The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-11

JURY IN JOHNSON MURDER CASE
HAS BEEN SE-
CURED
STATE INTRODUCES EVIDENCE
Defense VIII Probably Claim That
Death Was Not Caused
by the Wound in
Abdomen.

John Johnson is now on trial for his
! life, charged with the murder of Claus
/. NJ Carlson, on Christmas day, 1901, in a
saloon at 12S Second street south. The
twelfth juror was secured yesterday
morning just at noon, and after dinner
the state commenced introducing testi-
mony to convict the man
b, o. Fisl1e, the Nicollet house jeweIer,
was the first witness for the prosecution.
MIR. Fiske had seen him at midnight,
Dec. "A. The next time he saw Carlson
twas the following Saturday at the city
hospital. The remainder Of the afternoon
was occupied with the examination and
cross examination Of Knute Stevens the
bartender in the saloon.
Stevens testified that he was on duty
Christmas day. A few minutes after 2,
johnson came in the front door and had
q glass of beer at the bar; he then went
to the Darkroom, where Carlson was sit
ting alone at one of the tables. Witness
had taken two glasses of beer to Carl
son. In few minutes Johnson called
tor. three drinks and when Stevens car
rled them back Johnson was sitting at
another table with two other men
Stevens returned to the bar and pres
entity ne heard a noise in the rear room
and called Johnson to come into the
parroOm, which he did, and the two talk
cd awhile. Then Johnson returned to the
back room.
"A few minutes later stevens heard a
noise like some one falling, and in the
back room and in investigating saw
johnson lying in the middle of the floor
'ssSteYens helped Johnson up and walked
him to the front door, telling him to
walk around the block and get some
fresh air.
The defendant returned in about thirty
minutes and walked rapidly through the
saloon to the back room. Stevens heard
noise again in the back room and found
4. Johnson on the floor again with his face
covered with blood and lump under his
eye. He did not see Carlson. Johnson
then came into the barroom and stood
beside the stove. He said to two men
named Hatwig and Olander: WHO hit
Stevens said Johnson went again to
the back room, and presently Charles
i9Veiss called to him from before the door
opening into the rear room: Bartender,
come here, there's a fellow got stabbed"
stevens thought it was a joke and did
not go to the rear room for two or three
minutes. He met johnson coming out;
old not notice anything in defendants
'hand: He saw Carlson standing in the
middle of the room with his arms around
his stomach. Neither Carlson nor John
son spoke to him.
Stevens called Mr.. Nelson the pro-
prletor of the place, who was upSSAirs
who came down and took charge of Carl
SON. Witness said Johnson was standing
IN the front room beside a table, but not
resting on 1t. No one else was in the
room Johnson had a long bladed knife
held open in his right hand Witness told
johnson to give him the knife, but John
son would not, although he said moth
ing Stevens then grabbed Johnson by
the right wrist, and about that time two
men came in the side door and the three
got the knife away from Johnson. Witness
gave the knife to a policeman, but he
did not remember to whom
From the nature Of the questions the
attorneys for tie defense asked yester-
day, it is understood that one of the
points Of defense, and the princiSSk one,
Will be the contention that Carlson did
not die from the knife wound, but from
some other cause for which Joh1Ron was
not responsible.