The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-07
THE NELSON MURDER.
Continuation of the Evidence in the First
District Court at Provo.


District Court at Provo.
Provo, April 6.-The trial of Peter
Nelson. charged with parricide, was re-
sumed this morning in the First district
court. The attendance of spectators was
not SO great as that of yesterday, q mere
scattering Of ladies', owing probably to 6
severe sandstone prevailing, being pres
ent, among them being Miss Donaldson
theiaffianced of the accused, who has moi
SIS yet missed any of the proceedings, ano
seems to be more interested than the de-
defendant.
James Burns, sheriff of Sanpete county,
testified-Together with Marshal Brady
he walked with defendant for two blocks
in snow and afterwards measured the
tracks left. The measurements compared
very closely with those measured near
the place of the shooting.
On DISCRIMINATION said when he ar
rested defendant for killing his father,
Nelson said: IL kill my father?r and
feeled to the wall of the bank.
y Neils S. Neilson-Am president of the
bank of which defendants father was
Cashier; was in the bank the night OF
the killing. From e smell of burnt pow
der Judged the rife had been recently
discharged. Saw statement of the
status of the bank partly finished in de-
fendant's handwriting lying on a table in
the bank.
Jacob Johnson-Am prosecuting attor-
ney Of Sanpete county. Was acquainted
with deceased; am vice president Of the
Mount Pleasant bank; saw rife five days
previous to shooting and saw il loaded;
directors had discussed and ordered the
bnnde of the bank to be kept up at night
an6 defendant was aware OF such order;
heard defendant testify at the preliminary
hearing that after supper be went to the
Jim Fisk saloon or the Oman hotel, went
from there TO the bank and staid there
except Cor a minute or so. He stated also
that he went out to the Pyramid Office to
inform them he had statement to pub
iish, He stated Mr.. Gunderson told him
his father had been shot. In the bank
when defendant was arrested, in reply tc
his appeal to the directors Gs to whether
they judged him guilty, ] told him 81
had known him since childhood, but the
circumstances are so strong against you,
] must believe them. The defendant
for the first time during this trial exhib-
tied an intense interest in the proceedings
in contra distinction to his usual manner
OF Indifference.
A demand was here made by the defense
from the prosecution Tor the partly fin
ished statement, which was reputed TO be
written in trembling and nervous hand
bat for reasons unknown it was not pro-
duced, the prosecution claiming they did
not have it.
Mr.. johnson, resuning, said he de-
clined to act as attorney Tor the defense,
and has been very active in the case in
behalf OF the people.
Ben Bachman, jr., clerk of the court,
identified the box of bullets as having
been received by registered mail from Mr.
Lund, the justice Of the peace before
whom the preliminary hearing was had.
Sheriff Fowler testified to having had
the rife in question in his possession.
Sheriff Burns recalled testified as to the
rife and bullet, but nothing new was
adduced.
An Jurors not engaged on the present
panel were excused until Monday morn
ing.
Erastus Frauson testified that the rifle
was clean when he looked through it a
week before the killing.
Cross-examination developed that this
witness had told three different stories
regarding looking through the barrel oi
the rife, and on the whole the witness
presented a sorry figure in the box.
Eric GunderSon testified he lived across
the road from the place where the ole
man Nelson was shot, and heard gun
shot at about 7:20 D. m.
Miss Eliza Reynolds testified: Was
going to choir practice on night of 18th
of Dec. last; heard a report of gun when
four blocks from meeting house, which 1
reached at about 1920 or 7:25 p. m. !;
when reached opposite bank heard three
or four rapid steps toward bank and
think some one entered the bank, but if
this person had come up the west side Of
Main street would have seen him.
Miss Maggie Zabriski was near The
bank the night in question, and met
Peter j. Nelson, the defendant, some
time after O'Clock between the bank and
the creamery corner, walking south very
fast. Miss Jensen was with witness at the
time. On cross-examination defense ma
terially weakened this testimony.
Miss Jensen-Met witness, thought ii
was Peter Nelson, about a quarter to
O'Clock, opposite blacksmith shop on
west side Of Main street; was accompanied
by Miss Zabriski.
Samuel Hampshire-Saw a man walking
fast enter the bank on the night / mel
Miss Zabriski and Miss Jensen. Some
few minutes after saw defendant pulling
of his overshoes in the bank. Jnstus
Wilcox was with witness at the time.
Justus Wilcox deposed that when with
the last witness on the night Of the shoot
ing he heard a shot and afterwards met
the young ladies referred to, and shortly
after saw some one enter the bank
corroborating the testimony OF last Wit
ness.
Charlotte Zabriski, q hired girl who
worked for loren Nielsen in 1890, testified
TO a quarrel having taken place between
Mr.. Nelson aud his son Peter, whiel: