Belt Valley times. [volume], March 06, 1924, Image 1

About Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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VOLUME THIRTY. NUMBER THIRTY-BIGHT.
BELT, MONTANA. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1924.
$2.00 PER YEAR IN ADYANGM
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HIGH SCHOOL 5
TRIMS LEAGUERS
The Baynesford Eighth grade girls
team visited the Eighth grade girls on
Wednesday evening and tried conclu
sions with the girls team of that
grade. The Belt girls were larger and
bad had infinitely more practice so
that the home team won but the vis
itors put up a game battle. The visit
ing girls were Ella Skadsen, Angeline
and Irene Col arch ik, Mary Evans,
Gladys Pish and Vyna Nulliner. They
wer« accompanied by their coach, Mrs.
Watson.
i
The Eighth grade boys nosed out
the Seventh grade team by one point
in & fiercely contested battle at the
Gym last evening, Myron Robinson
throwing his half of a doable foul af
ter the whistle had blown for time.
Hie score was 9 to 8j
The high school trimmed the Tri
bunes by one point in the principal
fray of the evening by a score of 13
to 12. At one time in the second half
the Belt team had a nice lead but No.
4 on the Tribunes caged three long
ones in succession from past the cen
ter and nearly overcame Belt's lead.
The high school team say that Belt
people will We a smoothly working
machine when they watch the Port
6haw boys on Friday night.
Tournament Games—
Custer 1«, Poplar 5.
Butte Central 17. Whitehall I«.
Butte 32, Flathead 28.
The people of Belt will watch with
interest the work of the -Big Sandy
and Great Falls teams at the tourna
ment. Great Falls has a good record
for the season and may be depended
on for a hard fight for a place among
the leaders. ^Big Sandy started the
season badly but has improved con
sistently until they were able to beat
out the Falls team for district honors.
Harlem failed in the pinch although
touted to win while Big Sandy, a dark
horse, came from behind and played
at top form.
The results of only a few games
will be published in this issue and be
fore the day of publication comes
again the tournament will have been
won and lost.
Helena is the favorite among the
western teams while Poplar from the
northeast, with Miles City and Bill
ings of the southeast, are the teams
about which little is known. The Pop
lar team is composed mainly of In
dians who play by spurts a flashy,
brilliant game but heretofore they
have never shown the stamina and
«ondition to enable them to stand the
terrific strain of the toumarsmt.
Miles City looks like a strong con
tender for honors having beaten Bill
ing» recently. The latter team should
nevertheless make a good showing.
Great Fails a ppears to have be«*
this
ter by the addition of Evans whose
weight makes him a hard man to stop.
Kalispell is a team about which lit
tle is known. Several seasons they
have sent teams to the tournament
which have been undisputed champ
ions of the northwestern district and
have considered themselves and also
have been cortsidered by others as dan
gerous opponents. Usually they have
gone home without winning a game.
Still the unexpected might happen and
they might get into the money. Ana
conda, Butte Central and Livingston
have teams that are. dangerous at all
The tournament promises to
be one of the fastest in years.
At Anaconda the Harlem team was
defeated by Butte by a score of 22-5.
METHODIST CHURCH NOTES
Harry T. Stoag. Pastor
Morning worship at 11 o'clock. Ser
mon by the pastor.
Evening se r vice at 7:80.
Prayer service Thursday af-.'J M.
Choir practice Saturday «t-#8fclock.
Regular
Wednesday afternoon.
Sunday school at 10 o'clock.
Junior Lcsfot at 8 p. m. Sunday.
Epwwrth League at 6:86
permits, the Gospel IBM
ting of ladies Aid on
w-*th S»
ot the
ford
this coming Sunday
A cordial welcome always at the M,
11 » — ■
L. B. Lockhart, E. E. Dawson and M. T. Messelt Arrested Early This
Week. Messelt Out bn Bail; Dawson in Seattle, Lockhart in Cal.
-
v
Two former bank officials were ar
i&ted Sunday on indictments issued
Saturday by the Cascade county grand
jury, L. B. Lockhart, former vice
president of the Miners State bank at
Sand Coulee, and former president of
the Belt State bank, was arrested in
Los Angeles and held in $18,000 bail.
Six indictments specifying two counts
were preferred against him. M. T.
