Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-04-03
DRAWS SENTENCE OF
3 YEARS; $4,000 FINE
Other Case Dismissed by Court, Over Objection of the
County Attorney and Attorney General

The special term of District Court
ception, the matter turned out to the
satisfaction of the public generally.
The ease of the State of Montana
VS.. S. R. (Nig) Collins and Frank J..
Fishbeck, in which each defendant
obtained a separate trial, on charges
of attempting to commit the crime of
rape, resulted in a verdict of guilty
against Collins.
This case was featured with some
highly sensational testimony on the
part of the three girls who were in
weighed into becoming members of the
party that was held at the "Nig Col
Inns chicken ranch, and the evidence
as introduced by County Attorney
Blackwell and assistant Attorney
General Macdonald as we'll as tho
cross examination by Grier and Bab-
cock, was of such a character, that
we will have to refrain from printing
it, or the paper would be barred from
the mail. No actual assault occurred
but the intent of committing the
crime was very apparent, and the
jury brought in a verdict accordingly.
The intense interest in the case
was brought about partially from the
publicity given the matter by the
Plentywood Herald and the slurring
articles in the Producers Moose in re-
ferring to the District Court session
as a circus put OF by County Attor-
ney Grant Blackwell in opening up his
political campaign. The Court room
was packed with spectators during
every moment of the trial, and many
brought their lunches with them so
as to be able to keeT their seats, All
jurors who were not drawn as actual
trial jurors in the first case were not
permitted to listen to the evidence as
they might be drawn in the second
case of the State against Fishbeck.
When all evidence was In and both
sides had rested, which occurred about
1920 o'clock Thursday morning, and
after the instructions of the court had
been given to the jury, the pleas were
listened to with the very closest at
t%ention, the opening plea being given
by County Attorney Blackwell who
made a very able plea asking for the
conviction of Collins. His remarks
were challenged several times by at
torneys Babcock and Greer who rep
rouap+oj 4bo dafa,dart hut ,,os+ &c
his statements were permitted by the
Judge. Following him both the at
torneys for the defense talked to the
jury attempting, to make Light Of the
matter as tho it should not have
been brought into Court at all. They
did not go quite as far as the Pro-
ducers Moose did and did not refer
to the matter as a political circus, but
they attempted to tear down testi-
mony of the witnesses for the State.
The closing argument was given
by assistant Attorney General Mac
Donald and his plea for the convic-
ton Of Mig Collins will be remember
ed by all who heard him as one of the
most stirring pleas that has ever
been heard in this part of the state.
The matter was submitted to the
jury about noon, and the jurors had
their dinner before retiring to the
jury room to deliberate on the matter
at about 1880 p. NJ. 1t is reported
that three ballots were taken; one
ipop,aJiot.1xr aftar tho, ooto,.aJ @ba
jury room, which is said to have been
ten for conviction and only two
against. The second ballot was elev-
en- for conviction, but when the final
ballot was taken about 700 P. M. the
verdict for conviction was unani-
nous. The Judge, attorneys and the
defendant Collins were notified by the
bailiffs and the Clerk Of Court, and at
7:3O P. M. when the jury entered the
court ROOM, every seat was again
filled with spectators. When Lars j.
Larson of Dagmar, who had been
selected as foreman of the jury
handed his verdict to Judge Felt the
silence in the Court room was so ex-
treme that it is believed by many
that had a pin been dropped on the
floor it would have been heard by all
present. The Judge after reading
the verdict handed same to Clerk of
Court Carl B. Peterson who, after af-
fixing the filling stamp of the Dist
riot court, arose and read it. Mig
Collins showed his hardened dispo-
%sition, in spite of the fact that he had
only an hour or two earlier offered to
bet he would be acquitted or that
there would be an acquittal, as he did
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