The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-10
PICKETT GIVES WAY
/
THE ACCUSED TAKES THE STAND
\ AND CRIES PIT
EOUSLY
II DID NOT MURDER MY WIFE
Was Awakened by Someone CRYING
Reuben-ThOught His Wife
Il Was Talking to the
Il Little BOY.

Reuben c. Pickett took the stand yes
terday afternoon and testified in his own
behalf. His voice at first was husky and
1t was only with great effort that ne
answered the questions. He had peen
asked but a few questions before ne
broke down and cried piteousiy; not only
did he cry but there were many in the
room that were also perceptibly affect
ed. ! ~
i, He regained his composure in BRIEF
period, and then answered the questions
ikA q much clearer voice, although he
did not quite appear fully at ease any
of the time The strain OF the past week
has been telling on him, and his de-
meanor as the cease has proceeded, has
taken a more serious turn than was no.
ticeable the first few days of the trial.
Mr.. Pickett detailed the events Of the
evening prior to the last sad act of the
tragedy in q very straightforward man
ner. He spoke about coming home from
his work eating supper and of his wife
= asking him to- go to nelghbor's 1or
little visit, and he refusing on account
of being tired and preferring to stay
at home.
He said the first thing that awakened
him was someone crying Reuben; this
The heard three times before he reused up
sufficiently to get up and see what the
trouble was. He thought at first that
1t was his wife in the bathroom attend
ing to the little boy Reuben, VINO hao
been aiIing with bowel trouble for sew
leral days He went into the bathroom
ITO see il he could be of any assistance to
her and was Mortified to see the room
In flames and his wife burning up. He
tried to save her but was unable to do SO
sOn account of the extreme heat of the
room and the position in which the body
was lying on the floor. He turned on the
water in the tub, and tried to eXt1n-
guish the flames in that manner but the
heat drove him out.
He then rushed out into the haH, anu
thought of his two children who were
sleeping in the bedroom. AS long as he
could not save his wife he went INTO
the room and got the children out of bed
and carried them down the hall where ne
met Mrs. Nelson. He gave the children
to her and then went, out on the street
TO turn in the alarm; he was yelling hre
a man living across the way came out
and turned in the alarm In few MN
utes the fire apparatus came up ana ne
q said to one of the firemen, For God sake
hurry and get my wife out OF the pain
room, she is burning up.
He does not remember anything he said
after that, but was at the foot of the
stairs when they brought his Wafe
body down to take it to the morgue.
After Jlef DOGGY WAS SOuS LlC WOAAI WV
to the corner house where his children
had been taken, but remembers nothing
further until his father and mother ar
rived when he told Ibis mother that she
had better telegraph his Wife's folks,
who lived in Mankato, about the AFFAIR
Then he went home with his father
and mother and related 20 them the cir
cumstances of the fire. as near as ne
could remember them He admitted
NFaIC n MI
ard a day or so after the fire, and ask
ed them aboufasthe stories that We're
floating around about his wife having
come to her death through some foul
play, and told them that they had bet
ter be careful about saying anything,
as they might get into trouble In tell
ing things which they could not prove.
The fact of his having run away with
, young siXteen-year-old girl some time
in February, 1886, from Nashua, Iowa,
and being captured in Carrolton, Mo-,
was brought out, and also the fact that
he was once ihcarcerated in Jail for sew
enty days for the offense Of seduction,
but was released. He returned to his
wife, who freely forgave him on the
promise that che would thereafter live
an honorable, upright life.
He was then asked the question out
right by This attorney: did you muir
der your wife?" He replied, Il did
not" 5aif 7;i'
X The counsel for the state took the wit
hess and 7fcross-examined him very
closely, many times getting him into
very close quarters, ana making some
of his stories appear somewhat ridiculous
ST don't know and ST don't remember
were many answers that were giver
to the states questions, when asked
pointedly in regard to different phases
of the tragedy. This apparently was
his only shelter when minute details
were asked to be related.
Pickett is the last witness who will
he put eon the stand for the defensei
The state may bring in some rebuttal at
ter they are through with him. The de-
Tense put on several unimportant wit
nesses today, they were chiefly those
who had, been acquainted with the fam
lily, and spoke of their family relations
as always being pleasant so far as they
knew.
A couple of physicians were put or
the stand to testify as to what effect fire
had on a dead and live body. They sale
that heat would not contract muscles
1 hexed by death.
Court adjourned with Pickett still OF
The stand being cross examined by the
states attorney.
rae ~