The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-06-13
Young Carmichael Found Guilty OF
Murder in the Second
Degree.
Scenes and Incidents in the Court
RO0m-GOOd COunsel-1ntelli-
gent Jury.
He was Given the Limit of the Law,
Four Years in the Peniten-
tiary.
Court at Williamsport.

Court at WilliamsPort.
W1LLiAMsPoRT, June 4.-There have
been some pathetic incidents connected
with the trial of Wm. Carmichael for muir
der. This trial opened OF Tuesday, and
this is Thursday, and the end is not quite
yet. But the evidence was all in this
evening. The first pathetic incident
was the placing on the stand of Mrs.
Bockhouse, the widow of the murdered
a She is 30 years of age-has two
children-her husband was two years her
senior. He was a powerful man, six feet
high, and it is a common rumor that he
was prone to fits of anger, but it this is a
fact it did not get to the jury.
The jury was a good representative
body OF twelve men. These sturdy
trymen, taken as they are from their
farms, are, perhaps, much more likely to
do justice in a case of this kind. than men
would be who would be picked up from
the byways and alleys of a large city.
These men all bore the marks of industry
on their persons; their hands were cal
loused; they all on the first day of the
l 1ldu llCSSdSCS W OCuu W VAACAA III
relating to and accounting for their alb
sence. 1t is safe to say that before such a
jury the facts as developed by the testi-
mony would be carefully considered, and
the minimum of prejudice and bias would
be introduced.
States Attorney Armstrong made an ex-
cellent impression in his name of exam
lining witnesses. he also opened the case
to the jury and addressed the jury at the
close of the testimony with marked ability.
His language was ready, concise n emf
nently to the point. Attorney-G General
Spencer demonstrated very corclusively
that he has had a very wide experience in
conducting criminal cases, n everybody
is looking forward to his final address to
the jury, which will come to. morrow. Mr..
Herrick, the defendants resident attorney,
his client, and was able to give much in
formation of a local nature to Judge Fran
els, who vas the leading counsel for Car
michael. Judge Francis left no stone IN
turned in his cross-examination of wit
nesses and his general conducs of the case,
to clear his client.
The evidence proved the following facts:
n October 18th last, Carmichael, an 49,
q harold boy, went to Eockhouse for a colt
lat BockhoNse had pastured for him.
y Where was a dispute on monetary matters
gbetween them, and Bockbouse declined to
l give up the colt. Shortly after-in an hour
or two-Carmichael returned for the colt
and took it away. Bockhouse came up,
slapped Carmichaels face and took the
colt back. Carmichael then we It to the
house of a neighbor, borrowed a rifle and
took it out of the house with the statement
face,n and that he "would put a hole
k1,ro,rh Tlrolyh0,co - Tho yrOnoon uyhn
loaned him the rifle tried to take the rifle
from him. Mrs. Flick told him that he
would be hung, but he replied that he did
not care a -. He returned to Book
houses field, took the colt, struck the trail
half a mile from BOckhOuse's house. tied
the colt to the wagon Of n Of two
Hollanders who were going along the road,
and as he was riding along on the right
side of the wagons, Eockhouse drove up to
the left side. Carmichael, sitting on his
pony, shot across the wagon, hitting the
unfortunate man in the neck. BOckh0use
fell from his pony and died at once. Car
michael then ran off and was about ten
The defense claimed that the shooting
was done in self-defense. The hooting
was admitted. The defense put the de-
fendant on the stand, who denied that he
was sitting on his pony When he fired the
shot; denied that he told Mrs. Flick that
u0 WOulu put d nUlo GllOukn DOChllOuSCs
denied that he told Mr.. Dwyer Of Coal Har-
Dor. when arrested, that he would do it
When on the stand, Carmichael said he
was afraid of Bockhouse, as he rode up to
the wagon, and was afraid that ne was go
ing to be slapped again:
The second pathetic incident in this trial
came when Mrs. Carmichael, the mother OF
the boy, was put OH the stand. She is ad.
vanced in years. perhaps past fifty, aud she
bears evidences Of having been dealt with
unkinply by fortune. She was dressed in
sombre colors. Tears believed her cheek
tears such as any mother would shed on N
the highest crime known to the law. She
has four cbildren-one older son, from
whom she has not heard for two years, the
son on trial and two daughters. She
tells of the care that has been taken of her
and her smaller children by the prisoner;
how he has worked out for farmers and
given all his money to her; that her hus-
band, from whom she is divorced, lives in
Illinois. The youthful murderer has been
the guardian and support of his mother
and sisters.