Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-02-01

ING plOOu AWAY 1IOuL Cuc We'll, anu IL
moved the traces. He stated yester-
day at the inquest that he had done
this because they were drawing water
and he did not want it to run into the
well. 1t was brought out on cross
examination, however, that the incline
was from the well rather than to it.
1t was also found at the ranch that
the trousers OH by May on the day
of the accident had stains of blood or
them, about the knees, and that a
handkerchief found in the pocket of
his clothing had blood stains upon it.
May explained this by stating that he
had knelt down in the vicinity of the
pool of bloou to fix the pulley, after
the accident, and that he had cut his
hand on a saw in the house, and
stanched the blood with his handker-
chief. Further testimony brought
out wa intended to establish the rela-
lions between Mr.. May and Mrs. Hibbs,
as furnishing a motive LOT the crime,
il crime there was. It was stated
that May had been a frequent visitor
t. Hibbs place, he stating that he had
come upon the invitation of Harry
Hibbs. 1t developed also that May
came to the Hibbs ranch on the Satur-
day before the death of Harry, and re-
manned there practically until the day
OF his death. He had brought his
trunk with him. intending, he said,
to take it to Ross after he left Hibbs'
place. Both Mr.. May and Mrs. Hibbs
denied that there was anything i'm
proper in their relations except as
friends. May admitted that at one
time when Harry was out hunting
cattle, he had come to the house and
slept there n or two nights, and
that a man named Peter Hanson who
was there ait the time was made to
sleep in the barn while he, May, slept
in the house. Mrs. Hibbs and May
stated that Hanson had been forced to
sleep in the barn because they
thought he was lousy. May also
stated that his little girl was with
him at the time. May and Mrs. Hibbs
denied that they knew Mrs. May was
jealous of Mrs. Hibbs. May stated
that Mrs. Hibbs was at the Mandan
fair in company with him and Fanny
Ross, but Mrs. Hibbs denied this, STAT
ing that she had been there with her
sister. ....
The examination of May yesterday
lasted from 10 o'clock in the morning
until about 5 in the afternoon: The
questions went over the entire range
of detail from the time Harry Hibbs
and he left the house in the morning
until the body had been recovered
from the we'll and was taken into the
house. Much Of the testimony was a
repetition of what had already been
stated at the previous examination.
May was asked if he had told Coroner
White about the blood near the well
lit having been removed when the cor
oner got there) and said that he
thought he had but was not sure. Con-
corning the seeing of the body in the
well, May repeated his statement that
they could see the coal on the edge of
the well bucket at the top of the water.
he sal that he had not noticed the
condition Of the pulleys and rope when
they first got to the we'll but thought
the rope must have been caught on
the corner of the well curbing. pos
sibly on some nails, and that held the
bucket from sinking. He was then
asked why, on the previous examine
ton, he had stated that he had noticed
the pulley and singletree, and that the
singletree was lying a little distance
away, behind a little rise in the
ground, and that this had held the
bucket from sinking: He answered
that he must have misunderstood the
question then, and was thinking of the
position of the pulley and singletree
after they had been working a while
to get the body out.
Questioned as to Hibbs usual GUS
ON with regard to keeping the well
closed with the top at night, May said
that was his custom. Asked whether
it would not have been the quickest
and safest way to have left the cover
down and pulled slack rope through
the snatch block and then unlocked
the pulley, in taking it down, NAV
said that would have been the safest
way but 1t would have taken longer
and added that Harry was very reck-
less about the well and thought of the
Quickest way and not the safest way.
May was also asked whether, after
Harry was supposed to have fallen in
the well that morning, he, May, had
lot got up in the same manner twice
and unlocked the pulley without,
thought of danger, and he admitted
ne had. ,,