The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-05
GRANITE FALLS EXCITED.
Its Citizens Do Not Like the Acquittal of
DR.. Wintner.

The jury in the murder trial of DR..
Wintner, the Granite Falls dentist
who shot and killed gambler who
had fieeced him of some 5000, brought
in a verdict of not guilty. The YER
dict does not suit the people and they
are reported as up in arms about it.
The Minneapolis Journal says:
Granite Falls is all torn up. The
verdict in the Wintner case, so far as
can be learned, was decidedly distaste-
full to the residents of tn at thriving
town; so distasteful, indeed, that there
was talk of trouble both for the de-
fen dant and for the jury. A Mime
apolitan who came down from Granite
Falls last evening said that six of the
jurymen were reported to have taken
to the woods fearing harsh treatment
at the hands of indignant citizens.
Another report, related by the same
gentleman, was to the effect that the
prosecuting attorney in the case had
been heard to tell group of residents
Of the town that if they desired to
egg" the jurymen they need have no
fear of subsequent trouble from him.
The defendant has left Granite Falls
and is out of danger for the time be-
ing.
The verdict which is thought by
many to have been clearly contrary to
the evidence was good deal of sur
prise even to DR.. WINNERS attorney,
Frank NJ. Nye, who, it is said, had
hoped to accomplish little more than
the saving of the doctor from too Sc
we're sentence. The reason for the
verdict is found in Mr.. Nye's elo-
quence. He is said to have had the
jury in tears good part of the time
during his closing speech and to 80
have worked upon their feelings that
they were blind to the cold facts of the
evidence and therefore let DR.. Wintner
go.
Whit ner is said to be across the
Dakota line where he hopes to evade
arrest on another warrant sworn out
by the county attorney. This warrant
charges him with holding up and rob-
bling Mullane, a gambler, who was in
the game that resulted in the fatal
shooting of Leonard, the professional.
The attorney is said to have harangued
a crowd on the streets and stirred up
much feeling against Wintner and the
jury. Three deputy sheriffs are said
to be in pursuit of Wintner.
Judge Elliot of Minneapolis, who
was in Granite Falls and watched the
trial, gives the Journal the following
account:
Il never knew anything more unex-
plainable than the temper of the people
of that community in regard to this
matter" said the judge in discussing
the subject. "When / left the town
last evening. the excitement was at
fever heat. Mobs were parading the
streets and the air was hideous with
the shouts of angry men vowing ven
geance upon the jury,.-the.. acquitted
man and everybody connected with the
defense. Yet it seems to me that it
would have been more natural had the
sympathies of the public been the
other way. The man who was killed
WAS a stranger, who, according to the
evidence, came to the place in COM
pany with pal for the express pur-
pose of fleeing the young doctor.
This was admitted by the state in the
trial
1t was shown that on the evening
in question the two gamblers had been
playing with Wintner and had won
about 5000 when the latter accused
them of swindling him. They laughed
in his face, admitted the truth of the
charge and asked him what he was
going to do about it. They showed
him the marks on the cards. They ex-
hibited to him the hand mirror they
used. Then the gamblers put on their
coats and prepared to leave. In the
meantime Wintnef had gone into an
other room and came back with the
revolver in hand, having first locked
the door. He held the gun to the head
of the man now dead, Leonard, and de-
manded the return of his money.
Leonard made dash for the gun, but
missed it and then threw himself
through glass door. The glass
caught and held him and while in
that position he received the shots
which ended his existence. Wintner
then turned to the other man and told
him that he had better fork up and
this demand was Immediately complied
with.
"Wintner is not a bad appearing
young fellow. He is the son of a
Jewish rabbi of Brooklyn, finely edu-
ated gentleman. and has lovely sis
ter, who was at the trial The only
reason which can be advanced to &C
count for the hostility of the people of
Granite, Falls toward him is the fact