The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-09-28
GiIIen Is
Fined $50
And Costs
Man Alleged 10 Have Struck
Indian Girl Found Guilty
Of Failing to Stop

William ,;illen of Burt, llettinger
county, was found guilty of failing
10 stop and give an opportunity for
identification after striking per-
son on public highway in the
court Of Justice Of the Peace Anton
Beer this afternoon. Gillcn's car, it
Is claimed, struck Helen Badger, g.
year-old Indian girl, on the paved
bridge Saturday afternoon, knocking
juries.
Mr.. Gillen entered a plea Of not
guilty when arraigned this morning,
after a demurrer presented by s. 81.
! kucfU.s' .Ai~s rotSIscl, was aoverrulets.
Judge Beer sentenced Gillen to pay
n fine Of $50 and costs, the maximum
under the law.
Immediately upon pronounccment
Of sentence Mr.. Gillen was rear
rested on a charge Of driving c motor
vehicle without the proper tags at.
tached. The time for hearing on the
second count has not yet been fixed.
Identified ~ Driver
Witnesses at the hearing, who in
cluded several girls from the Indian
school, told Of the accident and de-
scribed the car which struck the girl
as she and her school mates were
en- route to Bismarck. The girls tes-
titled that they were all walking
very close to the left side Of the paw
ed road when the car struck the
Radg"r girl. and identified Gillen as
the driver.
Carl Nelson of Bismarck, who was
driving about 100 wards behind the
car which hit the girl. testified that
he kept on in pursuit of the
driver and stopped him on the
bridge. While persons with Mr..
Nelson took the license number Of the
car. Mr.. Nelson told the driver TINT
he had just hit girl a short dis.
tance back and that he had better 20
back to Bismarck and report to the
police, at least until the accident had
been Investigated.
GilIen Turns Back
The driver, Mr.. Nelson said, claim
ed he did not know he had struck any.
one, but turned his car around and
started back towards Bismarck. Mr..
Nelson and his party then returned
TO the filling station near the bridge
for gas, as they were going on q
hunting trip. While the car was be-
ing serviced, the driver Of the other
ear must have again turned westward,
Mr.. Nelson says, as before the hunt.
ing party reached the Heart RIVER
cutoff, few miles west of the bridge,
they passed the car q second time.
The car had a license plate on the
rear but none in front according to
those with Mr.. Nelson.
Checking the cars license number
with records in the state registrars
office Sunday afternoon. after MIR.
Nelson returned home, it was found
that the license was issued to A. Heyd
Of Burt and was for an Overland car,
according to States Attorney F. E.
McCurdy, who is prosecuting the
charge. Sheriff Albin Hedstrom then
went to Burt Sunday night. Learn
ing that Mr.. Heyd is a garage man
there and that he had sold the Over
land car in question to Mr.. Gillen,
the sheriff went to the Gillen home
and took the man into custody, re-
turning to Bismarck with his prison.
er ut a. nj. Monday. The car which
Mr.. Gillen was driving is a Chevrolet,
but he showed the sheriff the remains
Of the Overland, which he had junked
after transferring the license plates
20 the CnevrOIeJ.
Mr.. Gillen admitted to the sheriff
that ne Is the man who was stopped
on the bridge and told that he had
struck q girl, but claims he did not
know he had hit anyone. He says hs
returned to Bismarck but found no
trace Of any accident.
Girls Condition Favorable
The injured girl is resting nicely
ut the hospital today. attendants
said, and chances for her recovery
are very favorable. Her jaw was
broken. nearly all her teeth knocked
out and her leg injured in the acci-
dent.
Mr.. Cillen, according to Bismarck
people who are personally acquainted
with him. il highly respected citi.
zen Of Hettinget county, having re.
sided near Burt the greater part Of
his life, and 10 one Of the most in&lu-
ential men in civic affairs ii that sec
tion of the state. His friends believe
Bis story that he did not know Nc had
struck anyone, and are not inclined 70
think. be Would "run away 1roo the
scene Of IN accident Il he knew be
had participated therein.