The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-02-05


last said. Crook said something
harsh that sounded like, "I'll show
you" eff that is what you came in
here for there is the door, and you
can 60 OUT" Crook replied: 81
don't have to-" Almost Immediately
afterwards l heard pistol shot, and
l stood up. Henry was crouching
down against the COW, partly on his
feet, facing Crook. The latter stood
nearly behind the same COW, and was
in the act of pointing revolver at
Henry and firing second shot. He
was from four to six feet from Henry.
Immediately after the second shot
had been fired | started to 60 out, and
approached them. Henry was facing
Crook, and had his milk pail in his
| left hand with very little milk in
the pail. started to 60 out of the
open stanchion, and when 1 got near
Crook he pointed his revolver at me
as though he was going to shoot me.
Henry. who was standing straight.
Henry then threw his milk pail at
Crook, who turned and fired the third
| shot at Henry. The latter fell or
stumbled over the plank under the
stanchiOn and made his way out Of
the stable onto the barn floor, and
turned north toward the front door
that opens toward the street. l fol-
lowed next to Henry and before
Crook. [ went east across the barn
floor and got pitchfork and started
after Crook, who had come out
through the stanchion and started
for the front door of the barn Crook
got to the door just ahead of me and
out of my reach and took deliberate
aim in the direction that Henry would
be likely to 60 to get to the house,
and fired. [ could not see Henry
from where l was, [ stuck the pitch
fork into Crooks shoulder, almost
Immediately after he fired. Crook
tried to turn his hand toward me as
though he was going to shoot. but /
turned him around with the pitch
fork. The buggy was three or four
rods from the barn, in the road. 1t
was covered buggy, cover up, and
with two horses. Crook started and
ran to the buggy, got in and drove
east, turned north at the corner, and
went toward Amboy. The horses
were going apparently as fast as
they could run, after turning the cor
ner. l turned and saw Henry near
the house, northeast from the barn
door. Henry started from the front
porch, and Fora handed him revol-
yer in front of the porch. He start
ed east toward the buggy. l heard a
report and suppose that he had fired
toward the buggy. Henry then
turned around toward me, said that
Crook had shot him, and wanted me
to hasten for doctor. He pulled up
his coat, vest and shirt, showing a
bullet hole in his body, with the
blood oozing out of it. 1t was little
to the left of the center of the alb
domen. Henry went into the house
in short time. He came out while l
was hitching up, to hurry me. L
went to Amboy for physician, and
returned in about half an hour.
Henry was ia bed when 1 got back.
He never rose from his bed but once,
when he sat up very short time, a
week or possibly more after the
shooting. He lived eighteen days
after the shooting. He died in my
housed 10 my presence, June 26th. l
got DR.. Holden, who came to my
house with me, perhaps half or three
quarters of an hour after the shoot
ing. DR.. Holden treated him. There
was a flesh wound in the left arm be-
tween the elbow and shoulder, and a
slight wound on the left wrist, l saw
these after DR.. Holden returned with
me. They were then fresh and
bleeding. Witness described Henry's
clothing and identified it. Some of
the garments were bloody, and per-
forated by bullet holes. These were
offered in evidence, the defense max
ing no objection. A plat of the barn
and one of the grounds were offered
in evidence, after being identified by
the witness.
| Mr.. Young took the witness for
cross examination. Witness said that
his son would weigh 140 or $50 pounds
when in health. Henry was about
five feet ten inches high. l have an
other son, B. F. Bornt, and daugh-
ter, Mrs. Smith, and grand daugh-
ter, Gertrude Smith. Mrs. Smith
and daughter, Gertrude, have lived
in Amboy number of years. My
adopted daughter, Fora Bornt, is
seventeen years old, and has lived
with my family evey since she was
thre years old. l am little hard
of hearing in one ear. Henry was a
little deaf, and had been for some
time. He was left handed, but