Messelt, former assistant cashier of)
the Belt State bank, was detained byj
the Havre sheriff to answer two in
dictments, with three counts, charging 1
irregularities in his dealings while anj
official of the Belt bank.
Messelt is named in two indictments
the first charging him with intent to
defraud the state banking superin
tendent and others by a ledger entry
made in January, 1922, concerning a
transfer in stock of the Belt State
bank to the Miners State bank of Sand
Coulee.
The second indictment, in the first
count, charges Messelt with accept
ing funds for deposit in the Belt bank
after he knew the bank to be insol
vent, die second count alleging he had
reason to know the bank was unsound
at the time the deposit specified was
made,
Lockhart is alleged to have received
the Belt bank stock, valued at $2,400,
as an individual, while the entry al
leged to have been approved by Mes
selt, debited the stock to the account
of the Sand Coulee bank.
Lockhart faced trial in district court
here last summer for grand larceny
in connection with transactions in the
Belt bank. The jury failed to agree
in the caae ami was dismissed in the
fore part of June. Lockhart was re
leased under bond. Messelt is g dep
uty state examiner, recently appoint
ed receiver of the Security National
bank of Havre. Both men were ar
rested on telegraphic warrants sent
ROBERT NONE
3 HAS BIC PARTY
Saturday night Mrs. G. G. Nohl en
tertained for her son Robert, the oc
casion being his 16th birthday. Those
present were Ella Graybeal, Erma
Wilson, Lucille Brady, Alice Robin
son, Dorothy Robinson, Billie Staffel,
Bernice Staffel, Anatosia Klimas,
Verna Moe, Jay Leland, Gua Probst,
Howard Grayfoeal, Ralph Millard,
Florian Florek, Pat Sanderson, Chaa.
Remington, Robert Nohl.
The first part of the evening was
spent playing "600" at which Chaa.
Remington and Alice Robinson won
the head prizes. The table and house
were decorated in St. Patrick's day
colors and the birthday cake carried
16 flaming candles which Robert ex
tinguished with one breath, thus fore
casting Mi early marriage. -
ion« time,
After lunch various guessing games
and testa of skill were tried. Gas
Probet received the prize for finding
the pieces of paper which put together
formed a shamrock. Florian Florek
guessed what a lot of pictures adver
tised and was rewarded.
Lucille Brady proved herself most
proficient in outlining an animal with
needle and thread, while Gua Probet
again distinguished himself by find
ing the most trees hidden away in sen
tences. The young people had a glor
Legion Dance
On St. Patrick'» night the Ameri
can Legion will give a grand library
ball at the high school auditorium.
The object of this dance is to secure
funds with which to buy books and
periodicals for the public library
which they are conducting.
No more worthy cause could be
found than. this. The Legion have
dreams of a future Legion building
which shall contain the Legion hall
and house the library, but this enter
tainment is not in any way connected
with the building program.
The dance given some wefks ago by
the Legion netted them only a few
dollars besides s bunch of books for
which they were grateful but on the
night of the 17th they hope to have *
ptoawmt evening and a racord-tonsok
Latest Reports
M. T. Messelt was in Balt on
Monday and Tuesday arranging
for bail, the redaction of which
he had secured from $6JM0 to
$2,000. A plea of not guilty was
entered to the two charges on
Tuesday afternoon and having
furnished bail, Messelt was re
leased until called for trial.
It it expected that E. E. Daw
son, who has been arrested in
Seattle, will resist extradition.
According to word received by
the sheriff's office his attorneys
ate filing habeas corpus pro
ceedings and the sheriff eras
called upon for a telegraphic
copy of the indictment Extra
dition papers are also being pre
pared for L. B Lockhart and
Harry Skinner in case they
should change their minds about
returning.
Té Deputy Sheriffs Dennis and
Paiagi left Wednesday morning
to bring back the accused men
from California.
by Sheriff Bob Gardon. It is expect
ed that a deputy will leave today for
Havre to bring Messelt to Great Falla.
The two arrests Sunday were the first
made on the nine indictments issued
taterday. Additional arrests aw ex
pected today, officers stated Sunday
night. , ,
t The chargee against Lockhart to
brief are as follows;
Lockhart is charged with grand
larceny on two counts—first, that on
October 31, 1921, he appropriated to
his own ase $3,500 which belonged to
the Miners State Bank of Sand
Coulee, and second, that he, as vice
president of the said bank, defrauded
the bank of the money.
