Daily globe., 1878-01-29
MURDERED FOR RAILS.
THE TRAGEDY IN RICE COUNTY.

A Quarrel Over a Pile of Rails--Sled Stakes
Brought into Requisition--TheC Close Fam
ily Close the Existence of Their Victim
A terrible affray occurred at Richland,
Rice county, Minnesota, which has already
been noted in the GLOBE. The parties to
the afray had dispute relative to the own
ership of pile of rails, the result being that
William and James Close, and Amos Bice
attacked Donald McKinsey, beat him SO
badly that death ensued. The preliminary
examination of the murderers is in progress
at Faribault, and we present below a tran
script of the leading testimony:
FAR1BAULr, Jan. 26.-The preliminary ex-
, animation of VIM. Close, James Close and
Amos Bice, for the murder of Donald Nc
Kinsey of Richland, was held before Justice
Hunter at the Court House on Thursday and
Friday of last week. County Attorney Per
kins and Geo. N. Baxter, Esq, appearing as
counsel in behalf of the State, and Hon. G.
Z. Cole and A. D. Keyes, ESQ.,, for the de-
PENDANTS. The first witness sworn was
MRS. LAURA A. GREELEY,
who testified as follows: live in Richland,
Rice County, have lived there nearly nine
years. Know VIM. and James Close and
Amos Bice; have known Mr.. McKinsey for
two months, lived in the house with him !;
seen the affray which took place in twenty
acre field of Railroad land, some twenty or
thirty rods east of the house. My husband
put in crops in this land last year the road
runs between the house and the field the
house stands about one rod from the
road. The affray took place
between and 10 o'clock a. m. January 12;
the parties were in the field, nearer the
house than the center of the field; I was
standing by the window and the first thing I
saw was Mr.. McKinsey and one of the men
hold of rail with the rail between them;
could not identify which one it was that had
hold of the rail; they dropped the rail and
Mr. Mcklnsey began chasing one of them;
they run round in a semi-circle for about
twenty feet to where the other two were; the
one that Mr.. McKinsey was chasing was
quite apiece ahead-ten feet or SO; when
they got around to where the other two men
stood, the man with the Buffalo overcoat on
stepped between them; he had club in his
hand which appeared to be fence stake; he
hit MIR. Mcklnsey two raps with it on the
head; MI. McKinsey then fell to the ground;
the one he had been chasing then stepped up
and struck him twice while he was on the
ground; think it was a fence stake he struck
him with; think they all had fence stakes;
they were large stakes; when Mr.. McKinsey
came round on the circle, the two who were
standing there had a stake in their hands; did
Mr. Tx hou ho
was running; knew the three
men, saw them go by the house before the
affray took place; when they brought Mr..
McKinsey to the house his head was gore
of blood it was awful sight, we set him
in a chair and bathed his head in cold water
and gave him camphor to smell of T; he vom-
tied good deal we then got sofia down
stairs and he lay on it about an hour until
we got bed fixed for him !; he was up and
down through the day. The affray happen
ed on Saturday and he died the next Sunday
week.
1t was about half lf-past nine when the affray
took place and DR.. Wood got there about
twelve o'clock neither VIM. Close or James
Close came to the house that I saw-Amos
Bice came with the sleigh that brought Mr..
McKinsey and staid half an hour or so.
EDWIN ], GREELEY SWORN.
Reside in Richland have lived there about
eleven years. Know all the defendants ;
have been acquainted with Mr.. McKinsey
McKinsey when the affray took place; was
back of the house Mrs. McKinsey came out
and said to me: 0, hurry and see that fight
ing;' as came round the end of the house,
saw the club come down and the man fall !;
saw there three besides Mr.. McKinsey !;
knew them all, can not swear which of the
three struck the blow; Mr.. McKinsey and
the one that struck the blow were close to-
gesher Did not notice whether they
had clubs or not, as I was going down
there in hurry; after McKinsey fell saw
James Close make step forward and strike
twice; could not say whether he struck Mr..
McKinsey or the ground; he strack with
sled stake; saw Amos Bice rush in and pull
James Close away and heard him tell him
not to strike him any more as he had already
killed him. Close said, 81 don't care God
damn if 1 have, for if had not knocked him
down l would have put a ball through him.
VIM. Close stood near the fence, within
aeight feet Of Mr.. McKinsey, looking on; did
not hear VIM. Close say anything; Amos
Bice and myself picked him up and put him
in the sleigh and took him to the house. He
was gore of blood and we got very bloody;
after we got him into the house he seemed to
know me- Mrs. McKinsey wished doctor
sent for and Mr.. Bice told Mr.. Sayler to go
for one; when we moved him from the chair
heard him talk; would not be willing to
take my oath that every word testified to
as having been said by James Close were the
identical words nsed but literally they were
the same
MRS. AGNES n K1NsEY SWORN.
l am the widow of Mr.. Donald McKinsey.
Never saw any of the defendants before, ex-
cspt VIM. Close, until that morning; have
been living there since Dec. 17th was at the
house when the affray commenced;
the first I saw was the defendants all
armed with clubs; did not see my hus-
band have any club; the one that Close
struck him with was short stake, about four
feet long; the others were within few feet
when the blow was struck: saw Amos Bice
strike my husband from behind, and he fell;
cannot say how far I was from them at the
time; think Bice wore a buffalo over-coat,
but by the time I got there they had taken it
off; did not see but one blow struck before
he fell and that felled him to the ground
saw James Close strike twice with stake
am not positive whether he struck my hus-
band or not; saw his body, and saw the blows
struck; thought they hit near where the head
Law. when T f,ot there ha WAC insanoihIo. he