The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-03
FLITHELY ROSE
TELLS OF MURDER
Relates in Detail How He
Killed His Wife.
DOCTORS CALL HIM SANE
CASE WILL PROBABLY GO TO
THE JURY TO-DAY.
DOCTORS CALL HIM SANE

A-AL y y n WIN =.
RANK ROSE took the witness stand
I'm Judge Morses court yesterday.
and with calmness almost amount
ing TO nouchalance. related in detail
how he killed his wife last Christmas
day He maintained his accustomed at
ttude OF defiance OF the consequences
end Of glorying i'm his deed. His only
excuse was that he was "predestined'
to commit the murder After he had
Fpont nearly all day on the stand. ply
sicians declared he was sane. and the
testimony closed
Only once while he was or. the wit
p"ss stand yesterday did Rose manifest
my FEELING II was when District At
dprney Dennis q. EichnOr tried 20 force
him TO tell how many days elapsed
from the time he met his second wife
until he married her.
The questions angered the witness
and he at first refused to answer them.
saying: 1t is none Of your business %
Without any outward feeling OF emo
ZION or remorse with a prec III and
almost eagerness akin to a Cloat Rose
recounted a short sketch of his life
prior 10 coming to Salt Lake City: how
No suspected his wife of p.ostituting
herseif Tor money. a portion of which
ne used because he said he was her
slave; detailed how they went 10 bed
on Christmas Afternoon both knowing
full well that he was to kill her: his
asking her TO turn her back because he
did not want 10 shoot her in the fore
head and mar her face: how he felt
or the back Of her head 20 find fatal
spot; the placing Of the revolver within
six inches Of his wifes head and pull
Ing the trigger.
Almost Smiles During Recital.
With an expression upon his face that
was akin 10 smile, the self confessed
murderer told how his wife turned to-
ward him after the shot had been fired
which made their child a half-Orphan.
and said TO him:
We'll, Frank, you have done it,"
And then, step by step. he repeated
the story of how his wife slowly died:
how she asked him several times 10
kiss her goodbye; asked for her child:
his placing the little one on the bed
alongside the dying mother: his rub
bing her head because II was numb.
fOrerunner of dissolution: how he
placed a wet cloth upon his wife's head
at her request, and without any out
ward demonstration told how. as the
end approached. his wife's conversation
became mumblings which he could rot
understand. and how she finally passed
away.
The crowded court room was as quiet
IS though there was not a soul present.
The Jurors gave undivided attention
10 the tale. The judge turned and faced
the witpess throughout the recital.
"Predestination" His Excuse.
And the only palliation Rose offered
was that he was pTeOrdained to kill his
Wife. He said he believed that men
and women have a certain mission 10
perform in this world. and that when
that has been done il is time for them
to-pass into the great beyond He said
he believes in hereafter, but that a
person viii rot be held accountable
there for what they do on this earth.
because their mission has been outlined
for them before they are born.
Rose said he had been born TO kill his
wife; ne had done It. and was ready 10
die. When asked If he was sorry. h
said no. He was man without any
regrets. for he said so. He said he
would do IL Over again. He said he did
not want 20 he sent to the periten-
tiary, he simply wanted 10 die.
When asked why he did not kill him
Self he said men are hired for that
purpose. and he decided 10 let them
do IL, 10 save him the trouble.
Physicians Call Him Sane.
Attorneys Christensen & Kinney for
the defense put two physicians upon
the stand. hoping to prove by their tes-
tinOuy that Rose was insane. But they
had their doubts, and so told the jury.
They shrank from even saying that he
was Of unsound mind.
When they left the stand the defense
rested. The state put on County Ply
stefan Mayo 10 prove that from his ex-
animation OF tho man that he was OF
sound mind. He SO testified.
The court Their, took "A recess until 10
O'Clock this morning. when the opening
statement for the prosecution will be
made by Assistant County Attorney
Dana r. Smith. who has assisted Dis
trict Attorney Dennis &. Eichnor
throughout the trial Of the case The
arguments viii probably be concluded
today, and the case given TO the jury
before night
The examination of the witnesses for
the defense so weaTied Rose that sew
eraI times he almost went to sleep. He
said he longed for the farce. as he
called Il, To- be over, that he might die.