The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-19

(From The Herald'S CorrespondentS.)
Provo, May 1S.-The preliminary ex-
animation of James c. Poulson, charged
with the murder of his father, Mauritz
P. Poulson, was held at Pleasant Grove
this morning Mr.. D. D. Houtz ap-
peared as counsel for the defendant,
and County Attorney King represented
the state. The former charge of as
sault with intent to commit murder
was Withdrawn and a new complaint
fled, charging murder in the second
degree. A large crowd of people, most
of whom were in sympathy with the
defendant, gathered at the city hall,
where the hearing was to take place,
bun at the request of the defendant the
spectators were excluded from the
room during the examination.
DR.. f. A. Noyes of American Fork
was the first witness called. He testi-
fed that he was summoned to attend
the deceased on the 2Sth of April He
found him suffering from a bruise on
the shoulder and a deep wound on the
right side of his head, near the top.
The wound appeared to have been
made by g sharp instrument and was
deepest on the lower side. 1t passed
through the scalp and skull and pene-
trated the brain. y portion of the
brain ooZed out The wound was about
a quarter of an inch in width and three
inches in length. Pieces of bone were
removed and the wound dressed. The
deceased appeared TO be improving I'M
til about May II, when partial paraly-
sis set in, and it became necessary to
remove several pieces of bone. This
was done by the witness, assisted by
DR.. Allen. The deceased revived after
the operation. but soon relapsed and
death resulted.
Clarence Gannett, a lad of 13 years.
grandson of the deceased and nephew
of the defendant, testified that he was
in front of the house, in company with
the defendants sister. He saw the de-
PENDANT come up the street and go in
through the double gates. The old man
called to him and wanted him to pay
his debts. The defendant told him
that he could not and the deceased
threatened to sue the defendant if he
did not. The defendant replied that
he might go ahead and sue. This ap-
peared 10 enrage the old man, and he
raised a shovel, which he held in his
hand, and began to attack the defend
ant. The old man struck the defend
ant twice with the shovel. They
clinched, and the defendant wrested
the shovel from the old man, who
turned and ran through the barn and
toward the house, followed by the de-
PENDANT. He watched them until they
got near the house, but did not see the
defendant strike his father. He went
around afterwards, however, and saw
the old man lying on the porch, with
blood running from his head.
Octavia POulSon, sister of the defend
ant and daughter of the deceased, tes-
titled to about the same facts as Clar-
ence Gannett except that she did not
see her father strike her brother more
than once with the shovel while they
were wrestling in front of the barn.
Miss Poulson evinced a great deal of
feeling over the results of the tragedy. /
and broke down and sobbed frequently
during her examination.
City Marshal Z. r. Halliday testified
that the defendant had told him prac-
tically the same facts as those testified |
TO by the preceding witnesses, and in |
addition to this, the defendant told /
him that he ran after the old man and |
struck him.
Sheriff Storrs testified that he had 1
received the defendant into his Gus
tody; that the defendant had told him /
great many of the facts, and among |
them that he had run after the old man /
and caught him just as he was going /
onto the porch; that he had hit the de- |
ceased twice with the shovel. once on /
the head and once on the shoulder. Mr. |
Storrs also identified the shovel
The defendant did not offer any evil /
oence IN his own behalf, and by agree /
ment of counsel the case was submitted /
without argument
The justice was of the opinion from |
the evidence that the defendant ought |
to be bound over, which order was |
made, and the bond fixed at $4,000. The -!
bond was Immediately given, Rose !
Poulson, mother of the defendant and
widow Of the murdered man, being one
of the sureties. The other sureties of
the defendant were his brother. his
brother-in-law and Bishop Thorn of
Pleasant Grove. The sympathy of the
community seems to be all on the side
OF the defendant, and it is in this re-
eide.