The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-01-27
District Court.

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his hands and once he did So in feeble
way, AMI said ooh yes" tool: several
steps before he fell on hands. Stoddard
moved quickly to reach gun and so did
H.
Hartzell then detailed large number
Of incidents of which Stoddard had told
him of his lite, in which Stoddard was
the principal in fights and quarrels etc.
This was to lay foundation OF testimony
of other witnesses to these incidents.
Mr.. Hartzell's testimony was coluded at
$50 p. m.
"A German witness Mr.. Lemp living IL
miles north of Langdon then detailed a
difficulty with Stoddard in sheep and
horse trade, in which Stoddard had as
saulted him with his fist and also struck
him down with an iron bar.
A number of dispositions as to Stod.
dard's character in Blue Earth, Mimi,
before coming to Langdon were laid
over until next day as it was matter of
dispute among the attorneys as to adj
mission.
| Adjourned until Tuesday morning.
TUESDAY MORNING.
Dispositions from six residents of Blue
Earth and Pilot Grove where Stoddard
lived before coming to Langdon, test.
fed that Stoddard's reputation was that
he was of vlndctive, quarrelsome and
revengeful disposition. The parties sign
ing the dispositions were, Chas. Harris,
Con. ogelvie, John Buggy, Con. Carr,
John Wilson and Harry Stewart.
Sam Braaten testified to going with
Lemp the day after Stoddard and Lemp
had the trouble about the sheep. to
Stoddard's house to assist him in getting
matters settled, Stoddard would not talk
with them about the business but ordered
them off and threatened to shoot them
and went in the house as they thought to
get his gun and they hurriedly drove
away, frightened.
Deputy Sheriff O'Shaughnessey of
Langdon told of difficulty Stoddard
had with farmer on the day Of the races
when Stoddard was running a shooting
gallery. He threatened to shoot the
farmer.
A. Sturm of Langdon testified to a
similar trouble of Stoddard later in the
day with similar threats.
DR.. Marsh testified to seeing part of
the trouble when Wehland the barber
was putting Stoddard out of his shop.
Mr.. Broderick testified to hearing Stod.
dard say in seeding time of 1903 ''That
he had no use for the s-of-b. S.
they were all for themselves"
Broderlck also testified going across
the coulie near the bridge on the morn
ing of the shooting.
Mrs. Cora Stewart, sister of Howard
Leggett who worked on the Stoddard
farm, visited there and after worked for
Mrs. Stoddard from April to June 22nd.
Stoddard had told her about the dog
shooting and used vile language and
violent threats against the boys. Had
used many threats various times in her
hearing. Mrs. Stewart told of family
quarrel between Mr.. and Mrs. Stoddard.
in which he used Mrs S. very roughly
by assaul1ing her and Selling her by the
hair.
Cross-examined, Mrs. S. said she was
seventeen years old, been married since
Dec. 1903, husband was So, had lived
with her four months and that she does
not know his present residence. She
has been working for Mrs. Bascom since
last fall.
MIR. Slater of Langdon introduced two
large photos showing the land from the
place of shooting looking towards the
Bascom buildings, and also one from the
Bascom house to the Stoddard house.
The object of these views is to prove
that objects the size of man could not
be seen from the Bascom barn to the
point OF the tragedy, and that the granary
on the Stoddard farm could be seen from
Bascom's.
Attorney Mollering of Langdon testi-
fed TO hearing Mrs. S. say next morning
''that Byron reached for his gum and
that Hartzell had to shoot or be shot,"
he also said that wire at east end OF
pasture had been brokeD and loosely
mended.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
Mrs. E. T. Bascom, recalled. Was at
home in bed with baby when Mrs. Stod-
dard came from the scene OF the tragedy.
Mrs. S. screamed for her. She came to
the door and Mrs. S. said ooh, Mrs. B.
Byron is shot" and the conversation fol-
lowed thus: "Who shot him?'' Leslie
"How?" with shot gum" ooh, Mrs.
S. what can l do to or say to comfort
your" ''Oh, Mrs. B. they had to or he
would have shot them BOTH"