Hesterly to Stand Trial

Court refuses Plea Guilty - Two Separate Charges of Murder in First Degree Entered Against Hesterly

A pleas of guilty of murder in the first degree was made at Forsyth Thursday by Arthur T. Hesterly, in connection with the deaths of Peter Jakobi, the Rosebud county rancher and his niece, Miss Matilda Latsch, District Judge G. J. Jeffries, before whom Hesterly was arraigned, disregarded the plea and he will be given a jury trial in March.

Upon the order issued by Judge Jeffries following Hesterly’s arraignment, Jan. 20, County Attorney F. F. Haynes filed a second charge of murder in the first degree against Hesterly, charging him with the murder of Matilda Latsch. The charge was read in court Thursday, and Hesterly entered a plea of guilty to these charges as well as to those charging him with killing Jakobi.

In explaining his action holding Hesterly for trial after the man had entered pleas of guilty to charges of first degree murder, Judge Jeffries said the circumstances of the case made it appear imperative to him that a jury trial would be necessary for proper administration of justice.

The judge said it had been proposed that he accept a plea of guilty and that life imprisonment be imposed, but he summarily refused to make this disposition of the case. (Published in the Hysham Echo February 26, 1926 & November 8, 2013) Print this post