The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-03-17
HELD TO The GRAND JURY
Lester Rollins and Fred Bager Will
Probably Stand Trial
by Jury.
Judqe Baldwin Announces the Evil
denCe Weak-SenSdtiOnS
in Court.

Lester Rollins and Fred. Bager
the two boys arrested on the charge of
assault in the second degree in con-
nection with having "sandbagged" Hal
Wing, the Chinese laundryman of this
city, have been held to the grand jury
by Judge Baldwin of the police court,
after preliminary examination last
ing day and half.
The examination, held in the large
room of the court house and attended
by larger crowd than is seen there
when district court is in session, de-
veloped number of sensations. The
first was Hal Wings statement to the
effect that he was able to distinguish
Rollins as his assailant by reason of
Rollins voice; the second was wherein
Judge Baldwin took Sheriff Pease
severely to task for having attempted
] to extort a confession out of Rollins
under promise of his influences for
milder punishment; the third the re-
markable work of Judge Bowers in at
tempting to keep out the confessions,
and lastly the admission of the evi-
dence on these confessions, after
Judge Bowers had been over-ruled,
a ruling in which Judge Baldwin him
self had grave doubts as to its legality
when he made it.
The case commenced at ten o'clock
Thursday morning. Two hours be-
fore that time the court room COM
menced filing up. When time was
called and County Attorney Clague
announced that Hum Bang of St.
Paul had been secured to interpret to
and from Hal Wing, the first witness,
the old court room was packed as full
as it was on the first forenoon of the
last farmers institute.
Judge Bowers was on his mettle
from the start. He wanted to know
whether the Cinnamon were going to
swear on the religion of Confusius, or
whether the common oath, $50 help
me God," was going to be binding up
on them. Both Cinnamon announced
that they recognized God, and that
when it came to testimony an idol or
joss sticks didn't go. Hal Wing
further said that if he swore to a lie
he expected to get punished, and the
attorney for the defense made up his
mind that the celestiels were up to
snuff. The evidence began.
Hal stated that about eight o'clock
on the evening of February 10th a
young man came the front door of
his laundry and asked for his laundry.
Hal told him that it was too late, upon
which the young man remarked that
he had no change of clothing except
that in the laundry. Hal opened the
door, then, and let the young man in.
The latter had a white kerchief over
his face from under his eyes to the
dimple of his chin, and with coat col
lar turned up. The young man re-
marked that it was awful cold and
chilly, upon which Hal told him to
step to the stove and get warm. A
moment passed and the young man
went to the front door and looked up
and down the street. Hal asked him
who he was looking for and the young
man replied "a friend of mine with
whom I am going to church" Then
he came back and stood by the stove
a moment. Then he went to the door
again and repeated his look up and
down the thoroughfare. Returning,
he said, Its cold, awful cold tonight
too late to go to church." Then the
young man asked Hal to give him
something to dripk. Hal replied that
he was too busy writing, and that if
he wanted drink to go to the barrel
ang get it. The young man went in,
Hal holding the lamp for him, and on
the young man getting the drink Hal
replaced the lamp on his table and
went to writing. Hal had no more
than seated himself when the young
man struck and hit him under the eye
and on the nose. Hal started for the
door, and another blow knocked him
down over the chair he had been occu.
plying. Again Hal made a rush for
the door, but the young man pushed