St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-10


getting pretty late to shoot gophers. AT
last they concluded that it was not shot
guns they wanted, but reviewers,
and each bought a cheap five
shooter and box of cartridges,
with which they went Off. That even
ing Town Marshal Jack Knapton met
Moe and, thinking his talk altogether
too blOOd-thirSty. searched him: finding
his gun, he took charge Of it. Lee would
have been relieved of his in the same
way at later hour had not he been
told in the meantime of the fate OF his
pal. About o'clock that night after
loading up all day on alcohol. the two
men were going down the street. when
standing at the corner. Lee went
straight up to him and shot him in the
head, piercing his brain with the bullet;
then he and Moe started off as fast as
their legs could carry them, hiding in
some long grass in field, where they
remained all night. Here they were
found by the marshal. in the morning
and securely locked up. Indignation
in the village of Brandon and neighbor-
ing town Of Alexandria was at fever
heat: threats of lynching were heard on
all sides, and there is little doubt that if
the popu.aUe had laid their hands on the
men the expense OF a trial by jury
would have been saved.
THE TRIAL CAME OFF
before Judge Searle last October.
County Attorney II. Jenkins appeared
for the state, and G. {. Houpt, of Fer
gus Falls, was appointed by the court
to defend the prisoners. The indlct-
ment against the men was sweeping,
charging Lee with premeditated muir
der and Moe with melting ami aiding
in the crime. The men were willing to
be tried together for the offense. and
number of witnesses were called who
testified to the facts narrated above:
The defense set up the plea that the
men were drunk, and that there was no
premeditatiUn OF concerted action. The
jury, however, found them both guilty
and Judge Searle pronounced the first
death sentence that ever fell to his lot.
Since that time the men have been In
confinement in the county Jail at Alex,
andria, awaiting the issuance of the
death warrant, which was received last
week.
Sheriff A. W. De Frate has them
under his care, beng assisted by two
death-watches. one of whom is with the
men incessantly. The sheriff is the
first Democrat ever elected to county
Office in Douglas county, and this will
be his initiation into the fine art of eX-
ecution. Miss Cherline, sister of the
murdered man, is reported at the point
of death, the tragedy of her brothers
loss, combined with the feeling that it
was Oh her account that he met his
death, having completely Frustrated
her, so much so that her friends are
from day to day expecting her to join
her brother.
nIPI SING IJVSfNS
A GLOBE reporter went to the Doug
las county Jail to interview the con-
demned men. He was asked by Deputy
Sheriff Lundberg to wait few minutes
until clergyman got through with
til EN-. This mans voice was distinctly
audible all over the jail, either in
prayer Or eXhortation, which continued
for some time in loud monotone. Sud-
denly this ceased and the walls OF the
substantial stone building fairly quiv-
cred while he sang hymn in adeep roar
ing profundo voice, which could have
been heard two blocks away. No sooner
had the minister concluded his minis
tratiOnS than a large crowd of girls,
evidently Just released from school,
came in and were shown down to the
condemned cell. Their voices rang out
sweet and clear in few simple hymns,
evidently selected at random from
Moody and Sankey's collection. When
the ministering angels had gone, the re-
porter was admitted. The basement of
the Jail is half below and half above
the ground. Window, protected by
heavy iron bars. light it on three sides.
In the center of the room are four steel
cells, with doors of steel lattice-work.
Each contains cot with wire mattress
on which the prisoners sleep. There
at,o it.S In
corridor which surrounds the quartet
of cells. The prisoners have access
to this corridor during certain
hours, and it would require more than
ordinary ingenuity to effect an escape,
as the walls are of grey granite, several
feet thick. Leaving the office of the
Jail an iron door opens on flight of
stairs, at the foot of which is door Of
steel lattice work. This admits the Wis
itor into cage in which there is barely
room for two men. These three doors
were all carefully locked on the outside
as the reporter, in company with the
deputy sheriff, passed through them.
The men were walking up and down
the corridor. but advanced with a smile
to shake hands. Moe, however, dropped
his eyes as if ashamed. 1t was difficult
work to induce either of them TO speak,
as they seemed to know that anything
said by them would be published. No
reply was ELECTED by the question, "ls
there anything you would like to say to
the public?' Both men sat with their
chairs tilted back against the wall. pick
ing their finger nails and looking
morose. A question as to whether they
were satisfied with the verdict had to
be translated into Swedish for Noes
benefit. After brief consultation in
their native tongue they replied that
they thought the verdict was all right
on the face of the evidence, but they
were not at all satisfied with: the evil
dence.
THE DOOMED MEN TALK.
"What particular point in the evil
dence do you object to?''
THAT about premeditation," an
swered Lee.
''Then the murder was not premedi-
tated?''
"No!'' from both of them.
Had you had any trouble with Cher
line before?"
"None that Eremember," replied Lee.
"You were drunk at the time, were
you not?"
YES" replied Moe, in his broken
English, 1--WE had been on spree for
nearly week, drinking beer, whisky,
alcohol
"Straight alcohol?''
"Well," replied he, with smile, 1--WE
did mix water with it. We started out
on Saturday night and kept it up. going
round from saloon to saloon all day
Sunday. On Sunday evening we were
going home but met -, who said he
had keg of beer up at the house and
wanted US to go and help him finish it.
We finished it; drank it all up and got
the day he was shot"
1t would be impossible, and were it