The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-11-06
WILL NOT YET MAKE A STATE
MENT.
He Talks Only of His Own Sore
Foot, Which Bothers Him More
Than the Murder of His Wife
Threatened to Sue the City-Visited
by a Son From rIapletOn-Tne
Preliminary Hearing.

noon by FREE PRESS reporter, Bal
ser, the wife murderer, was in bed
with his head turned away from bars.
He grunted out monosyllabic answers
to the questions put to him, and only
made one answer that might be called
at all satisfactory. When asked
whether he had anything to say to the
people today, he replied:
CPL wait until my head becomes a
little clearer. +"
When asked how he felt, Balser re-
piled that he was sick. He COM
planned of pain in his foot, and has
been taking medicine for erysipelas.
He accused Chief Yates of hustling
him along too fast to the city lookup
yesterday. Nothing else could be got
ten from him, except that he would
not employ lawyer until he had seen
his son again.
Yesterday Chiefs Yates and Phillips
hustled their prisoner to the city hall
at fast walk, to avoid the crowd
which was threatening to lynch him
Balser complained that his foot was
hurting him and wanted to 90 slower,
and said that he would sue the city
for the pain that was being caused
him. Then, and ever since, Balser has
thought of his little pain, and has
seemingly given no thought and cared
less for the pain which he has caused
his wife and others all these years by
his repeated acts of cruelty, culminat
ing in the murder OF his wife. He has
shown the stuff of which he is made
the utter selishness of the man, and
his choice regard for his own worthless
carcass and utter disregard of the
sufferings of others.
Evidence is continually coming tC
light, showing the cruelty of the man
Louis Balser, Jr., son Of the pris-
oner by his first wife, arrived from
MapletOn last night and had a con.
ference with his father this forenoon
at which the question of defense
was discussed. The young man said
to the FREE PRESS that his father and
stepmother had quarreled ever since
their marriage. He laid the blame
largely upon the temper of his step
mother. He said that another mar
ried brother lives at Mapleton, anG
another one south. The latter haC
trouble with his father year ago anC
left home not to return.
Mrs. jamie McMurtrie has taker
one of the small children to rear.
CountyAttorney Benedict YESTERDAY
afternoon prepared warrant fol
Balser's arrest, Scharging him will
murder in the first degree, and it was
served upon the prisoner. The pre-
liminary hearing will undoubtedly
take place this week, and will not
take up much time. 1t may occur to-
morrow. Balser will be held to the
grand jury, which meets Dec. LIST, and
his trial will fprobably occur next
month. Short work ought to be made
out of the case. The penalty for muir.
der in the first degree is hanging, I'm.
less there are mitigating circumstan-
ces, In which case the penalty is life
imprisonment.
Sheriff Bowen and Chief Yates with
dozen deputies were on duty all last
night at the Jail, to be prepared for
any attempt that might lie made to
lynch the prisoner. No such attempt
was made, however, and all talk to
that effect has apparently died away.
There does not seem to be any danger
from this source, but the sheriff was
wise to take the precautions which
he did.
There are no new developments in
regard to the crime. The evidence
given at the coroner's inquest
yesterday afternoon was so similar
to the account published in thes e
columns, that it would be mere re.
petition to publish it today. No new
facts of Importance were brought out.