The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-10
EDEN VALLEY CASES
JURY SECURED TO TRY THE FIRST
ONE OF THE AC-
CUSED
M1LLER's DEATH IN A CELL
The First Witnesses Called to Show
That q Conspiracy Exfsted-It De-
velOps That the JaiIer When Or
dered to Put Guard Over the
Dead Man Refused to Do So

LITCHFIELD, Mimi, Feb. 9.-The In
terest in the Eden Valley murder cases
is steadily increasing, as shown by the
unusual number of people, representing
all classes, who daily crowd the court
room. The jurors who will weigh the
evidence and settle the question OF guilt
are: Emelius Nelson, o. J. Anderson,
Fred Hendrickson, T. A. Wakefield, l.
M Littell, j. E. Hanley, William Nc
Elrath, Charles Johnson, E. ]. Jackman,
J. c. Thomas and A. w. Johnson.
The first witness to be called was w.
D. Johnson, councilman of Eden VAL
ley. The object of the state in calling
Mr.. johnson was to show the existence
of conspiracy by the accused against
the person of Miller, who met his death
in the Eden Valley jail. 1t developed
that Johnson, having his suspicious
aroused, ordered Jailer Kickbush, one
of the defendants, to place a guard over
the prisoner, and that Kickbush refused
to do so. Mr.. Johnson swore that he was
called by the jailer about $50 p. m, Tues
day, Oct. 10, 1899, who Informed him that
Miller was dead and that lit was good
job" johnson visited the jail that night
in company with the jailer and found the
body hanging, by means of a shirt sleeve
under the chin and back over the ears,
to a nail driven in the wall of the jail
The body showed no signs OF death
struggle, usually present in demise OF
this kind The hands Of the deceased
We're covered with blood, evidently COM
ing from the wrists which had been lac
Grated. The face was not marked with
blood nor was the improvised rope with
which Miller was suspended. Two pools
of blood were noticed by the witness in
Millers cell, but could not be accounted
for.
Upon cross-examination the defense
endeavored to confuse the witness as to
dates of meeting with the jailer and con-
versation with him; also as to the posi-
ton and general appearance of Miller's
body. The effort was, however, attended
with little success.
When court reconvened. this morning
Dr. Ridgeway now of Belgrade, but a
resident of Eden Valley at the time of
the alleged murder, was sworn and tes-
titled that he was called to the Jail to
examine Millers body. He made a thor
ough examination and found the corpse
in a natural state. Nothing of special
interest or Importance was brought out
in the Doctors evidence except that it
corroborated the testimony of the pre-
ceding witness.
The third witness was Rev. Father
Hentgarten, of Lake Henry, who visited
Miller in the Jail in the capacity Of spir-
itual adviser. Miller was In perfectly
rational state of mind, the witness said,
and there was nothing in his department
or speech to indicate that he contem-
plated suicide. Coroner William Hide
brant, Of Forest City, testified to being
notified of the death of Miller on Oct.
II and of going to Eden Valley and cut
ting down and examining the body,
which was taken to the engine house for
the purpose of holding an inquest. AT
noon his evidence was incomplete, but
no new or startling circumstance had
been developed