The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-29
CLOSES A MURDER GASE
STORY OF THE KILLING OF
CHARLES e. WILSON AND HIS
SLAYERS TRIAL
PROSECUTED BY MR.. MATHEWS
In Some Respects 1t Was One of the
Remarkable Cases of Minnesota
The Verdict Popularity
Approved.

leHIlary at nara laDOr by JuQSo WeOD6r
yesterday morning at O'Clock, thus
closing one Of the most remarkable
murder cases, in some aspects, ever tried
in the state. A motion was made, after
the reading of the sentence, for a new
trial, but after consideration of public
sentiment, the vote of the Jury and the
light sentence, the defense appeared be-
fore Judge Weber this afternoon and
made a formal withdrawal of the mo-
ton. The defendant will be taken to
Saltwater Monday by Sheriff Townsend.
Walter Warren is about thirty-two
years of age, married and has three
children, the oldest nine years. He has
operated his fathers farm in Diamond
Lake township for the past fifteen years.
In the fall of 1887 a young man named
Charles E. Wilson, from Marshalltown,
To-, went to work for Warren. He work
ed that fall, came back in the spring of
1885, and worked until cold weather, and
made his home with Warren's family
through the winter, and again went to
work in the spring, continuing until Aug.
s or 8, 1899 During all this time War
rem and Wilson were almost like broth
ers. Wilson accompanied the family to
dances, parties and entertainments.
NEGLECTED HIS FARM.
Warren was negligent of his duties on
the farm and spent considerable time in
town, leaving the place in Wilson's
charge. When twitted. about his negli-
gence he would say: 81 have a man in
charge who can run things better than
can" The intimacy grew. Warren is
an incomprehensible character. He is
cold, naughty and seemed to be glad to
have a man like Wilson, who would
take his wife to dances, ETC., while he
played cards. Wilson was jovial, a man
who had seen lots of the world and al
ways looked on its brightest side. War
ren's neglect and gruffness left the af
finity of Mrs. Warren's and Wilson's
souls nothing to check their interfow.
Yet during the whole time there is
nothing to indicate that Warren ever
was jealous or capable of jealousy. On
the stand Warren swore he always and
now had the utmost confidence in his
wife.
On Aug. 8, 1899, Wilson quit Warren,
stayed at the place all day the 10th
trying to get a settlement, and finally
on the morning Of the 18th he settled
with Warren, and came to Lake Ben
rem would pay, and went out to War
ren's place the evening of the 18th to
get his money or whip Warren. In the
fight that followed Warren shot Wilson
three times, killing him.
Wilson had taken off his coat folded
1t deliberately, laid it on the ground
and laid his hat on top of it. First wit
ness on the scene didn't see Wilson's
revolver, though one searched for it.
Same witnesses ten minutes after the
shooting saw Wilson's revolver about
twenty feet from the body. 1t was load
ed, but had not been discharged
WARREN ENJOYED LIBERTY.
Warren came in town the same night
AN1I
what he had done, claiming he did it in
self-defense. Mckenzie allowed him to
go back home, and no arrest was made
until the next afternoon, when he was
arrested on the charge of manslaughter
in the first degree. At the preliminary
hearing this charge was dismissed and
the defendant rearrested on the charge
of murder in the second degree, for
which he was tried.
John McKenzies attitude caused him to
be removed by petition of the people and
Judge Weber appointed NJ. E. Matthews,
of Marshall, to take charge of prosecu-
ton.
ABLE LAWYERS EMPLOYED.
The defendants family are very veal
thy and they had Frank W. Nye the IA
nous prosecutor of Hayward, T. L.
James, of Pipestone, one Of the best at
torneys in the state, and Warren Miller,
IlSAIS young dltOTUSy Oh place, TO
conduct their case. Mr.. Matthews con-
Quoted the prosecution single handed 1t
took three and one half days to get the
jury. Seventy-four men were examined.
The examination of witnesses COM
menced a week ago Saturday at
10 o'clock p. m. and lasted until
Wednesday noon. F. L. James, of
Pipestone, examined the witnesses for
the defense and by his careful
Ill
of his right to a place among the state 5
greatest attorneys. Warren Miller, of
this city, made the opening address to
the jury in a manner and in language
that showed a thorough study of his case
! as well as ability in matters of law.
| Frank w. Nye made the closing plea to
| the jury.
| prosecution unassisted, is the peoples can
| didate for congress against McCleary
| He showed at every stage of the case his
| ability to cope with the defense's three
! able lawyers. Mr.. Mathews cross-exam-
| ination was mastery in bringing out into
! striking relief the inconsistencies of thu
| defense and in riveting attention to his
| case where it was least vulnerable By
| the adroit construction of his questions
! he forced the defendant and his witnesses
to disclose web of motive and fact thai
| destroyed their own evidence.
Ed. Beckett, the states principal wit
| ness, the only person, except possibly
| Mrs. Warren, who saw the men as The
| last shot was fired and who looked fol
| Wilson's revolver at the time, was absent
! from the trial This, in the face of the
defendants story and the fact that hi;
| wife and aunt corroborated it, made Mr.
Mathews work extremely difficult
WHERE MR.. MATHEWS WON.
Mr.. Mathews delivered his closing ad
| dress to the jury in about two hours. II.
| Lad no counsel in the case and for thi
reason was compelled to give his entire
! time and attention to the proceedings
| WITHOUT thought of his address, Conse
! quently he had no time to prepare al
elaborate address and had to trust t,
| the spur of the occasion, but he hat
| not spoken dozen words until al
who heard him felt that the case co-ul(
have no ADLER or more eloquent advo
cate. He attempted no flights to til
stars and chased no rainbows, but il
the intense earnestness of common
| sense and unanswerable logic he held VI
| the homogeneous and vulnerable parts o
the defense and rfdiculed them merci
| lessly. He wOve the evidence into ;
chain and spread 1t out before tn
jury and showed them that wilson
| revolver was not in any link He sim
ply annihilated the defense by thei
own testimony. In the opinion of tn
attorneys, the large audience that pack
ed the opera house and the jury it
self Mr.. Mathews closing address wa
masterpiece Of common sense, clea
logic and a great summary of an intri
| cate case. Though there was nothing DO
| litical, and could not have been, in hi
address, it gave rise to an In
| creased confidence in his In
tellectual greatness and his ability t.
grasp the salient points of subject an.
present them so that they cannot hell