The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-04-11
CLAIMS EVANS
WAS FORCED TO
COMMIT CRIME
Continued from page one)

lIOH puKe UUc
criminal and hardboiled." The at
torney intimated that the severity of
the charges against Carlson might
warrant swearing out q complaint
against him.
When Mike Harm of Shields, an
other alleged member of the gang,
confessed to Louis Connolly, special
prosecutor for the state, that George
Couture had stolen three horses, he
was perjuring himself because Carl
son told him to, Sullivan alleged
claiming that Carlson himself led the
men into commission Of the deed
claiming the horses belonged to him
Harms New Statement
The attorney read new statement
from Harm denying his previous al
legged confession.
In his statement, Harm declared
that Carlson told him to say: "George
Couture hired me to round up those
three horses. claimed to be their
owner and sold them" When Harm
demonstrated with Carlson and said
THAT isn't true" he claimed Carl
son told him that "Thcy will get
Couture on some other charge any
way and if you want to get off easy
this is the way to do it." Harm al
legged that he demurrcd ut the pros
pect, but Carlson, he alleges, said
"They won't find it out if we both
tell the same story"
The truth Of the matter, Harm al
leges, is this:
Carlson suggested that Harm. Cou-
ture and himself 60 out and round
up some horses which actually be-
longed to Couture.>in addition to
three horses which Carlson alleged
belonged to him.
The first day, Harm alleged, the
horses could not be rounded up, but
the second day Carlson brought them
to Couture's place and told him he
would be over Sunday when the
horse buyer came around. (The horse
buyer. was alleged to be Ted Albers
Oliver county sheriff, who was as
sisting the state.)
When the buyer came, Harm said
Carlson told Couture: "You sell the Sc
horses for me. You're better sales
man." Couture sold the horses and
the buyer handed him the money,
which he is alleged to have. passed on
to Carlson. Carlson, it is alleged
handed it back to Couture and said:
"Put it in your pocket" =,
In Harms first statement, he 5aNu
that Couture claimed the hi : 81; De-
longed to him, sold lem on MS own
initiative and ispt the money.
suspended Sentence Asked
: Sullivan pleaded for suspension of
sentence, citing the circumstances of
the case and declaring that Evans
father also ordered him to take part
in the commission of the crimes.
c. F. kelsch, states attorney of
Morton county, resisted Sullivan
application for suspension Of SEN
tence on the grounds that the de-
PENDANT had already pleaded guilty
to grand larceny.
Louis Connolly, special prosecuting
attorney, argued that by commission
of three crimes, Evans had shown
himself not to be a "callOw youth.
as the defense counsel alleged. He
further alleged that Evans, by con-
fession of Richard Trackhider, an
other member Of the gang who is al
ready in prison, was implicated in
robbery of a government substation
at Porcupine, when supplies were
stolen. At this time, neither Carl
son or Evans father were along,
Connolly claimed.
The prosecuting attorney further
alleged that Harm had sworn to his
first affidavit which implicated Cou-
ture and that, since the youth had
pleaded guilty to grand lar
ccny, the matter of his comparative
guilt or innocence was not material.
CARLSON WAS AGENT FOR
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE
Con Carlson, alleged member of
the cattle rustling gang rounded up
in southwestern North Dakota sew
cral weeks ago, was acting as an
agent for the attorney generals Of
flee and Operated at all times un-
der express and careful instructions"
Attorney General George F. Shafer
II ID