Morris tribune., 1893-04-05
DoDGED THE ROPE.
Otto Dahl is Found Guilty of
Murder in the First
Degree,
And will Pass the Rest of Ills
Life in the Minnesota
Penitentiary.
Some Facts About the First
Trial for Murder in Stevens
County.

4 no tTIal Oh quo Lam, Vi neIluS
vile, Stevens county, upon charge o.
the murder Of his wife, Helena Dahl
at the home Of the couple in Rends-
vile township, Sept. rs, 1892, con,
tiuued through last week, from
Monday morning until Saturday noon
The verdict of the jury was rendered
Friday morning, but the sentence OF
the court was not pronounced until
Saturday.
This crime was the most fiendish
ever committed, at least ever brought
to trial or made public, in this county.
Whether Mrs. Dahl was first strangled
and then suspended, or whether she
was hanged after other brutal means
were used to render her insensible,
viii probably never be certainly
known; but the fact was established
to the full satisfaction of the jury that
Mrs. Dahl had not committed suicide,
but that she had been deliberately
and brutally tortured and murdered,
and that Dahl was guilty of the ter
rible crime.
The testimony which did most to
convict Dahl was his own, and the big
mistake made by tho defense was in
placing him upon the stand at all.
EIe demonstrated by his admissions
and by his manner upon the stand
that he did not have the slightest re-
gard for his wife, and that he had
long intended to get rid of her in
Some way.
The testimony of the children of
Dahl also had an effect upon the
minds of the jury not in the murder
er's interest. 1t was plain the chill
dren were willing to do anything the
defense asked of them, and the oldest
girl changed her testimony repeatedly
under pressure by the defense when
upon the stand, as she was several
times.
The one thing testified to by Dahl
which most clearly demonstrated the
deyilish character of his nature was
when the fact was developed that the
night after the morning of the muir
der Dahl took his children and went
to neighbor's, who lived some dis
lance from his own home, leaving his
dead wife alone, and still suspended
by her neck. When under cross
examination Dahl denied that his
dead wife was left alone the night in
question, and explained that " the old
cat was with her" AS he made this
statement there was CHASTITY grin
upon his face which Disguised and
shocked everybody in the court room,
including the jury.
There was other testimony in plenty
showing plainly that Dahl and his
wife had never got along well together
and that the wife was afraid of her
husband-a afraid he would kill her
some time,
In conducting the case Judge G. L.
Brown was all the time just and fair
to both sides in his rulings, the attor-
neys admitting in open court after the
rial was over that this was fact. He
vas also absolutely fair and unpreju-
1iced in his charge to the jury, and
his also both attorneys and the big
audiences which crowded the court
room gave him full credit for.
Attorney S. A. Flaherty, Of Morris,
who conducted the prosecution, made
4 record in the case his friends are
proud of and congratulate him upon.
It was his first opportunity for a rec
ord upon an important criminal case,
and he made the fight and won it l
without any assistance against a lead {
ng Minneapolis attorney. He re-
7iewed the case, both before and after
he taking of evidence, in eloquent
md mastery language, making a
strong and telling appeal for justice.
Mr.. Flaherty also cross-examined the
witnesses for the defense in such {
manner as knocked out good many
# their best points in favor of defend
mt. In short, Mr.. Flaherty aston +,
shed even his admirers by the com i
oleteness with which he handled the
states side Of the case.
NJ. A. Spooner, Of Minneapolis, who {
vas attorney for the defendant, also {
made vigorous, strong and good
light in the interest Of his client. He
$ all eloquent talker, lawyer of
ability, and did his best, but he was
Unable to convince the jury that the
nan he was defending was wrongly
Mr.. Spooner admitted that
10 had been fairly treated, both by
he court and the opposing attorney,
out was evidently considerably disap-
pointed by the result of the trial.
Because Of the fact that the evil
lence against Dahl was mostly cir
though Of convincing
Judge Brown, notwith-
standing the jury brought in verdict
If murder in the first degree, COM
nuted the sentence to Imprisonment t
n the state penitentiary for life
IN action which public sentiment gen
orally commends.
Every day Of the trial the court t