Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-02-12

by the SURFACES Of . Majority Of our
Citizens to % Business in the
City.
No other case tried during the pres
ent term of court has been watched
with as much interest by Willmar
people as the case Of State vs.. John
Nelson, or as it has generally been
called, "the kicking case. - Aud while
it has been generally conceded that
the accused man would hardly be con-
victed of anything worse than assault
in the third degree, the bearing of the
case on local city matters as we'll as
the peculiar circumstances of the case
itself has made it an important SUBJ
ject for the speculation and conversa-
tion of our citizens for several weeks
back. We feel warranted therefore in
devoting some space to report of the
trial, and feel that a true story of the
proceedings during an evening in one
of Willmar's licensed saloons may be
read with profit by our citizens.
The work of selecting jury to hear
this case was begun last Thursday
afternoon. Attorney Samuel Porter
had charge of the defense, and County
Attorney Charles Johnson, assisted by
his partner in law, Atty. Samuel Oh
son, conducted the prosecution. Every
juror was asked closely as to which
Willmar newspaper he kept and as to
how closely they had read the accounts
contained therein about the trouble at
the saloon st the time 1t is q matter
of pride to the TRIBUNE publishers
that out of twenty men picked
from all parts of the county and ex-
amined as jurors for this case fully
twenty testified that they were SUBJ
scribers for the TRIBUNE. A few of
these, however, kept both papers,:
This is.a straw which points to- the
wonderful popularity and unprece-
dented circulation of the TRIBUNE
throughout the county. And allow US
to state that the account given by the
TRIBUNE of this assault on the week
that it occurred was correct, as was
proved by the evidence brought out in
this trial. Probably the pains taken
to secure accuracy in the news service
has something to do with the popu-
larity.
The first gentleman examined, O. r.
Olson, was excused. The second one
was c.. S. Geer, of Burbank. He was
accepted. N. B. johnson of New Lon
don was stricken off by the defense.
P. A. Brogren of New London was the
second juror accepted. Andrew J.
Nelson of Lake Lillian, when asked if
he was prejudiced against parties en-
gagged in selling liquor lawfully, re-
piled, II have not got much time for
them" After trying in vain to prove
him biased, the defense lost no time
In using a peremptory upon him. Jo-
mas Jonson of Mamre was accepted as
third juror. He kept both Willmar
papers, but read the account OF the
assault in the TRIBUNE only. o. o.
Bakken of Green Lake was accepted.
Knut Axness of Dovre. Gregor John
son of Irving and D. Hage nstein of
Green Lake we're accepted. Martin
Mattson was stricken off by the de-
tense, and c. A. Nelson admitted that
it would take some evidence to remove
his opinions and WAS excused. G. P
Quist of Fahlun was accepted. J. G..
Bjoraberg of this city was stricken off
by the prosecution. Oliver Thompson
of New London was not wanted by the
defense. O. J. Henjum of Norway
Lake had an opinion, and was excused.
Geo. TAFT was excused. Knud Olson
of Colfax was accepted. G. Groom
quist was excused by the state. Nels
Bengtson of Roseland and A. E.. An
derson of Lake Lillian we're accepted.
Oscar Thorson of Kandiyohi and
VIM. Dickman of Harrison were ex-
cused because. of opinions formed al
ready. This exhausted the regular
panel of q jurymen present and as it
was supper time the II jurors selected
were warned by the court not to listen
to talk regarding the case, and court
was adjourned until Friday morning.
The jurors SO far selected were Geer,
Brogren, Jonson, Bakken, johnson,
IA r. ~