Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-02-08
Carl Gu't.f.on Sentenced to Two
Year, Hard Labor At State
- 4
~. Penitentiary.

0"~ s0os 10 A0~ oPPIOpEA6beu guo
same to his own use without first OBJ.
tanning Mr.. Gilger's permission to do
20. Mr.. Gilger was the first to take
the stand in behalf of the state. With
the pstierce OF asaint County Ator-
ney Otterness spread before him one
article after another, In almost end
less number and variety, for tho pur.
pose Of having same identified by him.
The tediousness of the situation was
somewhat relieved by the convincing
yet irresistably funny answers and ex.
plsnations made by Mr.. Gilger thru
out his appearance on the witness
stand and the sheriff was obliged,
time and again, to knock on the table
to restore peace and quiet in the court
room. Tho goods were further iden-
titled by Mrs. Gilger and her dsuRh-
tor Stella and several Witnesses ap.
peared and testified to having found
the same in the Guitafson home.
Gustafson was the sole witness in
his own behalf. He aatly denied the
theft and told long string of the
most sinconsistent and improbable
stories regarding how he come into
the possession Of the stun laid out
before him. His entire tes,imony was
20 false and crooked thruout that one
could hardly believe Il was that of =
man OF sane mind. Among other
things shs. said :thst the feather bed
and pillows wore stuffed partly with
chioken feathers tspsred from. the
chickens Whenever thsy butohered: /"
Az = matter Of fact they contained
nothing but duck feathers and this
,talaehoQd Ions. would have been
sufficient to convince. even the most
simple-minded: of his guilt.
Tho attorneys waived the custom
ary plea before the jury aud after q
few minutes deliber alton they returned
i verdict Of guilty. r,
Before receiving his sentence he
told the judge that. he was born in
Sweden, that he had lived in the
United States for the past IA years
AID that he was 80 years old. He had
followed no trade but had worked a.
q common laborer at different occu.
pations. He Was married five years
ago, and has two children, = boy
four years old and girl, one year
old. They lived near Eagle Lake
about two years ago, but since March
Of last year they had resided: on q
farm of Mason Spicer located near
Priam. -: r..
The court explained to Gustafson
that there were two charges of burg
larry against him and that it would de-
pend entirely upon his behavior % to
whether or not these charges would be
taken up. Although the way in which
the crime had been committed would
justify more severe punishment, yet
on account of the family the court telt
disposed to show leniency and there.
fore It administered only the least
punishment tho law permits, two years
at hard labor in the stste penitentiary.
Gustsfson stoutly denied his guilt
until he disappeared behind the prison
walls. He even thought that the jury
would change its mind and declare
him mot guilty" the day after his
conviction. Furthermore, when told
that he would be taken to Stillwater
Sunday morning at four O'Clock he
told the sheriff to be sure to wake him
% he would be unable to do 30 him.
self. Another interesting fact about
him 10 that when arraigned he pleaded
''not guilty, with: Mr.. Gilger's rub.
bers on: All these peculiar incidents
would in way justify tho opinion Of
those who consider his mental equi-
librium somewhat disturbed.
Gustsfson's family will be taken
care Of by the town Of Whitefleld,
where they have lived during tho past
thirteen months.