The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-07-25
x.r1rrro THE
Reorganization of the Case-An Indicted
Nan Turns States Evidence ~-Ssnsation-

for which twelve men are to be tried for their
lives, one after another, is a sad one. The
trial will best be understood by rehearsing
some facts which are undisputed Charles
Ward, aged twenty-five, and Frederick Ward,
aged thirty, sons Of Dr.. e. I. Wsrd, of j. Y.
Farwell& CO., Chicago, were IN April, loS3,
managers of the townsite OF Bartlett OAK,
and had a few days before their death built a
shack on q valuable claim between
Devils Lake and Creel City, on which
one John Bell, q liveryman in Devils
Lake, formerly of st. Paul, also had
a shack. The night of April % they, with one
Elliott, occupied the smack, and were attacked
by a night party. The Wards were ordered
of. They refused The shack was riddled
with bullets and Fred was shot down inside.
Elliott and Charley Ward ran out, Charley fall
ing with several mortal wounds. Elliott was
permitted to escape after a severe beating.
Fred was dragged out and the shack rlfied
Their bodies were found exposed on the prai-
RE the next morning. The father of the boys
was within the bar when the case was called
He and Col Harrington, whose son is q de-
PENDANT, have both silver locks. The counsel
were all present but Col. Ball, who was called
to St Paul The jury was not complete,
and ON motion of Deputy District Attorney
Pratt, the case went over to Thursday morn
ing at 0 o'clock. The defense were ready to
go to trial with Uline. Tn counsel have de-
cided to try B.. w. Lair of DEVILS Lake, first
His special counsel is Hon. A. 7. Ward of
Cynthiana, KY, who has been here for nearly
q month.
Grand Forks, Special says: Anot unexpected
sensation u the trial CT Lair was the testimony
OF Dick Turpin, one of the defendants, who
turned states evidence. After finding the
Wards bodies, it was proved Fred was near
his shack lying on his back with hands cienched
and feet drawn up, and Charley near Bells
shack, about forty rods away, lying on his face
and shot in his back. Dick Turpfn was pro-
duced and the indictments were both dismissed
against him, and he testified in substance that
On the night in question Uline gave him a shot
gun. Harrington got the team, and they all
drove down to Leopold's and got him, with
the determination of putting the
Wards of the claim of
Bell. Lair had a rifle at Wards shack. Bell
called Ward out Fred came to the door. Bell
pulled him out and struck him. They scctiod
around. Turpin saw Fred draw his revolver
and then Turpin shot Fred, who ran away to
the shack, leaned against it and fell down
The rest opened fire on the shack Charley
cried out: 81 give up He and Elliott then
ran out, and some of them followed Elliott,
Charley ran by him within two yards, and to-
ward Bells shack. When he got near them
down on his knee, took aim and shot Charley
down. Ledford cried TO him to shoot Elliott,
who was running away. On cross-examina-
ton he admitted signing a statement in Noyes'
Office, denying having a gun or being with
in fifty yards of the shack. He
The rest had done the same, under the promise
they were to have bail and not q hair of their
heads should be harmed No promise or
threats had been offered, he said, for this state
ment, but as about six others proposed TO make
a clean breast of ii, he thought it would DO bet
ter to tell the truth than to lie.
The evidence of the coronor's inquest was
- ne~-~l - o. Da&na# AL2AakAl 80 asAN~~
peared at the inquest and adpitte d he was at
the fracas and heard shots fred In the argu-
ment in the morning during the recital of Tur-
pin DIR. Ward was deeply moved and sat bowed
with his face covered by his hands. Col. Far
rington was also greatly touched. The defend
ant became deeply serious. It is said other
prisoners viii make statement similar to Tur-
pins
Grand Forks Special says: The event OF the
day In the Lair trial was the opening for the de-
Tense by Erwin, which was q mastery review
of the evidence adduced and the claim of the
defense that their clients were there in pur-
suance of their rights, and were assailed by
the Ward boys, who moved on Bells claim
armed and prepared to takeit by violence. The
effort consumed an hour andssa half, and was
listened to by q packed house. 1t made an in
cisive impression on the jury. The testimony
for the territory consisted of DR.. Lanes
evidence ON the nature Of the wound causing
Charlie Wards death
Grand Forks Special 11th:--The defense put
John w. Bell, one of the defendants, on the
stand, to prove his actual possession of the
premises In question. He was permitted to
tell that he occupied the house the Sunday
named, but not to go into the question of title.
Nearly two hours were spent in argument up
on this question by Davis, Erwin, Van Amman
and Ball The court ruled all out pertaining
to the question of claim OF right as the de-
PENDANTS expected. Bell related the interview
with Charles Ward about 9 o'clock of the
night they, brought on the shack, in
F~arrington's shack and Uline's, and gathered
the party to go and carry of the shack from his
claim He did not see any gun or pistol In the
crowd They got to the Wards shack after IL
p. m He was told by Uline to do the talking.
Tho rest were scattered around twelve feet
from the shack. He went to the door, raped,
called, and told them he was prepared to move
the shack, and they should come out The door
opened and Fred stepped out, with his right
land on a pistol
.He struck me with his lett hand, ? said Bell,
'and 1 warded the blow and advanced on him.
against il, to the window. Five shots were
fired out of the door in about two or three
minutes, and the flaehss were toward me. We
got around On the eA.ss side of the shaok.
There was a command TO scatter out and shoot
In the shack. There were several shots fred
Then Fred fell down III front Of me with HIS
hands near me. After he said, My God, I'm
shotp he never spoke nor moved"
Tine defense 10 all In the Ward ease, and the
rebuttal on both sides closed the 18th. Counsel
for the defense is preparing requests for i'm
structions 70 the jury, which wall be argued
The prosecution viii give no Instructions, but
will reply TO the requests, and have asked an
| early copy. The evidence ID the forenoon was
mainly given by the codefendants, Carpenter,