Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-12-06
THB TRIAL HAS BEGUN.
A Jury Secured Late on Wednesday
Evening to Try the Wadsworth
+ Murder Case.
The Defense Asks the Court for a
Conference With the States
Witness, Roehm.
The Prosecution Resists the REQUEST.
and the Trial Is Begun Friday
Afternoon.
Fred c. Roehm, the Chief Witness in
the Wadsworth Case Takes
the Stand Saturday.
Details the Plot Which He Says Was
Concocted to Murder Ed
Severson.
Tells How the Killing was Done, and
the Preceding and Subsequent
Circumstances.
. -
The Defense Goes Over Carefully the
Testimony Given in the Direct
Examination.
Details the Plot Which He Says Was
Concocted to Murder Ed
Severson.
Tells How the Killing was Done, and
the Preceding and Subsequent
Circumstances.
The Defense Goes Over Carefully the
Testimony Given in the Direct
Examination.

Testimony Given in the Direct
Examination.
From Fridays Daily.l
Wednesday afternoon the work of Sc
curing a jury in the Wadsworth case was
resumed.
Will Sloan had no opinion one way or
the other, and was passed by both sides.
The defense then peremptorily chal-
lenged Mr.. Moran.
John Will had no opinion relative to
the case and was passed for cause by
both sides.
The defense peremptorily challenged
Mr.. Sloan.
Martin Peterson was excused because
of an insufficient acquaintance with the
English language.
S. D. Rohrer was passed for cause by
both sides.
The jury was declared to be satisfac-
tory to both sides, and was sworn in.
The defense had six peremptory chal-
lenges left and the state had one.
Mr.. Hammond made a request of the
court that the attorneys for the defense
be permitted to converse with Fred
Roehm, the boy implicated in the homi-
eide of Severson. The defense would
probably desire to use him as a witness
in the case, if they deemed it to the in
terest of their client SO to do. So far
they had been unable to obtain access
to him or to have any conversation with
him.
Mr.. Miller opposed the request. He
held that the law contains no provision
which requires the authorities to turn
over a possible witness for an examina.
ton, out of court, by the defense. II
any such examination is made, it should
be in the presence of some n repre-.
senting the state.
General Hughes called the attention
of the court to the fact that last Jnne
MI. Boucher, now one of the ATTORNEYS
for the defendant, was appointed as
counsel for the boy Roehm, and that at.
torney had every opportunity at that
time to learn all the boy knew concern.
ing the homicide.
Both sides; desired to present afidavits
and authorities on the question, and
court took a recess until this morning al
10 o'clock.
ToDAY's PROCEEDINGS.
In the WadsWorth case this morning
the attorneys for the defense submitted
atfidavits on which they based an appli.
cation to be permitted to interview FREQ
Roehm in the presence of some n no,
interested in the prosecution of this
case.
The application was strenuously re-
sisted by the prosecution. 1t was con.
tended that the defense would have
abundant opportunity to cross-examine
the witness Roehm when he is placed
upon the stand for the prosecution, ano
that as Roehm and Wadsworth were CO
conspirators in the killing of Severson.
they should not be permitted to con.
verse in private.
The court took the matter under ad.
visement, but said that he did not be.
lieve he had the authority to make OF
enforce the order. If later on it wal
made to appear that he had the author.
ity, or that it would be in the further.
ance of justice, he would grant the ap.
plication.
The case was opened by Mr.. Miller,
who outlined the principal features Of
the testimony that would be introduced
by the prosecution.
The opening statement Of MI. Miller
lasted hardly an hour, and contained, he
said, the principal facts which the pros
e%cution would attempt to prove in testi-
mony. He said that it would be en-
deavored to be shown that Wadsworth
came to the state some twelve years ago;
that nearly all of the time since then,
up to July, 1894, Ed Severson, the de-
ceased, had worked in his employ: that
last winter Severson had come back to
the Wadsworth ranch; thaton the even
ing of December 20 last, Wadsworth
had two interviews with Fred Roehm, a
16-year-old boy, who worked for him for
a small sum, offering him 500 and after
ward 5000, if he would kill Severson;
that the matter was discussed between
them, and that early on the morning OF
December 81 Wadsworth and Roehm
went out to the barn, to which it was
Severson's custom to come, after having