Another indictment charges Lock
hart with a felony, that of furnishing
a false statement to the superintend
ent of banka on January 4, 1922, with
reference to the time certificates of
deposit in the State Bank of Belt, of
which he was a director. The second
count chargee a felony in that Lock
hart, with felonious intent, deceived
the superintendent of banks.
Grand larceny on two counts is
charged in another indictment, it W
ing alleged that Lockhart appropriat
ed to his own use $2,400 belonging to
the State Bank of Belt, Jan. 14, 1922,
the second count charging felonious
intent to defraud the bank out of the
money.
Lockhart is also charged with a fel
ony in two counts, for alleged issu
ance of a false statement on July 14,
1921, to the superintendent of banks
to the amount of bills payable at
the Miners State bank of Sand Coulee
it being alleged that the report showed
that the bank did not have any bills
payable, whereas the indictment
charges that the report should have
shown that the bank had borrowed
$10,000 from the Midland National
bank of Minneapolis; file second count
charging intent to deceive the super
intendent of banks.
Another indictment charges Lock
hart with grand larceny., appropriat
ing to his own use on November 4,
1921, $1,048.20 belonging to the Min
ers State bank of Sand Coulee; and
the second count charges him with de
frauding file bank out of the money.
Issuance of a false statement with
reference to the amounts due the Min
ers State bank of Sand Coulee on July
18, 1922, is also charged, it being al
leged that he reported that the Com
mercial National bank of Great Falls
owed the bank $268-86; «the Midland
E >nal bank of Minneapolis owed
«nk $4,422.28, ala© the First Na- 1
1 bank of Great Falls owed the
Sand Coulee inatitutioh $7,700.63. It
is alleged that a true statement of the
facts shows that the Sand Coulee bank
owed the Commercial National bank :
of Great Falls $4,781.14; that there
was ne money due from the Commer
cia) National bank, and that the Sand,
Coulee bank owed the Midland Ns- ,
tional bank of Ktoneapolia $577.72 in- j
stead of that institution owing the
Sand Coulee bank; and that instead of,
the First National bank of Great Falls |
owing the Sand Coulee bank $7,700.78
tfce correct »mount was $2,700.63. The*
■écond count charges Lockhart with
Making the false report to deceive the
Superintendent of banks.
S Los Angeles, Cal., March 3.— L. B.
Lockhart/ former official of two Mon
banka was arrested by deputy
fa here Sunday night on a tele
»raphic warrant from Great Falla,
Montana. The fugitive warrant au
thorising his arrest fixed his bail at
$18,000, in default of which he
lodged in the county jail.
, To newspapermen Lockhart said he
ums formerly president of the State
k of Belt and the Miners State
nk of Sand Coulee, both situated in
Otoal) towns within 25 miles of Orest
Falls
"The banks failed more than a year
ago," he explained. ."I knew that the
«rend jury was investigating
tanks and learned from my attorney
«(today that I had been indicted. I
Wired in return that I would be to
dfeat Falls next Wednesday and was
Stoking preparations for the trip when
«Brea tod."
tat»«
Aerif
was
8 =
tfae
that not fight
*ictredition and was eager to Jeee the
«h$rges made against him. One
banks involved was capitalised
000, be said, and the other for
«$0,000. —Monday's Tribune.
&
■» . _,
«*07! U™*! °1
State Bank of Belt and the State
Bank of Stockett. now closed wa. ar
rested in Los Ange es Monday on
Oscsde county grand jury Indict
Z W, S
Stockeu bank.
States gf toBBBsf be nd h tafrant on
indictments returned against Elmer
E. Dawson, former cashier of the Belt
bank, was made Monday in Seattle,
bringing the total number arrested on
the nine true bills returned Saturday
to four.
Los Angeles authorities Sunday ar
rested L. B. Lockhart, former yice
preeident of the Miners State bank at
Sand Coulee and former president of
the State Bank of Belt, on four sep
arat% indictsments and two joint In
dictments and M. T. Messelt, named
jointly with Dawson in a true bill al
leging receipt of deposits when the
bank was insolvent, was also taken in
custody,
Sunday Messelt, former assistant
cashier of the Belt bank and now a
deputy state bank examiner, was ar
rested at Havre, where he 4s in charge
of the Security State bank.
The indictment against Skinner ac
cuses him of larceny on two counts,
the theft of $3,600 from the Stockett
bank in May, 1920, when he was pres
ident of the institution. The former
Montana banker was released from
custody late Monday afternoon on
$8,000 bail, which Forrest Nelson, un*
der indictment in connection with the
failure of the American Bank A Trust
company here, helped him arrange
In an interview with newspaper men
Skinner denied the charges against
him and intimated that he would waive
extradition. He said he was prepar
ing to enter business when taken into
custody. He has established a home
attle.
Harry J. Skinner, a few years ago
was rated as one of the wealthiest
men in Cascade county, but due to the
adversities of the postwar depression
he is understood to have lost virtually
jail of his fortune. ~
In one true bill against both Daw
son and Messelt, it is alleged that on
October 9, 1922. they accepted and
placed on deposit in the State Bank
of Belt a deposit of $316 from Ora L.
Wilson when they knew the bank was
impaired This indictment carries two
counts.
In the second indictment against
them, Messelt and Dawson are accused
of making an entry in the Belt bank's
general ledger under the aecount of
near Monrovia, a suburban town.
Lockhart is »till in jail, unable to
raise $18,000; bail. He has announced
that he will waive extradition.
It is not known whether Dawson
will oppose return to Montana. He
was indicted jointly with Lockhart and
Messelt on charges of making a false
report as to the condition of the bank,
false entry, and accepting deposits
when the bank was known to be insol
vent. He is a relative of A. L. Brad
ley, former president of the Gilman
State bank, now under arrest in Se
MINE WORKERS ADOPT
NATIONAL WAGE SCALE
Billings.—Miners wage scales
as adopted by the national
board of United Mine Workers
of America at the meeting in
Jacksonville, Fla., last month
were presented to the district
convention here Tuesday morn
ing and adopted by unanimous
vote.
The
district includes
Montana and North Dakota.
The matter will now be re
ferred to a convention commit
tee which will meet the coal op
erators at G real Faljs March 12.
the Miners State bank of Sand Coulee
charging the account of that bank
$2,400 on a certificat» of deposit is
sued to Lockhart as peri payment for
the J. P. Healey bank stock when it
should have been * charged to Lock
hart's individual account.
Dawson and Lockhart are named in
the third joint indictment, Hating two
of
counts. It is claimed that during the
months of December, 1921, and Janu
ary, 1922, whan a report was made on
the condition of file State Bank of
Belt, that it was falsely shown that
the bank had $87,118.45 on deposit to
. certificate« of deposit when actually
th * citation had $77.118.4«. or $10.
m ^ ^ to the state
BOperintelKUnt tomka. — "
Information ha« been received here
the ^ B#f * Washington had
*>»««* «tradition paper, for the w
^ BradltT ^ ^ 0Uramn 8 t»ta
^ ç w. Tewell. former snaMSar
of that Institution Hearing on habeas
corpus proceedings begun to Beattie
by their counsel will be held in the
coast city today.—Tuesday's Tribuns,
BASEBALL MEN
ELECT OFFICERS
Saturday evening a good represen
tation of business men met in the club
room of the Knights of Pythias and
talked over the baseball situation for
this season. Everyone seemed to be
in favor of putting a team in the field
but realized that the successful finan
cial backing of a team was consider
able of an undertaking. On the Wed
nesday evening previous to this meet
ing the Miners Union had had the
matter under discussion at their reg
ular meeting and had appointed Mat
Le sell, Andrew Wants and Ernest
Siegling as three members of the
board of directors.
Saturday night the business men
followed suit and elected Waiter Blom
quist, C. A. Straight and John Jaap
on this
ai their three
board.
Jhis board will elect a secretary
treasurer outside of their number and
a president and vice-president from
among themselves.
This will be the executive board of
the organization and will have com
plete charge of all arrangements.
The first thing on their program is
to find out to what extent the citizens
of Belt will back the team. If the
response is satisfactory steps will be
taken to insure their entrance into
the league and players will be signed
up. If the response ia discouraging,
the subject will be dropped.
