Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-03
HUTCHINSON MURDER.

|
The shooting of Samuel A. Hutchinson in
Pine county last August is an event with
which readers of the GLOBE are familiar. A
change of venue from Pine City to Saltwater
took place, and Herbert Hutchinson, son of
the deceased, is now on trial at Saltwater.
The following was yesterdays story:
Emma Hutchinson next took the stand
and testified substantially as follows: Am
defendants 81 ster; defendant is eighteen
years old; the night of the tragedy no one
was in the house except the family and Geo.
| Caswell The object of this latter testimo-
ny was to show that Arbit, the wife of de-
PENDANT, was not living in the house with
| defendant. Went to bed before father came
home from Pine City; was wakened in the
| night by the firing of gun; ran down
stairs; saw defendant in sitting room;
mother was also in the room; the first time
Arbit came to our house after that was the
next day, and staid that
night. Objection to the
| question whether Herbert and Arbit had
ever lived together as man and wife previous
TO the killing was sustained. When I came
down stairs after hearing the shot, both
defendant and mother said father had shot
|
| Mother and Herbert were both crying when
/ came down; recollect ring father used to
wear.
| Mat Shortall was recalled-Since being on
| the stand before had made several expert
| ments with the gun, fred five shots into the
cloth, close up, the OBJECT being to burn and
| tear the cloth terribly; the cloth was placed
over q piece of pork when the shot was
| fred.
Mr.. Laughlin, the next witness, lived in
Pine City; had known defendant about nine
years; am sheriff of Pine county; overheard
conversation in Jail between the defendant
and another half breed named Hoosher; he
said, Herbert its too bad you shot your IA
Their; Yes, and wished I had killed him
long time ago, replied Herbert.
Cross examined-The object of Hoosher's
visit to the Jail was to see
about care of two younger Hutchinson
children; could not say whether anybody
else was in the Jail at the time; gave defend
ant drink of whisky while
in Jail; claimed to be sick
the day before the conversation be-
tween defendant and Hoosher; never gave
whisky; but once Hoosher was pretty full;
did not see him give defendant any whisky;
did remember seeing Hoosher have bottle
at time of conversation. At this point the
State rested. Mr.. Van Tassel
opened. for the defense in the preliminary
statement to the jury of the facts to be
proven, the theory that deceased met his
death by suicide being insisted on. Mr.. Van
Tassel's statement was clear, concise and
plausible.
Fred. A. Hodge was first witness called for
defendant. He said in substance: Was
acquainted with deceased for seven or eight
years; have seen him under the influence of
liquor three or four times; he had never seen
him respondent; saw him August 10th; he
had been drinking; he did not appear to be
intoxicated, saw him in the forenoon; had
heard him speak very highly of defendant.
r. G.. Robnson-Live in Pine City; had
known defendant number of years; de.
ceased had spoken of defendant in friend
ly way.
L. FL. Mckusick was next--Reside in Pine
City; saw deceased on the night of August
10th; he had been drinking considerable.
John Bartlett-Reside in Pine City; my
business is bartender; said deceased left Or
ders to give defendant billiards and cigars,
but no liquor.
Herbert Hutchinson, the defendant, took
the stand and testified in
an almost inaudible voice;
stated he was eighteen years old last June;
in the afternoon of August 18th was in Pine
City with August Durant, George Caswell
and father; father was along only part of the
afternoon; father was quite drunk; Geo. Cas-
well was drinking some; saw father have
800 about / o'clock in the afternoon;
thought father was going to cut hay; did not
know father was buying supplies; he loaded
one wagon with pork and flour which was
going to Sand Greek; the stuff was bought
in Saltwater and st. Paul; father gave me
81 0 in the afternoon to buy meat; left Pine
City little before 10 O'Clock in the evening:
saw father in all the saloons drinking all day
long; father was very drunk when we started
home; Caswell was little drunk: did not
drink; do not use liquor: when we got into
the boat the wind was very strong, lake very
rough; father asked If we were good swim
| mers; said he would tip the boat over; said
| he would just as leave be at the bottom of
the lake as on top; he almost tipped the
| boat over; told him not to and he said I
| was a towards he said all the
time he would tip over
| the boat; he had bottle of whisky, and
drank in the boat When we got home I
went into the bedroom and got the light and
| took it into the kitchen where father, George
and eat supper. 1 think they took a drink
before eating. went up stairs after supper
to my room; then went down to see where
George was going to sleep. Father said he
would sleep with me. I took the light and
went up stairs; there was only one lamp.
showed George the room and came down.
Father told me to 60 back and get the light.
did so. Father was in the sitting-room;
mother was in bed, probably awake. Father
took the light and went into the bedroom.
Pretty soon he called that he was through
with the light and went in and got the light;
father was undressing; I came out and sat
down to the desk to read paper; in about
fifteen minutes heard the gun go off;
took the light end went into the bedroom;
mother jumped out Of bed and said, Father
has shot himself;''I went out and called
George; my sister came down first; George
asked me how it happened; said 81 didn't
know father was lying on his back on the
foot of the bed; I went over to Mr.. Porter's
after Durant and Frank; after came back I
went into the bedroom; George asked me
how it happened; said mother told me he
fired it off with his foot; 1 did not shoot my
father; did not tell Ed Wright that my ia
| Tiers last words were, Herbert, you'll be
sorry;" the day after / was arrested Mr..
Grant and the sheriff came
into the Jail; Mr.. Grant said
mother said / killed father;
he said if didn't confess they would hang
| mother and me: he said it would be better