Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-07-04
THE. WILLIAMS TRIAL.
The.state Establishes the Killing
by Defendants Confession.
The Defense Puts Up the Plea of Tempo
rary Insanity, Caused by the In
timacy of Thomas with
Mrs Williams.

I z
Mrs. Williams.
MINNEAPOLIS, June 27.-The trial of
Frederick Williams for the murder of
Henry w. Thomas is making rapid pro-
gress. The state had little trouble in
establishing the fact that Williams shot
Thomas; in fact, it was practically adj
mitted by the defense. The only wit
nesses put on by the state who could
give direct testimony were the police
officers, who testified to the confession
made by Williams soon after his arrest.
The theory Of the defense is tempo
rary insanity, caused by jealousy of
Thomas, whom, it is claimed, was in
strumental in alternating the affections
of Williams wife.
The defense sprung sensation when
it introduced letter from Mrs. Will
Jams, which Mr.. Williams claims he
found in Thomas room prior to tho
homicide, The letter is as follows:
stSunday, 21-'95.
''Dear Henry: Here it is Sunday
again and am just ans. your letter,
but / know you are kind enough to
make allowances for the delay. was
asked to the theater again this week,
but would not go. was invited to go
riding this p. NJ, but I refused and am
writing to you instead. Amt ] a good
girl. 1 wonder if Clark thinks he is
gaining anything by telling such lies?
I have not seen Gus even since have
been here. It made me SO angry was
going to sit right down and write him
roast, but my better Judgment showed
me how foolish it would be, so / let it
pass. If f. should come up here he
would find his errand would be worse
than useless. You have my sympathy
if he bothers you very much. I am
sorry to hear you speak so of Tena and
John the way you do. It makes me
feel blue every time think of it. Did
mamma show you the bonnet sent
her? Tell me what she thinks of it. I
know she will tell me it is all right,
but want to know if she really thinks
so. Alma wrote and told me all about
Harvey getting lost the other day. I
can imagine what stew mamma was
in. Well, dear, how would it suit you
if l came home on Sunday morning and
stayed till Tues. eve? If I can possibly
get off will do so. 1t will be either
three days or only one. am nearly
wild to get back again. This has been
an awfully long day for me. How
wish that you were here to spend the
evening with me. will forget what
it is to be kissed before get back
again. Won't that be sad? suppose
] can count on you to teach me again.
Yesterday it rained all day, and when
/ went home to supper I had to close
my umbrella, it was blowing SO hard,
and my hair pin (the one you gave me)
fell in the mud, but managed to get
home all safe and sound.
''Your loving little girl, Anna"
Williams testified regarding Sunday
night as follows:
II went out Park avenue to Lake
street, out Lake to Columbus, from
there to Thirty-frst street, down to
Chicago avenue and then toward Thir-
ty-second street. went down the right
hand side of Chicago avenue to Thirty
fourth street, and the back on the left
hand side till came to the Berglund
residence at Thirty-second street. ]
saw the children there
"What else did you see?''
II went around on Thirth-second
street and looked in the side window. y
''Who did you see Thereof
Il saw Thomas there with my wife. -
''Was there any light in the room?'
mo. sir; the electric light on the cor.
ner shone into the room'' $
''Did you wait there?'
.'Yes; I thought Thomas would &C
home and l could see my wife"
DO you remember what you did?"
''No; not exactly
"What do you recall?"
swell, remember I made up my
thought would take it. just then
saw Thomas come out of the house ant
my wife followed him, saw her pu
her arms around his neck and kiss him
Then turned away"
"What next do you remembers"
II heard footsteps and then I saw
Thomas. remember seeing him throw
up his hands and fall and then I went
away"
Williams stated that when he came tc
himself he was at the corner of Twenty
eighth street and Ninth avenue an6
then he concluded to go home and die
so. The family had retired and he took
off his coat and vest and laid down or
the lounge. Willioms was shown the
| revolver and identified it as belonging
to the Windsor hotel. He often used il
at the hotel to protect the cash drawer
and while going on the cars, which
were sometimes held up.
William also testified to injuries re
ceived when young which had impaired
health. etc.
A number of witnesses testified te
the intimacy of Thomas and Mrs.
Williams while boarding at the Wind
sor hotel; that Thomas was unusually
friendly with Mrs. Williams, giving
her presents, theater tickets and kisses
Guilty.
MINNEAPOLIS July Tired Williams
was Saturday night found guilty o.
manslaughter in the first degree. This
is considered in the light of a compro:
mise verdict, although it is not exactly
what the defense expected. Under the
charge any one of four distinct verdict:
could have been returned by the jury
Manslaughter was the lightest under
a ~ \ = \
same time Williams be convicted. The
limit of sentence is from five to 20 years.
While judicial clemency will probably
be exercised in passing the sentence, il
is likely that the jury took into consid
Grafton the plea of States Attorney
Frank Nye for mercy in arriving at