The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-12-19
Judge Webber's Death Recalls the Rose
and Holden Murder Trials
in the SOS.
The Most Dramatic Episodes in the
Entire Legal History of
Redwood County.


Judge of the Ninth Judicial district
naturally brings to mind some noteC
cases brought before him in the ear
lier years of his term on the bench
The Rose and Holden trials, by rea
son of the atrocity of the crimes, the
general public interest aroused. the
eminent counsel brought into the
cases and the heavy expense to which
the county was subjected, are by
far the most important criminal cas-
es that have come before our court,
A feud had existed for sometime
between the Lufkin and Rose fami-
lies, living in the north part of Muir
ray county, which eliminated when
young William Rose attempted to
destroy the Lufkin family with an in
fernal machine, which was followed
by charging Lufkin of committing
an Infamous crime. Lufkin, feeling
that his life was not safe, removed
to the home of a relation in the town
of Gales, in this county, about ten
miles from his former home, where
he repeatedly declared his life was
not safe and that he felt he would be
shot from behind by his relentless
enemy.
The removal, instead of allaying,
Intensified the malice of Rose, with
the result that on the evening of
August Fl, 1888, he mounted buck
skin pony, rode TO the residence Of
Mr.. Slower and shot Lufkin through
a window This assassination of an
old unarmed man, who by persecu-
ton had been driven from his home
and who had sought security under
the roof of a. relativey was the most
henlous and cowardly act it IS posi-
BILE to imagine,
The quarrels of the LufkTn and .
Rose families were so well isn0wn
that suspicious at once pointed to
Rose, and this suspicion almost be-
came certainty by the finding of
the coroner's jury and the indSct-
nent of Rose by the grand jury.
There were three trials OF the case,
n the first two OF which the Jury !
in both of which ATTORNEY
General Ghilds and. M. M. Madigan,
for the state ard Cyrus {
and Judge Brown of /
'racy for the defense. Wellington ]
vas resourceful and eloquant and
Judge Brown, who had arranged the
estimony, contributed largely to {
he disagreement Of the jury /
At these trials Cen Childa gave /
Of the marked ability he t
ater displayed in the conductof his
flee and in his general practice
The term of court. for 1889. vas
ED in the opera hoase, the court
ouse being too small to hold the
roWd. The third trial of Rose was {
allied Nov. 21st, 1899, with Judge I
Eebber on the bench and Gen. $
hilds and NJ M. Madigan fcn the J
tate and w. W. Erwin and Judge {
roWn for Rose.
The jurors were G. Dotson, O.. A. I
lines, A. H. Anderson, James. Ar I
old, Serer Ferring, Sandy Nc Q
cod, C. F. Waterman, D. L.. Fra L
Ter, 7. l.. Hiatt, Levi Holzaagle, 9
[. Christopherson and W. D. Smith. n
The notoriety Of the case. and a c
esire to hear Erwin kept the, court II
DOM we'll filled during the progress G
f the trial, but at the close there p
7as a jam Of humanity of all ages Il
nd conditions struggling to see and G
ear the final acts of the drama. Q
The mass of testimony required Il
i've hours for it's presentation and 0
eview by Gen. Childs.. and four c
lours was taken by Erwin in his {
eply. e
The analysis of the testimony and Z
character of some of the witnesses II
or the defense by the Attorney {
General was logical and thorough c
md he closed by an appeal to the
ury to do their whole duty as jur- I
,rs and citizens. Erwin, who was an {
actor as we'll as orator, began his Q
plea in a tone too low to be heard i
by the audience, soon became pa
5hetic and dramatic by turns, his Z
careful denunciation of Gen. Childs I
for crucifying one of the witnesses
being something to remember.
r L