Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-05-25
Spectacle Of Father and Son Testify
ing Against Each Other in the Jen-
kins Murder Case.
Defendant in the Case Takes the
Stand in His Own Behalf this
Morning.
Says His Father Killed Stark BY Chok-
ing Him to Death, While He
Was Out.
Father Fires q Bullet Into the Head
Of the Dead Man in Fit Of Ss
Anger.
Says He Was Given $50 to Hold His
Tongue Intimates a Previous
Murder as Well.
Father Told Hin This Was Not His
First One; Another Man in a 5s
M S55 II ole, = "a. q 4,

in the district court yesterday after
noon James M. Jenkins took the stand
and testified that Gus Stark had been
killed by his son Ira. He detailed the
facts in connection with the case de-
liberately, telling how Ira had come
to him when he was on the way back
from the barn where he had been to
attend a sick animal and told him that
he (Ira) had killed Stark. He also
told Of the removal of the body to the
mine, and their subsequent converse
tions, and the nnal agreement to cover
up the matter, he having agreed to it
for Ira's sake, after the two had had
asfeW drinks and Ira had urged him.
This morning the son took the stand
and swore that Stark had been killed
/ by the father 1t was a. fpitiful pair
of recitals, father and son on the wit
ness stand against each other, each
testifying to the guilt Of the other,
and agreeing only on the point that
after the crime had been committed
they agreed to make an attempt to
cover it up. The old man said he
had agreed to help cover it up for the
sake of his son. The son said he had
agreed to help cover it up for the sake
of his father and the sum Of $50 which
his father had given him after the
= crime, on the morning the two came
to Bismarck. s5s .sS3ss RI 5. sfyi. Sfji
# The case rested in. the case this
morning and Ira o. Jenkins, the de-
fendant in the case, was the first wit
ness for the defense. He was sworn
and testified regarding the manner OF
the murder. In his preliminary tes-
timony he admitted having been at
. Wilton on the day that Stark was
killed and slightly intoxicated but
stated that he had made no threats
against Stark as testified to by the
{ witness Ward Biles. Neither did he
tell Biles that he was coming to Bis
marck ito get $500 worth Of tools he
had there On the day that he and
Stark were at Wilton they arrived
home at about dusk. ~ He did not re-
member the exact time. He and
Stark put the team away and went to
the house, No supper had been pre-
pared as the father lay on the bed
4 He had been drunk all winter, and
said that he was not feeling well
i enough to get supper. They had No
supper that mig When told to tell
the manner ia which Stark came to
his death he said that the three, he
y his. father and Stark, had put in the
evening drinking hot whiskies They
ran out Of water in the course OF the
evening and he took the pail and went
to the spring to get a pailful. When
he came back his father had Stark on
the foor on his back, his arms
stretched out, choking him. When be
saw this he rushed to his father and
4 tore his hands from Stark's throat
Stark gave one long gasp and was still
i Blood gushed from his mouth. His
father then tried To put the body oi
Stark on his shoulder and carry II out
( but was unable to do SO. He then
n dragged the body to an arm chair
\ lifted 1T partially on that and made
another effort but 1T was futile. He
then dropped the body and sat On the
bed for & time, arising after a time
and going to the bureau where he goi
E a revolver. He sat on the bed again
and then cooked the revolver and fired
a shot into otark' s face. After this
his father made q step Or two toward
him tIra) with the revolver and he
Ira) grabbed the revolver. In thu
scuffie the weapon was discharged and
bullet went into the floor. Ira ther
placed the revolver In his pocket
They then had q talk about the killing
of Stark. His father said he didn'i
know what was best TO do and hs
tIral suggested that it would be besl