The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-30

As Dy the DelehSt hCy
From the First CircumstantiaI
Stories of the CFime-SteenersOn
Says She Had GrappIed With
Him in an Attempt at Robbery
Before He Fired.
The defense concluded the introduce
tion Of testimony in the Stevenson
murder trial yesterday afternoon, and,
after the closing arguments are made
today, the case will go to the jury. The
tendency of the testimony was to show
that Stevenson was under the influ-
ence of drugs when the fatal shot
which killed Ruth Parrish was fired,
and that the trigger was pulled invol-
unfairly in a scuff1e consequent upon
an attempt at robbery by the woman.
Stevenson testified through the inter-
prefer that he had felt differently after
drinking the beer provided by his VIC
tim. and endeaVored to show that the
killing was accidental.
When the trial opened yesterday
morning Judge Egan, who is associat-
ed in the defense, requested permission
to address the court on a matter of
personal privilege, and read extracts
from an article which appeared in a
morning paper to the effect that Steen-
erson would make no defense, but
would plead guilty to manslaughter
after the evidence for the state was in.
Judge Egan declared that an injustice
had been done his client, as the article
had a tendency to prejudice the de-
Tense. Judge Brill remarked that a
gross improperly had been commit
ted, and then G. ]. Lomen made the
opening argument to the jury. He
said:
You represent the defendant as well the
state and are not here as the agent OF either
side. There is prejudice here for either
plaintiff or defendant. Society sheds no tears
over this tragedy. In your hands rests the
life and liberty OF this boy. He is a strang
er to us and an alien in the country, but he
is not a stranger to this form Of procedure
for the jury system was used in Norway be-
fore it was introduced into England. He re-
joices that he Is to be tried by men in whose
breasts beat human hearts. | am not
criminal lawyer. This IL the first time that
/ have appeared to defend a man charged
with murder, although I have been at the
bar for twenty-thTee years. But / have no
tced in my life that low-browed baseness ap-
pears on the faces Of murderers, and seeing
this boy / felt that he was no murderer and
my conviction has been strengthened as l
have seen him. Do not PREJUDICE this case.
The state has shown only the bare fact of
the homicide. They have not even shown
that this boy pulled the trigger of the pistol.
] felt sorry that the officers of police dis
played such readiness TO swear to statements
made by boy, who, as Capt. Roueau says,
has been in this country not more than three
months. and who was drunk at the time.
/ know his country well. Criminals are rare
in that country; illiteracy is almost unknown
and religion and morals are generally taught.
Steenerson was born on the west coast OF
Norway on a farm His family was poor
and honest, and he had a good mother. He
was born 10 years ago last May. The first
question which he asked me when l saw him
in the county jail was whether his mother
would know. His first thought was not for
himself, but his mother. This is the boy
who. when he arrived at Liverpool on his
way to this country. sent back to his mother
q crowns. which he thought he should not
need for the journey. and proceeded on his
could not be 2 murderer. He has, since he
came to St. Paul, worked for Mr.. MontgOm-
Mr.. Murphy, of Rosemount, and for William
Potts. OF Bird Island. Oct. 16 he and his
brother. Ole, came up from Bird Island They
had saved between them about 500; they
stopped at a hotel on Seventh s'seet. Tues
day they met a solder, Ole Lureie, a coun.
tryman of theirs, who had just been PAID
off and who treated them. The soldier rushed
the growler and they drank beer and whisky
In the N'ening they went down town and Il
the Olympic theater. The others went into
the theater and Stevenson said that he had
spent money enough and would not CO. re-
naming outside He met a woman, who
asked him to buy beer. and they went into
Seahlman's saloon, on the corner Of Eighth
and Robert streets. She asked him to see
her home. This woman was an adventures.
shake-chdfher, VINO had lived with a man
who was not her husband; she had been in
the police court on a charge o. larceny, she
was a morphine fiend, and this boy fell into
her hands. At her home he says that she
lit a lamp. took off her wraps, gave him a
cigarette and said something about getting
beer. and he pulled out his pocketbook and
handed her So After a time. she made nc
move, he asked about the beer, and she said
that she had some beer there. He says that
he fired the blank shot to brighten her and
compel her to give up the money. Before
the fatal shot was fired she produced beer
and poured out some. and he drank two
glasses. A peculiar sensation came over him.
He was not drinking fellow. He had never
been under the influence OF drink but once
before in his life. She began to push him
back and forth with the probable intention
of pushing him upon the bed. where he would