The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-07
NARROW ESCAPE
AT WEST TRIAL
FLOORS SPRUNG BY THE LARGE
CROWD IN THE COURT
ROOM
sAGGED TWO INCHES IN PLACES
Bangs Claims West Meant to Kill.
and That the Second Shot
Was Not Neces-
sary.
Special to The Globe.


GRAND FORKS, N. D., Feb. 6-The
city Of Grand Forks narrowly escaped
an accident today which, had it occurred
would undoubtedly have cost a number
of lives The crowd at the West tria,
was so great that the floor Of the court
rooms sagged and the plaster below ;s
quite badly cracked. The crowd was the
largest that ever attended a trial in the
Guy. Livery available inch of standing
room was occupied, and the crowd was
so tightly packed in that advance or re.
cesslon was impossible The Railways
ana StalrWayS were crowded thouerh
those IN such positions could neither see
nor hear anything that went on. If was
found after the session that the floor
had Sagged two inches in spots noanv
OF the lower doors would not shut. ana
the plaster is cracked in MANY nlaces
Ihere was probably no real danger that
the floor would be broken through. hnt
had It's condition been understood and A
lew loud cracks been heard a panic coulo
hardly have been aYerted In the crowd
ed condition of the room the attempt or
the crowd to escape would have resulted
in fatalities
Mr.. Bangs concluded his first argument
at noon He spoke with excellent ora
toI1cal effect and appealed to the jurv
not to permit the IaWIess habits of the
South with reference to carrying ana
using revolvers with which to ayenge IN
Jurles, real or fancied, to prevail in this
peaceful state. He went into the testi-
mony in detail, and dWelt on the high
character OF men who had testified to
Iacts "h!ch' IN his opinion, were incon-
slstent with the theory of innocence. He
referred to the fact that West had not
fired the second time, and to the effort
CT the defense to make It appear that
this was due to no desire to kin. He
contended that In the Southwest, where
defendant had lived, ga second Rhot was
not usually necessary, and the first did
its work, as this had done
Mr.. Cochrane opened for the defense
He brought tears to the eyes Of the audi
ence by his reference to his own early
knowledge of the March boys whom he
had seen week after week, go to the old
Westminster church in Minneapolis He
paid a high tribute to the character of
the father mother and surviving brother.
ana SAID that with such ancestry ana
such associations there must have been
some good in Frank This he knew to be
the case. But he pointed out that West
also had father and other relatives to
whom he was dear, and that, in any
event, not sympathy for the dead or Iv-
ing should sway the jury, but simple JUS
tice. That justice, he held, must demand
the acquittal Of w. e. West on any
charge of wrongdoing, and the establish
ment Of the fact that he acted as
peaceful citizen is entitled to act, in de-
Tense of his own person and life. The
speaker then began review of the testi-
mony, with comments thereon, and was
probably half through his address when
the evening adjournment was taken. 1t
is not yet certain whether Mr.. Corliss will
speak, but if he does ne will follow Mr.
Cochrane and Mr.. Bangs will close. The
jury may get the case tomorrow night,
but probably not until Saturday noon