35
Lester Funeral
The funeral of George Lester was
held in St. Mark's church on Monday
morning at 10 o'clock. The ladies of
the local Slavish society acted as es
cort from the Lester home to the
church. Fred Jurcak, John Want»,
Andrew Bo both, D. Spogen, Charles
Lochray and Mike Havenictz acted
pall bearers.
The regular Catholic choir and
Father T. O- Rocque sang requiem
high mass for the deceased, after
which an eloquent sermon was preach
ed by the officiating clergyman.
Burial wa* made in Pleasant View
cemetery.
Besides the widow, three sons were
present: Rudolf, who is engaged to the
an
<
ROY ANDERSON
GETS PROMOTED
We have a 'clipping from the
Francisco Examiner which states
two East Bay bankers are leasing
soon for Europe where they will make
an eight-months' survey of
and market conditions in Fnaag
Germany, England, Austria and Italy.
These men are T. M. Robinson, Jr,
manager of the Elmwood branch ot
the Mercantile Trust Co. at Berkley,
and T. N. Barrows, son of foi
President David Scott Barrows of the
University of California, and
bar of the staff of the Mercantile
Trust Co.
During the absence of these gentle
men, Roy C. Anderson, son of Mra.
Hilda Anderson of Belt, and who in
now cashier of the Elmwood branch,
will be the manager.
In the article are cuts of Mr. Bar
rows and Boy. The latter looks very
natural and any one would have ns
difficulty in recognising the
man who spent all hit youth to
midst. He Is to be congratulated
his suecsss and Belt can make
of her boys
who are making good.
20 Years Ago
Prod Borrows was visiting his
friends on Lower Balt last week.
A stone mason from Grant Faite to
rebuilding the piers on the
across Lower Balt. Messrs.
son. Wetaal, Damuth, Mahoney
Wye Black «te »too working on «tea
Lawtenro Farin» W4.a
on Big Wilts* near the school
fit« other day Fortunately La hit s— s
was unhurt but he pr ea ch ed a tog
funeral service for tbs tana as lar
traveled down the road on too 1
August Probst and Frank
bautn were at Charles Atkinson's oa
business Wednesday.
Harry Williams died this week at
Great Fails. He bad made his home
with Mr. and Mrs. Mat Richardson of
this place. ✓
The electric light* have bean re
placed by tallow dips, lantern* and
this week sines the dynamo ad
the works burned out
The ladies of lbs Altar Society are
arranging for a big 8t Patrick's day
dance.
Walter Goodman mad« a trip to Has
county seat on business Tu e sd ay.
Howard Browning returned yester
day from a two months' visit with art
stive« near Calais, Maine.
The family of Charles Holmberg ot
lows arrived last Friday and have
been stopping with Mr. and Mrs. Ber
nard Johnson, who are relative». Mr.
Holmberg arrived Tuesday with » ear
load of household goods and stock. He
has rented the farm of Swan Andersen
eight mile» sots thee« t of town and will
move there immediately.
Mr. and Mrs. Homer Thomas of Belt
Park returned home Monday after a
few days visit in the county seat.
John Qonsler and daughter, Mias
Annie, of Monarch passed through
town Saturday on their way to Groat
Falls.
Mrs. Archie Frye and son Frankly»
are visiting friends in Groat Falls.
Mr. and Mrs. Abe Hedrick of Wil
low creek were among those in town
Saturday.
About 76 of the coke ovens are now
fired and within a few days the whole
plant will be in operation.
Miss Minnie Heiner of Portland,
Ore., Grand Guardian of the Neigh
bors of Woodcraft, came to Groat
Falls to meet Silver Leaf Circle No.
last week. Miss Myrtle Springer
and her mother brought her out to
Belt to visit Mizpah Circle No. 162.
Two cars of Great Falb» Neighbor»
accompanied them.
meat business to Log angele»; Frank,
who is running a printing «hop to
Marshfield, Wto.. and Louis, custodB
■■of the Odd Fellows Tempi* «h '
Sioux Falls, S- D.
The church wps filled wit|i friends
and neighbor» of the departed who
joined with the family to paying Ä»
final act of respect to one who had
lived for nearly thhtg year*