The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-23
IN DEFENSE OF
MRS. WILLIAMS
SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY IN
THE BRAINERD MURDER CASE
Her Attorney Would Show That the
Death of Her Little Girl Was Acci-3
dental and Prior to the Alleged
Drowning-The Chili's Cries Heard
in the Dead Of Night by Witnesses.


Brainerd Mimi, Dec. o3-The defense
In the Williams murder trial has showed
It's hand. Great Importance has been at
tachsd to the evidence touching upon the
condition of the body Of little Lilly Will
lialns when it was taken from the water,
the condition of her skin. throat. heart,
lungs. kidneys and stomach. and Attorney
Larson was especially careful in securing
the details of the expert testimony of Drs.
]. A. Thabes and g. S. Reimstead.
AS far as can be learned a line OF evil
dence will be introduced to show q that
death came by accident sometime before
she was thrown into the water and that
the fact that she was thrown into the river
was to conceal any theories that might
follow that she was murdered, as it is be
1ieved that the person who committed the
deed thought theory that the little girl
wandered away and fell into the river
would be generally accepted.
1t is for the state to prove that the child
came to her death by drowning. as
charged in the Indictment but there is al
ready some evidence to show that she was
suffocated on the bank of the river and
then thrown into the river. EsA.
SIzelands Evidence. d
The first bit of evidence on this point
was that given by Thomas sSizeland. one
Of the men who assisted in Raging the
river for the body, and who pulled the
child from the graphing hook into the
boat. His evidence relative to the posi-
tion Of q small cape which the little girl
had on was considered important by the
defense He testified that the cape fas-
tened about her neck was pulled up over
her head and had the appearance of hav-
ing been brought together at the top and
twisted tightly, giving it the appearance
of a sack tied with strong cord.
The most important testimony given SO
far was by the two physicians who con-
durtAS the nnSfnortPn0 The relative
condition of the different organs of the
body when person dies from suffocation
by placing something over the face and the
suffocation that is produced in drowning,
was gone into thoroly by Attorney Lar
son for the defense on cross examination.
Mamma, Don't Hurt Me-
One of the chief witnesses for the state
was Miss Edna Gilkerson, stenographer
at the Northern Pacific Sanitarium. She
testified that her room was the east
side of the nurses residence facing the
river, and the night Of Aug. % her
window was left partly open. She retired
about 10 o'clock, but remembered hearing
the westbound passenger going thru at II
O'Clock. but went to sleep again. Later
she was awakened by the screams Of a
child. and she thought the cries came from
an easterly direction across the river, and
she fixed the time at about 2 o'clock in
the morning, from the fact that it was just
.. r
At first she thought the cries were be-
meath her window, but after the first cry
she knew that it was across the river. The
cries were not long drawn out and there
We're intervals Of a few minutes between
each outbreak. AT last she could hear
plainly the words. Mamma, don't hurt
me. don't mamma and the voice sounded
as tho the child was in a great struggle
Finally the screams ceased and she heard
nothing more. $5'; f.
Other Evidence.
Mrs George Whitney, sister of George
Dill. testified that Dill came home about
2:30 o'clock that morning; that Mrs. Viii.
lams came to her home the next morning
looking for George and told him that she
had lost her child; that someone had stoler
her.
DR.. J. A. Thabes testified that with the
coroner and Dr. G.. s. Remstead he Eex.
sLmined the body at the post mortem. They
found no external marks of violence The
heart was of the posterior There was NJ
water in the lungs, except a slight trace
of cerium caused by congestion; the stom
ach was normal and practically
empty; the liver was normal. except tha
it was slightly congested. There was NJ
congestion Of the windpipe or larynx. o.
the examination he formed an opinion tha
the death Of the child was caused b,
drowning.