The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-12-11
PLEAS OF COUNSEL
Both Sides Ably Presented-Pickett
Scored by States Attorney.

Scored by States Attorney.
Reuben G. Pickett will not soon forget
the tlagellation he received from County
Attorney Boardman yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. Boardman was severe on the prisoner.
The conduct Of Pickett on the night of tho
fire, in the mind of the county attorney,
could not be explained on any other hypo-
thesis than that he had killed his wife and
then left the flames to hide the evidences
Of the crime; everything tended to prove
him guilty, nothing tended to show his
innocence. The lowest of creatures Of the
earth rush to the protection of their kind
in times of danger, fremen and others risk
their lives daily in order to save others
and think nothing of it, but here was a
man who did not even try to save the wife
to whom he had been married ten years
the mother Of his two children, said Mr.
Boardman; the story told by Pickett as
to what transpired in the bathroom was
wholly preposterOus; that he could stay in
there several moments, turn on the water.
and splash water on the body, try to raise
1t, could save his neighbor's wash boiler
but could not drag out little woman
weighing 105 pounds, none would believe:
man under such circums tances would
usually have the strength of a Hercules;
the reason that he did not drag or carry
his wife out Of the flames was because he
did not want to; no such incidents as he
described in the bathroom ever took place;
the story of Mrs. Mary Nelson and her
sister, Ella Olson, was at direct variance
with any Of the prisoners evidence and
was more credible.
Mr.. Boardman before closing paid How
ard B. Chamberlain, counsel for the de-
fense, a high compliment for his GENTLE
manly conduct in the case and for his emf
nent fairness to himself and the states
witnesses throughout the trial. The trial
was greatly shortened by the conduct of
the opposing counsel.
Mr.. ChamberIaIn's Plea.
Mr.. CEamberlain's plea for the de-
fendant was listened to with much inter-
est, as there was great curiosity to hear
what there was favorable to the prisoner
| in the trial. Mr.. Chamberlain commented
on the fact that the very same witnesses
who fourteen and a half months ago when
spoken to by the coroner, by Inspector
King, by policemen and fremen without
number knew nothing of any consequence
and had heard nothing, should now four
teen months afterward know so much: il
was very strange, indeed, but not beyond
explanation; it was more than likely that
these women being neighbors had talked
the matter over, put this and that imag-
lining together, had agreed on certain cir
cumstances as being probable and had
finally accepted their theories and their
dreams as facts the women did not in
tend to tell untruths, but they were mis-
taken.
No one had pretended to say that there
was any motive for crime. There was no
question Of insurance money, although the
state had introduced an irrelevant con-
versation. There was no other woman in
the case, for the prisoner had not met his
second wife until weeks after the tragedy.
There was no Ill will between Mr.. and
Mrs Pickett and this was clearly shown
even by the witnesses for the state.
That there was a mystery surrounding
but many things might have happened in
the bathroom of which Pickett could have
been entirely innocent. The theory that
he had choked or killed his wife in their
bedroom and then dragged the body to the
bathroom was absurd. The Pickett bed
room was only Skis feet and in this space
there were two beds, a bureau, a com
mode and a chair. There could have been
no scuff1ing here for an hour and half
There was barely room to turn around.
Several witnesses testified that nothing
was displaced in this room except the
children's bed, which the fireman showed
aside when he forced the door open.
Mr.. Chamberlain brought tears to the
eyes of nearly every woman in the room
by his tender references to Pickett and
his children to whom the man was de-
votedly attached and whose love was re-
turned in the fullest measure.