The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-07

The trial Of Matt Rosenquist for the
voluntary manslaughter of John An.
derson was begun yesterday before
Judge Norrell and a jury. The infor-
NATION charged that the defendant, or
Oct. 81, 1897, stabbed Anderson with q
knife, causing almost instant death.
Rosenquist is a youth of about q
years. He is a native OF Finland, and
when about IS years of age went 70
South Africa, where he worked in the
mines for three years. He came 10 Salt
Lake in August or September, 1897,
and from there went to Bingham ON
the night of Oct. so, 1897, Anderson,
who Yves miner, aged about So OF 40
years. went TO the Scandinavia saloon
in Bingham, and there met Rosenquist.
The two sat in the back room of the
saloon drinking until about o'clock on
the morning OF Oct. 81. The proprietor
Of the establishment at that hour said
he guessed he would close UP, and re-
qUested Anderson and Rosenquist to go
home. They had been talking rather
loudly for little while, and Anderson
accused Rosenquist of calling him a
bum" and on the instant slapped Ro-
s5enquiSt two. or three times on the face
with his hand. Rosenquist requested
Anderson to desist. and TO leave him
alone. and then walked towards the
door. Anderson followed. and when
the latter reached the door he was seen
to fall backwards, and when the by
ISLANDERS reached the spot they found
that he had been stabbed through the
heart with a knife and was already
dead.
No one saw Rosenquist actually
strike the deceased with the knife. but
the circumstances pointed most
strongly to him as the slayer of An
derson. He was arrested. and had a
preliminary hearing before Justice
Turnbull at Bingham. and was held
for trial in the district court on the
charge of voluntary manslaughter.
At the trial yesterday Assistant
County Attorney Putnam prosecuted
and Attorney Fred r. McGurrin de-
Tended Rosenquist.
A jury composed of George NJ. Spen-
Ger. J. K. Beers, T. o. Poulton, T. A.
.Wickersham, Herbert Price. H. NJ Nc
Cartney. Frank Shelly and Jesse c.
Little was empanelled and sworn to try
the case.
Andrew Grindrath, Fred Hillman,
Charley Jacobs. John Johnson, A. L.
Heaston and Hyrum Gustafson were
examined and testified to the facts of
the killing substantially as stated
above.
County Surveyor Wilkes was exam
premises. which he had made, and
which was put in evidence.
DIR. Beatie of Bingham. who was
called to see Anderson after the stab
bling, testified as TO the nature Of the
wound, which he said was of such a
character as to cause instant death. He
said the wound was undoubtedly in
fiicted by some sharp instrument, and
when shown the knife with which it is
alleged the deed was done, the doctor
said it was such an instrument as
might have inflicted the wound found
on the dead mans body.
The state here rested and the de-
PENDANT took the stand on his own be-
half. He told about Anderson and him
self sitting in the back room of the sa-
loon. and about Anderson slapping him
in the face. ROSenquist said he then
walked out Of the saloon and saw no
more of Anderson until he was dead.
He said he did not linger at the door,
did not see Anderson at the door and
did not stab him.
Under cross examination he stuck to
his story.
Fred Hillman was then called and
was being examined when court adj
journec until this morning, when the
hearing VIII be resumed.