neces
sary. to murder. You took the life Of.
or aided in the taking of the life, by
starting the machinery in motion-of
an officer. You knew, or should have
known that the officer when he
stopped your car, would be guilty of
a crime if he fired at you without CIV
ing you an opportunity to surrender.
nYour act was not only brazen, not
only showing lack of decency and
humanity, but the act of coward.
This crime never would have been
committed if it hadn't been for you.
These other men would never have
been involved if it hadn't been for
Won. You took the life, or aided in
the taking of the life Of brave Of
ficer. man, who, when his country
was in danger, risked his life for you
and me. You deprived a child of
father and you deprived an unborn
babe of the pleasure of ever looking
into fathers eyes. y
In pronouncing sentence upon Sam
Myers. Judge johnson said =.
nWhat the court has said to the
other defendants applies to you. The
iurv has fixed your punishment, ana
+ can only tell you one experience l
had The other evening in trying to
rest in my chambers, during the earl
;eT part of the evening it was impos-
sible to hear anything that was go
ing on in the jury room. and dldn :
attempt to do so, and I was able to
oct a little sleep. but along toward
midnight, when she court room was
practically empty and it was still
when the jury were counting their