The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-16

GIVEN LIFE TERMS
FOR COAST Crime
Plead Guilty Within "a Hours Of
Oil Mans Rescue in
Speedy Action
VICTIM GIVES EVIDENCE
Says Gang Subjected Him to
No Bodily Harm During
Time They Held Him

kidnapers of the wealthy william Get
tie will begin serving life sentences
for that crime before nightfall.
Hardly more than a hours after
Gettle's delivery from his kidnap
prison and less than a week after he
was snatched from . party at his
Hills home, the three kid
Williams, Jimmy Kirk
and Larry Kerrigan-were rushed to
court Tuesday night, permitted to
plead guilty and quickly sentenced to
life imprisonment.
A county grand jury indicted the
trio on kidnapping for ransom and rob-
berry charges at 7:50 p. m, after hear
ing Gettle's story.
At 3 o'clock the men were taken be-
fore Superior Judge Charles Fricke
for arraignment.
Fifteen minutes later they had
pleaded guilty. Gettle had testified
briefly and the three kidnapers had
been sentenced to life terms in San
Quentin prison.
Because Gettle testified the three
had not inflicted grievous bodily harm,
they will be eligible for parole after
serving three and one-half years.
Escaped Death Possibility
District Attorney Buron Fits had
given the members Of the gang the
alternative Of pleading guilty or stand
ing trial and facing the possibility Of
the death sentence.
In view of Gettle's testimony that
he suffered no bodily harm, court at
tactes pointed out the district attor-
ney would have had no power to de-
mand the death penalty. However,
his threat apparently had the desired
result as the men pleaded guilty with
little hesitation.
Grouped before the bench were Dis
trict Attorney Fits and two Of his
deputies. The prisoners, heavtly-iron-
ed and clad in the blue denim jail
garb, sat with their attorney, J. Ed
ward Simpson.
Gettle sat at the clerks desk, with
Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz and other
law enforcement officers.
Judge Fricke read the indictment.
The Judge then asked each Of the
three men II he was ready to plead.
Each nodded.
Guilty" each mumbled.
Fits announced he would call Get
tie as the only witness.
Gettle told how he was kidnapped
from his Arcadia country home about
midnight Of last Wednesday. He told
of going with two Of his guests to the
recreation house on the estate.
And then, Mr.. Gettle?" asked Pitts.
Abductors Acted Quickly
1.-TWO boys ran in. They had guns
and wore MASKS" said 0ettle. .1hey
grabbed our arms. They tied Wolf
(James p. Wolf, one Of the guests)
to q tree and said: This Is no holdup.
It's q snatch
"They bound my hands and put me
over the fence. My hands were bound
and they tapped my mouth and eyes.
They threw me into q car"
You were directed over the WALTZ"
asked the district attorney.
EYES," Gettle replied. II fell from
the top Of the wall. told the men
I thought they had broken my leg"
The Beverly Hills millionaire des-
cribed how he was taken to the house
in La Crescenta.
did you write any letters while you
were there?" he was asked.
We'll, this boss man. told me to
write q letter just as he had written
1t. He said they wanted my signature.
This letter was to my friend, Bill
Drewes."
Gettle identified the boss man" as
Kirk. He said they fatty declared
they wan d 100000. The millionaire
said they made him write q second
ter.
With the three men In the case
ready for San Quentin, authorities
were undecided what to do with two
women who were arrested when found
In company Of Kirk.
The women, Lauretta Woody, %.
alias Ann williams. and Mona A. Gal
lighan, 81, aliss Joan Ward. are being
held for suspicion Of kidnapping.