The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-12-13

father.
Mrs. Walsh's attention was called to
conversation between herself and hel
neiehbors while they were gathered
in the house across the way after the
fire. She denied having made state
ments attributed to her by the Other
ladies regarding the noise which
awoke her.
"Will you say that you did not state
on that night that you were awakened
by strange noise, sound of scuff1ing
and other disturbances asked Mr..
Boardman.
81 heard no sound of scuffiing." re.
piled Mrs. Walsh.
"Will you say that you did not say
to the others that you heard the noise
of scuffing2'
eyes, | will. l heard noise, but il
was not scuffiing.
Describe the noise you heard"
SIT was like the roaring of fire. !
awoke and rushing into our bathroom
saw a glare from the Pickett bath
room.
Mrs. Walsh had then aroused her
husband and they dressed and left the
building
Shortly after on returning to the
building she heard Pickett say that he
had tried to save his wife. The flesh
of her foot had come off in his hands
and he had to run to save himself and
the children.
The next morning Pickett told of
being awakened by what he thought
was call of "Reul en- Help''
Later she heard Mr.. Pickett say
"When l saw what I had done 1
turned around, 1" but she did not know
in what connection these words were
said. r.f.
She admitted that she had conceived
that Pickett knew more of the fire than
he cared to tell This impression sti IL
remained with her from time to time.
She did not think that remark was
made in connection with his efforts to
save his wife There were several peo-
pie present, but she could recall no one
except the milkman, named Lovan.
Mrs. Lille Peach, an inhabitant of
the third floor of the fiat building at
Sl6-S1S Eighth avenue s., succeeded
Mrs Walsh on behalf of the defense.
Her evidence was intended to impeach
that of the principal witness for the
state. She said that Mrs. Howard in
discussing the affair with her neigh
bors, made the remark, that Pickett
must have thrown a lighted lamp at
his wife in the heat OF the quarrel,
and that the woman's clothes thus
caught fire, infiicting fatal burns.
The day after the ire, Mrs Peach,
by the prisoner mother,
met Mrs. Nelson in the private hall
way on the second floor. Mrs. Pickett
ST., asked how the fire had occurred.
Mrs. Nelson told story lacking nearly
all the details given while she was on
the stand. Mrs. Nelson had then said
that the first noise she heard she
thought was made by burglars. Later
she thought there was fire and went
out in the hall and saw Pickett but
made no reference to TIE children.
Mrs Peach said that Picke tt did not
anything to her about Mrs.
Pickett gasping and dying while ne
was trying to save her in the bath
room.
The witness said that she had been
informed by Mr.. Pickett that there
was ill feeling between his family and
Mrs. Flare.
G. E. Shepherd, son of Mrs. Effie
Shepherd, slept in a room under the
Pickett fiat and testified that he was
awakened by the Cry of fire. His first
thought was of burglars. His mother
was trying to rouse him. She asked
him to go out and see what the trouble
was, as she was badly frightened. but
young Mr.. Shepherd preferred to stay
hoo no nVUh q frIC h
himself
Inspector Norman W. King of the
police department said that he had in
terviewed every man, woman and
child he could find He had made
written report to uperintendent Doyle
at the time, but had not been able to
find it. Before continuing his evidence
the witness was requested to step aside
in favor of another witness, who was
very busy. This was DR.. Henry G.
Nelson, who Investigated the death of
Mrs. Pickett as coroner of this county.
He related that he arrived at the
scene of the fire before 3 o'clock, and
proceeded at once to the bathroom.
The position OF the body was describ-
ed about the same as by other wit
nesses. He thought that the door
reached the feet and pushed the body
to one side.
He found only one witness who could
tell him anything of apparent conse-
quence, that being Mr.. Nelson. At
ter moving the body, he found lamp.
1t was broken, the burner was off and
stand broken off, leaving openings in
both sides or ends of the glass reser-
voir. The chimney was all in pieces,
at least there was glass on the floor.
The lamp as is described by DIR. Nelson,
is entirely different from the one in
troduced in evidence as the one found
in the bathroom by fireman and pre-
sented to the eldest Howard girl as a
relic of the fire.
His version of the cor versation he
had with Mrs. Nelson varied somewhat
from the one related by the star wit
ness of the state.
She had informed DR.. Nelson that
she thought there were burglars in the
house. When she went out in the hall
she saw Pickett standing at the bath
room door. There were flames inside.
He then came running down the hall
crying "My God, my wife is burning
up" Nothing was said about the
children. Mrs. Nelson had not in
formed him that she was afraid or I'M
willing to speak He asked her if she
had told all she knew and the reply
was in the affirmative. DR.. Nelson
could not get any coherent informa-
tion from Mr.. Pickett
The doctor denied positively that
Mrs. Howard had told him of any of
the incidents she related on the stand.
No one had given him any such in
formation. If they had he would have
surely remembered it, as it was just
such evidence as he was looking for.
Dr. Nelson was still on the stand when
the court adjourned for the noon re-
cess
Inspector Norman W. King made an