The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-05-19
PLENTY or N-ERVE,
Mrs. Russell Stands the Gaze Of
the Crowded Court With
Quiet Dignity.
Her Married Life and Her Con-
fidential Talks With
Bertha Reviewed.

Eau CLAIRE. WIS, Special May lI.-Mrs.
Russell the defendant in the fame Gus poison
case, this morning assembled to the witness
chair and faced the jury and spectators with
quiet dignity and perfect sci possession.
Mrs. Russell, being questioned by Mr.
James. said her relations with her husband
had always been pleasant The witness
told how she first saw Peter Erickson in the
summer of 1883 and hired him to work on
the farm, and said at that time she had
never seen HIM before. The witness
said in substance: Peter went away
from my farm in February, 1892,
to make arrangements to work his fathers
farm with his brother Edward. Peter came
back Feb. q. In the meantime Peter had
been married and Adam had been doing
chores ON my farm. Peter said Adam
could take his place on the farm and that
it would be a good thing for him. / told
Peter he was a tool to yet married with
only dollar in his pocket" Mrs. Russell
denied positively she had suggested that
Peter stay at her farm after his marriage.
and said she opposed his bringing his wife
to the farm because there was too much
work to do already, and Peters evidence
that she offered. him financial assistance
was not true.
There was decided stir when Mrs. Rus
sell testified as follows: Bertha Erickson,
the deceased, told ME March ~ at my house
she would never have as many children as
Mrs. Edward Erickson. said she should
not have got married then. She made no
reply. told her married women
COULD NOT ALWAYS TELL
what they would do. She asked me how it
was never had any children. said God
never gave them to ME. She asked ME if I
knew anything to keep women from hav-
ing children. told her did not and she
had better not let her husband know she
thought of anything of the kind, for he
had said he would hate such woman all
his lite."
Witness described two trips to Eau Claire
with Peter and Bertha, and one with Bertha
alone. The witness accounted for every
minute of her whereabouts in the city on
these occasions. On the second trip Bertha
borrowed ST. Of the Witness who didn't
know where Bertha went with the money,
but noticed she was out of breath when she
found her again. Witness asked Bertha
where she had been, but she made all eva
sive reply. This was two days before Bertha
was first taken sick. Mrs. Russell swore
she herself had never bought any arsenic in
her lie -...
When the court opened this afternoon
Mr.. Erwin read from a morning payer
dispatch containing the white cap letter to
Judge Bailey; also read an editorial in
local paper criticising the judge Mr.s
r n So1I linn
unkind criticism on the Judge was resented
by the prosecution. He wanted it on rec
ord that such criticisms were regarded with
contempt. He (Mr. Erwin) had apoligized
to the court for the use Of all
~. UNHAPPY PHRASE
in reference to ruling of the court. The
court had acted wisely to the counsel for
the prosecutions; to the jury and to the
public i'll taking an attitude which had pre-
vented a too hasty formation Of jury opin-
ion on circumstantial evidence; and this
especially in view Of the volume of the tes-
timony which had been put in with the
purpose OF impeaching the methods OF the
district attorney. Judge Bailey spoke for
few moments, saying in the course Of his
remarks, that the stability Of our institu-
tons had for years depended upon the
courts. and nothing in the way OF threats,
or newspaper criticism, or excitement
IL Il
from continuing in the beaten path of
duty. AS to the writer of the editorial, in
which he was accused of being biased the
writer was doubtless pandering to public
opinion to put dollar in his own pocket
Mrs. Russell this afternoon described
BERTHA'S ILLNESS s-...-. .-
and death in simple, straightforward
way. AS to the suspicious circumstances
sworn to by the states witnesses she denied
that she ever told Bertha's mother that in
struments had been used on Bertha and
that they had caused her death; denied
that she had said when taken suddenly i'll,
Don't give me anything in that spoon. it's
what killed Rertha;" also fully explained
the story about her running away from the
house alter Bertha's death.
Otherwise her story was about the same
as that told by most Of the witnesses. She
said while Bertha was sick she showed a
repugnance to Adam Erickson. Mrs. Rus
sell in quiet tones gave the following de-
scription of Bertha's death, and there were
many fearful eyes among the women in
court as she told it: Bertha kissed us all
eyes closed and she lay back. and it WASH t
but minute before she was dead. said,
Peter, she Is gone. We must leave her.
lie went out, came back and threw himself
upon the bed"
Mrs. Russell's direct examination was
sIill III progress Wnen the court ADJOURNED
tonight. She has. emphatically denied
every statement made by Peter Erickson as
to alleged
IMPROPER RELATIONS
with him, and has further sworn that she
has suffered from All aff1iction which made
such relations impossible, naming certain
local physician in support Of her statement.
Each instance in which Peter had sworn
Mrs. Russells conduct had been improper
was gone over care ully and Peter was prac-
tically given the lie. Mrs. Russell further
swore that when she was arrested at night
at her home and brought to town Sheriff
Fleming told her that she waived exami-
nation she wouldn't be put in Jail and she
waived examination that night without
being allowed to send Tor an adviser and
without being old that it deprived her o a
hearing till the trial. Since Mrs. Russell
has been on the stand sympathy has been
aroused in her favor in quarters where it
did not exist before.
Continuous Pooh
New York. May l7.-What! promises to
be remarkable pool contest will be the
y