The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-26
HARM IS ACQUITTED.
1rry Promptly Finds He Acted
in Self-Defense.
rccEN STRUCK THE FIRST BLOW
~. Fraser Sues Page for Damages
Decision in Fares-Gieason Suit
Verdict for McGraw.

IRE Jury in the Harm murder trial. after
x.s.0 Ant nine minutes. brought in a yer-
- ~ not guilty yesterday afternoon a.
: ..rsock- The trial is said 10 be the short
=. A. record for regular murder trial.
- ne result was not ct all unexpected
- The crowd in attendance.
~za evidence showed that Harm was act
- q seIf-defense and had no intention
= tsI,ing Eggen, but on the other hand did
=, ia his power 10 bring him about all
right
VAN and Eggen were on their way home
s-.rn Kent, Eggen demanded money from
s.arn who said he did not have IL handy.
Trzen became angered and tried 20 hit
fsssn With the handle Of churn. and after
.ua unsuccessful attempts was hit on the
.snsnle with a pitchfork. and died several
xsrs after Of fractured skull.
The taking OF testimony began in the
.o~u,le The first witness called by the
sta,e being DR.. Horton, who performed
,.s nost-mortem examination, DR. Sole
.,s DR.. Hoye, who testified that the skaIl
saa been fractured on the left side. the
deceased dying from the loss Of blood
". Molke, OF Kent, testified that de-
ceased on his deathbed said he did not
tnov why Harm had struck him. On
sst quite understand Eggen, as he was
taking in the Swedish language. but
shaurht that was what he said.
The state then called Eddie Molke. a lad
A. Is years who was the only eyewitness.
sysa bow said he saw the row and saw
Harm hit Eggen. His story weakened
rreatly on cross-examination by Mr.. Piles.
ue vas asked IL he did not say at the pre-
uminary examination that Eggen was try
Irr 10 nit Harm coming down the road. and
4. admitted that he did, and thought he
aid that Eggen was trying TO hit Harm,
and that It was then that Harm hit him.
TIE state rested its case here.
The defense proved by Mr.. Doolittle. Tom
Nav and J. A Cavanaugh that Eggen said
before ne died that he had made a fight
an Harm and had tried to hit him first.
&c Guiberson and Terence O'Brfen
swore that young Molke said before ths
Justice OF the peace that Eggen had struck
Harm first.
4 riley. OF Kent. stated that he Kept
enc hotel a. Kent when Eggen was in
.ured. He stated that he had several
;slts with Eggen while he was sick and
heard him say several times that he had
,.rnck at Harm several times with an iron
tas4,e before Harm hit him.
Harm himself was next called. and said
Years. lie was shot when a child and
Injured severely twice afterward. lie
knss Eggen from March until October,
1874 Eggen worked for him. and wit
ress said he owed him money. He met
Eggen on the day OF the row in Kent
and was asked to take n drink. after
which he Eggen and another man start
I'll toward Harris ranch. On the way
Eggen got troublesome, picked up the
churn handle and came towards him and
told him he had TO have some money.
Witness told him he would get him some.
but Eggen insisted. and rushed at him
With a Wild look. striking at him. and he
biz Eggen with the fork. After Eggen
fall down. witness picked him up and.
with little help. got him 20 town. went
10 the hotel and secured him a room. He
taen sat up at night with him and gave
him all the attention he could. He had
no more intention OF killing the man than
be had of killing himself, and only hit
him to protect himself.
Mr.. Hastie on crosse Examination, asked
the witness If Eggen was drunk. and
he said he did not think so; he never
saw him drunk before.
What did he do after you hit him9'
FELL down.
did ne get up again." "He tried to.
II away"
The opening statement to the jury was
made by Mr.. Wiltshire. deputy prescott
Ing attorney. He made a plain statement
Of facts. and thought that the country
being so open. leaving q way Of escape.
The defendant should not have taken hui
man life. no matter whether he was In
fear OF being injured by the deceased or
not. He accused the counsel for the oe-
Tense of f"badgering" tho boy who testi-
fed az the morning session. and said that
was the strong point of the defense
Mr.. Piles followed MIR. Wiltshire in
strong argument and held that no proof
had been introduced To warrant holding
The prisoner as long as he has been held.
He asked II the names OF the reputable
witnesses that testified for the defense
would not carry weight He said he did
hot badger the small boy. lie also dwelt
on Harris action after Eggen was struck
down and up to the time OF the latter's
Death.
Prosecuting Attorney HASTE closed tho
rSse for the state In a recital OF the tes-
'imony. and thought IL time that such
accidents" were dealt with according TO
law. He thought conviction should fol-
low in these cases.
The Judge charged the jury at $40. and
" $40 verdict of not guilty was re-
Iarned
Harm ard his friends returned 90 Kent
asst night.
Mrs. FIR ASFp SJrES r-np IA IMAGES.