Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-04

unarmed after hearing on the morning
of election Haseltineis threats. The dis
trict attorney admitted that th8 murder
ed lawyer had been injudicious in his
threats but maintained that it could not
De successfully held that because of them
he fred the first shot. 1t wss high time,
Mr. Lamoreux said, that the people of
Wisconsin were shown that murder
could be punished in this state. Get
ting warmed up in his speech Lemoreux
oweniy charged that the testimony of
WeIser who said he saw revolver in
Haseltines cutter seat the morning OF
shooting, was bought.
Continuing, Mr.. Lamoreux maintained
that the reason of Razeltine's hatred of
Curran was the fact that he believed him
guilty of the same crime he charg ed
against Morse. In word Mr.. Lamor-
eux declared that the principal with esses
of the defense were bribed. These were
Joyoe, the bartender; Wilbur f. Young,
the ex bartender; Doc. Burr, the saloon
keeper; Wiesen, the saloon keeper, and
Houston, exbartender. Mr.. LamOreux
claimed that if Curran shot in self
defense there would have been q wound
in Haseltine's face, showing he was
turned toward the Currans. The district
attorney asked why the revolver found
near Haseiitne's body was several feet
away if he had it In his hand at the time
of the shooting. He thought also that a
pistol could be thrown from a distance
so it would strike with the barrel down,
thereby refutlng Judge Gates argument
| that inasmuch as the weapon
struck with barrel down, it must
have dropped from Haseltine's HAND
The speaker suggested that the book OF
Andrews, the gunsmith, had been forged
by Blodgett, the gambler and friend OF
Curran, or that it was very easy matter
to have boy carry revolver to the gun
smith and instruct that boy to say the
weapon belonged to Haseitine, the in
| struction being to secure the entry for
the great trial that would follow the
tragedy.
The intention of the state now appears
to be to close the opening argument OF
the district attorney and Neal Brown TO-
day and give Judge Cate and Felker to-
morrow, leaving Col. Bird Wednesday
morning TO close for the state.
| After the defense rested Saturday
afternoon, the state introduced its re-
| butting testimony. Two Witnesses, ex.
Sheriff Vaughan, of Portage county, and
Jos. Ritchie, testified to finding gun
wads near Hazeltine after ne was shot
one of them having wadding sim
| liar to to that of the victims overcoat on
it. The wads were introduced in evil
dence over the objection of the defense
who contended that the testimony should
have been made part of the states case
while defendants could have oppor unity
to reply to it.
| Frank Halliday, an expest, testified
that the wads were both No. 10 guage
while Curran's gun was No. II guage
Curran had testified to using paper shells
while Halliday said that he had seen
No. 10 wad used with brass shells
| but Fever with paper shells
| as it would expand the shell and scatter
the shot. On GROSS examination the wit
ness said it was possible, although not
customary to use such wads with No. Il
paper shells.
Several other witnesses were called 10 re
but evidence of various witnesses for the
defense regarding the bullet alleged &c
have been found in the side of the Cur
ran house, the one in the Wpodpile, the
threats of Haseltine against Curran and
the statements as TO shots fred by Ha-
seltine before John Curran shot him.