The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-24

main for a minute at the top Of the water.
There was a trap in the bottom of the
bucket which caused it to fill and sink i'm
mediately upon striking the water, unless
it were supported by the rope at the top.
But both May and Mrs. Hibbs had sworn
positively that the rope was loose. How
then could the body have been seen rest
ing on the bucket at the top of the water
when the bucket must under all the cir
cumstances have been at the very bottom
OF the well? ....... ~. r. . .ss.~a.,
Upon his first examination May testi-
fed that the bucket was prevented from
sinking by the catching Of the rope and
tackle against little rise of ground some
distance from the well. On the second
examination he swore that the rope was
caught in the broken boards Of the well
curbing, and this prevented the bucket
from sinking.
Body Exhumed.
Hibbs' body was brought to Bismarck
and examined by physicians. Except for
superficial scratches that might have been
made in the fall Of the body. no injuries
were seen. The body was buried before
Iall of the suspicious facts We're learned
After it was buried it was exhumed and
two physicians made a thorough post
mortem examination. In dissecting the
scalp from the back of the head they
found a suffusion of blood in the scalp
and beneath it. just behind the ear, they
found a circular fracture of the SKULL so
complete that little circle of bone was
broken away entirely from the rest of the
skull and depressed upon the brain. 1t
was such a fracture as might have been
made by a hammer or other blunt instru-
ment. 1t was evident that the blow had
been delivered while May had his heavy
fur cap on. and this prevented the appar-
ent injury of the scalp. But such an in
jury could not have been received in a
fall into the we'll, because May had testi-
fed that Hibbs' cap lay outside the WE'LL
when his body was known to be in the
water
1t was also established before the coro-
ner's jury that at the time of the discoV
cry of Hibbs' body in the we'll, there was
a little pool Of blood on the ice several
feet from the we'll curbing. 1t was evil
dent that if fIibbs had fallen while re-
pairing the pulley, this pool Of blood must
have resulted when he struck his head
on the opposite side Of the we'll. Appar-
entity he must have pitched entirely across
the curbing and struck on the other side
Of the we'll. But if this was the case.
how, ask the prosecuting officers, did his
body get back over the curbing and into
the well? May admitted having taken
a shovel and removed the traces of blood
from the ice before the arrival Of the
coroner. but 1t had been seen before that
by B. F. Scovil. who happened at the
TIibbs ranch while May and Mrs. Hibbs
were endeavoring to get the body out Of
the well.
Motive for Alleged Crime.
At the preliminary examination the
prosecution sought to establish an undue
intimacy between May and Mrs. Hibbs as
the motive for the alleged crime.
May is 33 or 50 years Of age. He has
borne generally good reputation and has
many friends through the county. He is
tall, broad shouldered, smooth-faced thin
Tipped, and with ruddy complexion. Dur
ing the preliminary examination he was
self-contained and heard the states at
torney's t1enuncia tons of him with appar-
rent unconcern. He was in jail awaiting
trial for seven months and was then re-
leased under a $4,000 bail bond, which
was furnished by local business men. He
will be defended by Attorney F. H. Regis
ter and the prosecution Of the case will be
in the hands Of States Attorney Edward
S. Allen.
There are two other murder cases to be
tried at the same term of court, but they
lack the dramatic features Of the May
case. Public opinion as to Mays guilt
is divided. The outcome of the case Is
likely to depend largely upon the estab-
lishment of a sufficient motive by the
state. It is said additional evidence upon
this point will be brought out. -,