Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1881-04-13
PAGES ALLEGED ASSASSIN.
Trial of John A. Riley at Austin.

The case of the State Of Minnesota against
John A. Riley, charged with the attempted as
sassination Of Judge Sherman Page, was called
at the regular term of the district
court for Mower county, Judge Dickinson of
Mankato presiding. The State was represented
by County Attorney Goodwin of Mower county
and Mr.. Bullingame of Owatonna The defense
was in the names of Messrs. Lafayette French
of Austin and w. ". Erwin of st. Paul. Seven
ty-five jurors were drawn, and the following
were drawn and accepted: c. Reemon, Ne
LIE Roy; Thaxter Stewart, Racine: l.. C. Serb
ner, Edward Barrett, Ole G. Anderson, A. H.
Chaplin, James NJ. Mason, LIE Roy; F. s. Bag
ley, LIE Roy; W. W. Sweet, LIE Roy; p B. Dear
born. Lyle:
judge Page objected to the appearance Of
County Attorney Goodwin appearing for the
State but the objection was oYerruled.
The court declined to permit Judge Pages
protest and charges to go on the record, where
upon he pocketed the document and left the
court room.
SECOND DAY.
There was some excitement, occasioned by a
statement from W. W. Irwin, the counsel for
Riley, that Judge Page had driven from his
grounds certain persons, three gentlemen, who
were selected by the state and defence to visit
Judge Pages residence to draw plans of the
room and make measurement of distances etc. !,
for the information of the counsel,
court and jurors. The court firmly an
en-, and addressed a note to the judge to that
effect
The case for the State was opened by County
Attorney Goodwin, who addressed the jurv,
promising his remarks by reading the indict-
ment found against John A. Riley by the grand
Jury OF Mower county, for an an assault with the
intent to commit murder. The facts recited in
the alleged shooting and Indictment are already
familiar, and need not be recapitulated.
Judge Page was sworn and gave a graphic
and detailed account of the circumstances at
tending the injuries received on the evening of
August, 1880 substantially as has been re-
peatedly stated in the papers Immediately after
the occurrence
He was subjected to searching and exhaus-
tive CROSS examination by MI Erwin, counsel
for the defense, covering all points Of informa-
ton brought out during the examination in
chief
Several other witnesses were examined but
their testimony was not of great importance
THIRD DAY.
Mr. H. j. v iner testified that he found fifty
shot Of uniform size in the loaded barrel Of the
shotgun he found under the street crossing.
DR.. G. B. Staples, of Red Rock, took the stand
and testified to being at Judge Pages when the
ferred % being the one found by Mr.. Miner.
The testimony fully corroborated that given by
the latter gentleman. The charge measured
four and half inches in the barrel, but there
was no cap on the tube Of the loaded barrel;
the Other barrel was empty Dr. O. Gibson
WAS then recalled, and repeated the evidence
gwen by MIN at the Dexter examination, and
the material portions of which have been pub
lished. The doctor, however, thought the
wound III back of Judge Pages neck, and de-
scrl"ed as blister, bad been made by the wad
whe the Shot was fired.
l. IN
pea ed his ey deuce that Oh the night of the
shO' ting a mediun:-s sized man had passed him
Whero tie gun was found; in the lower part of
Austin
L. H. Brockway of Austin testified that he
had seen II gun III Ira Jones store in August
last. Jones was swapping caps to clean outthe
gun, and helped him to clean it by putting in
little powder. This was on the 20 of August
last. Crhe gun found under the crosswalk was
shown witness and identified as the one he had
seen at Jones' storey There was other testi-
mony about the gun Of no special Importance.
W. H. Clay, employed as night watchman at
the Wisconsin state prison for three years, tes-
titled that he had seen Riley at Waupun; Riley
said his brother Frank Was then in Waupun to
give defendent a job, and that he would like
me to form luis acquaintance.
James M'Cune, one of tine night watchman at
the Wisconsin penitentiary at Waupun, reitera-
ted his evidence concerning seeing Frank Ri! ey
at Waupun Oh the 9TH of August last substan-
tally as published after the examination at
Dexter. Mr.. NJ Neal thought he saw John A.
Riley in Austin previous to the assassination
and several other witnesses testified to the same
effect
W. X Hunkins, of Austin. who aided in the
capture OF Riley repeated his Dexter evidence
in substance concerning ii confession made by
Riley, all of which has appeared in print Sew
eral witnesses from Wisconsin testified to Riley's
impoverished condition previous to the alleged
attack on Page, and that he had several hun
bred dollars afterwards.