, 1891-06-11
TRIAL FAIRLY OPENED.
The ParkisOn Case Under lnvesti-
cation in the District Court.
Appearance of the Prisoner and the
Impression He Makes.
Some Strong Testimony for the
Prosecution.

The ParhsOn case opened yesterday
in the presence of a large and interested
lot of people. The witnesses in the case
on hand.
Parkison, the prisoner. watches the
development OF the case against him with
much interest. The only ervousnes on
his part is Indicated by a continual move
ment of his fingers. His appearance on
the whole is greatly in his favor. He
has an honest face, and, without any evil
dence, no one would for an instant sus-
pect HIM OF any crime, and particularly
one OF this nature.
The morning was devoted to the open
ing statement on the part Of the prosecu-
ton, ard evidence in relation to the find
ing OF the body. Three maps we're in
troduced in evidence, showing the point
at which the body was found, and the en-
tire road from town to Fort Russell.
The evidence showed thai on the morn
ing of October 3, between 4 and 5 o clock.
the body was found by two privates.
When found, Baker was lying with his
his head towards the fort, and his feet
toward town. The BODY was quite cold,
aud rigor morris had set in. There was a
bullet hole in his head, right back OF the
right ear. The two p~rivates who found
the body went on up towards the guard
house. some 200 yards distant. When
they reached here, they looked back To-
wards the body, and saw a private looking
at the body. They were SO excited that
they did not notice, or could not tell who
1t was The evidence as tn the finding of
the body. aud its appearance, was cor
roborated by several witnesses.
In the afternoon Coroner Chafhu was
the first witness. He testified to having
gone to the hospital to make an examina.
ton of the body. The only article found
by him was a pocket-knife. The surgeon
made an examination and took from
Bakers head a bullet in two pieces. one
from the skull, and the other from the
brain substance. The witness exhibited q
revolver, a box OF cartridges and a couple
OF pieces of money, which had been of
fered in evidence at the coroner's inquest.
Capt Roberts testified that the revolver
exhibited by Coroner Chafin had beer
found IN Corporal Parkison's box on the
morning Of Oct. 4. and also the box o
cartridges The revolver was a Smith &
Wesson double action, 32-calibre. Wher
the revolver was taken from the box al
the chambers were full.
Peter Bergensen was called to the stand
and made an examination of the revolver.
Comparing it with the two pieces of bullet
taken from Bakers head, he testified that
the bullet had been fired from the reyol-
yer taken from Parkinson, or one exactly
like it.
Lieut.. Roach was called to the stand
and proved an interesting witness. He
testified that early in Septelber of last
year several revolvers aud quite a quantity
OF ammunition had been stolen from the
government. Along about the 18th Of
September Parkison came to him and
told him that he had some information as
to the theft OF the property. The
defendant went on to state that while
coming from town one night he had been
oyertaken by a party of soldiers, and over
heard some conversation as to the trans.
action: The conversation was to the effec;
that after the next pay day these soldiers
were going to desert. take this stolen
property with them, and then take to the
mountains, and live by robbery and hunt
ing. Parkinson followed them to the post,
and saw them go and dig for what be
supposed was the revolvers. He went tC
the spot afterwards and found nothing but
an old blanket or quilt. At the solicitation
of the witness, the defendant repeated the
story to Col. Miner, While doing so he
tainted. On revivinR, he said that he had
eaten little on that day, and had had buI
two glasses OF beer to drink. While tellinl
his story he was nervous and excited. The
men implicated in the robbery, according
to the conversation repeated by Parkison
were Corporal Lyons and Privates Powers
Byers, Mcdonald and Baker. Tn,
witness was informed sometime after tn
murder as to the whereabouts OF tn
property. He went to the spot indicated
near the northeast corner of the barracks
and found four OF the reYolvers.
Maude Norton was the next witnes
and her testimony was not quite as stronl
as was expected-in fact, it was very ben
e6cial for the defense. She lived at al