The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-11-29
THE. CROSS EXAMINA-
TON is NOW OVER
Major Murphy Makes Remarkable Witness
DR.. barrow Testified in Behalf of Muir
phy==Case About Over.

In the district court the state
finished it's cross-examination Of
Major Murphy at noon Thursday
having spent the greater part of
two days in conducting one Of
the most rigid cross-examinations
that ever occurred in the local
courts. Despite the efforts on
| the part of the state to evict from
the defendant testimony that
would be damaging to himself,
Major Murphy held up and made
an admirable witness for himself.
The strain, however, began to
show materially on his outward
appearance and he was not the
same fresh dapper looking man
that he was at the beginning Of
the trial.
During the entire morning diff
ferent letters purporting to have
been written by Major Murphy
to different people in Ward coun-
ty touching on the investigation
that was made by the state in
the different townships regard
ing the payment Of road taxes
were introduced. Owing to the
| fact that most of the letters,
many of which were lengthy,
date back several years, the wit
ness was unable to give any
definite recollection regarding the
contents of the same and he
could not positively state whether
| he dictated them or not.
| During the afternoon Major
Murphy was put on redirect ex-
animation by his attorneys and
the entire afternoon was con-
sumed in this examination.
Senator Frank S. Talcott of
Buffalo was a witness for the de-
tense. Attorney ]. F. Callahan
Of Casselton conducted the ex-
animation Of this witness, which
was for the purpose of showing
the methods used in the town.
ships of this county as to road
tax receipts. The witness stated
however, on the stand that when
he was chairman of the board of
supervisors of the township in
which he lived he had but two
occasions to deal with road tax
receipts, and on both occasions
the receipts were signed by the
overseer.
The most important testimony
to be offered by the defense in
the trial of Major Murphy was
that given by DR.. Darrow Of
Fargo who was placed on the
stand Wednesday afternoon to
give testimony on certain hypnot-
ical questions with reference to
the effects of epilepsy.
During the examination late
yesterday afternoon it was brot
out by the defense that William
Crowder, the complaining wit
ness, was subject to epileptic
fits ever since he was 10 years
old. 1t developed in the examin-
alton of witnesses who knew him
that he is overcome with epilepsy
every month and that these spells
which continue for more than a
day at the time, rendered him
unconscious and that he remains
dazed for several days.
This testimony gave the de-
Tense new point upon which to
build an even stronger case upon
and in substantiation Of the claims
made by the defense that Crowd
er was in one of the epileptic
states when the examination of
the states attorney was being
conducted.
!, DR.. Darrow's testimony was
along the line showing the jury
weat effect epilepsy has upon the
mind and he explained it's general
character and different stages.
During the morning session
the greater part of the morning
was given over to arguments Of
the attorneys on both sides. This
was the first real legal conflict
between the attorneys since the
trial. The clashswas the result
of the introduction of testimony
of County Treasurer Williams
of Ward county. He was put on
the stand to testify to being pres
ent when Major Murphy and
Crowder met on the day when
the receipt was signed by Major
Murphy for Crowder. This testi-
mony was strenuously objected
to by the state and was not adj
mitted by the court.
l Another legal combat resulted
when the witness was asked
about his being in Minot and
talking with Crowder when the