The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-12
SHERIFF SWORN
IN POISON CASE
Miss johnson Denied Buying
Paris Green; Then Admitted
It to Officer.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Owatonna, Mimi, Aug. l2.-The
highly interesting poisoning case against
Miss Vida johnson was continued be-
fore Judge Newsalt in the municipal
court today.
Miss Annie Larson, the first witness,
swore that the defendant looked at Mrs.
Gertrude Lunstrom in church on the
g Sunday previous to the poisoning with
a vengeful look. She did not know who
1 the defendant was, but was SO struck by
her manner that she inquired her name
after the services.
church, testified that the defendant
looked at Mrs. Lunstrom during all the
service and afterward outside with a
terrifying look, and had she been in
Mrs. Lunstrom place she would have
Z been afraid.
State Scores.
Sheriff Frank Chambers was then
ealled and testified that when he went
10 johnson s place after the poisoning
and told the defendant there were Sc
rious charges against her, that she
paled. She claimed she had not heard
Of the poisoning, and let. nm LOOK az
her shoes She was wearing pair OF
light comparatively. new OK
fords and said they were all the shoes
she had. These did not fit the tracks,
the heels being wider, altho the width
across the ball was exactly the the s sans nor
to disc the road leading to her home,
she asserted she had not spoken to hlm
abont the matter. and this stateemnt her
brother corroborated. Both he and his
sister were at home the night previous
Bought Paris Green. = ~
The defendant denied buying any
paris green, but finally admitted buy
$ inc 5 cents worth Of Metz & Vinton
of Owatonna to kill rats. She said she
put the stuff in a rathole in the eel
lar, but the sheriff could find none IN
mound of dirt in front, Of the rathole.
the sheriff asked how it happened, and
she said it got muddy while she was re-
turning from Havana station. Since
the day he made the arrest the sheriff
had seen the defendant wearing the
shoes evidently worn three months Pc
fore. The left heel was run down the
same as shown by the tracks.
Defense Fights Hard.
b On cross-examination the defense
made a determined attempt to break
down the sheriff IS testimony, anc
= charged him with roughly treating de
PENDANT at her home, pushing her W
against wall and throwing things
around. This the sheriff denied, and
altho the examination was most severe
his testimony was not broken IN any,
way. .:eo
he had analysed sample of the waite
pumped from the we'll, also the con
tents of the sack taken from the spou
in the pump: Forty-hve grains al OF pa par RI
Would kill a man. The witness foun
I two drachms in the sack. The stat
rested here and adjournment was take
until 1870 this afternoon.
81 Mrs. Lunstrom' 8 Evidence.
The first witness examined yeste1
day was Mrs. GERTRUDE Lunstr9m, Wn
lived with her father, J. l.. johnson
In Havana township, and taught schot
a short distance from her home.
On the morning of June she gt
UP at clock, and after starting tn
/ kitchen fire went to the pump IN tf
If coffee, and was startled to find tt
ls water very green. Examination Shove
\ traces of green on the pump and abo'
] the platform. She called her fath'
4 and they decided it must be par
green. They discovered two lines
\ footprints leading to and from tt
i R Righwa no" These they traced south
Il the main highway to private ";
4 leading to the defendants home. T.
as tracks were ten inches long and thr
4. and quarter wide. The left heel W
run over bit.
- Man Involved.
Mrs. Lunstrom admitted that Csc
#- Prestegaard, for whom the defendant
charged with jealousy, had paid b
Il attention and taken her to the tt
ter at Owatonna the LIST Of June, a
had been with her at other times,
A company with others.
i About this time Mrs. Lunstrom d
H., covered an orange tied in sack
the 4Ghooh9qse dGor e s1a 81 t the
it, as she found two holes ,punctureda
it.. She took 1t home and It was t
i It was forwarded to the state chem
and found to have poison sufficient
kill twenty-five, persons. j., :.
In cleaning the well after the disc
cry Of the poison, they had pumped
sack in which n pans green NV was pa "a,
HParis green, Metz & Vinton, Owat
4 MAJ The outside wrapper on
package was found near the pump =!
4 viously.
The witness said that few no
after examining the tracks on the;
fendant's private road. the defenda1
II brother had dragged the road and
liberated the tracks,
The defendant attorney, on CT
examination, attempted to get the
mission that tramps had been bot!
ing her in the schoolhouse and mi
have done the deed, but did not
Il coed.
.IS A Mysterious Stranger.
The defense here brought in q
mysterious stranger and questio
the witness regarding a man ma
Knute Teme She said she had at
time correspondent with such n
but not since her marriage to \
Lunstronn. IT. is believed that
defense plans to show that Teme
In the vicinity of the Johnson farm
The day of the attempted crime.
John L. johnson testified that W
johnson told him she had bought s
paris green, but denied having use
for poisoning the well, saying that
had used it to poison rats. Sew
persons testified as to the alleged
. ousy of Vida johnson, as shown
her malignant stares directed at
Lunstrom while both were in oh
the Sunday previous to the attem
crime. -. .a
Gould Not Identify Customer.
L