The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-12
some FAMOUS MURDERS AND LYNCH|NGS
OF EARLY DAYS IN OR NEAR GRAND FORKS
Sensational Death to Which Mob put the NeSro Thrber
in this City in 80 Thrown off Railroad Brid9e-Sory of
Crimes Of Glen, Sheckes Muller Bassanellas Baum9ar
ner, Norman, West and Others

nine hours, finally returning with a
verdict Of not guilty. Gillen moved
out west and was subsequently shot
by a relative of snyder's.
Attempted Murder in G. F. Saloon.
The next trial of importance oc-
CURED in 1883 in the Headquarters
saloon in this city. The saloon was
located on Third street opposite the
present Benner, Begge& Garvin stores.
Two characters, Bruce and Sheckels,
got into an alteration concerning
gambling matters, the matter finally
eliminating into shooting scrape,
with Bruce the worst of. The gun
artist in this case was brought to
the bar Of justice four times before
he was finally discharged.
The Muller Murder.
Old timers will distinctly recall the
events of the famous Muller murder
trial. Muller worked for Rev. Smell,
near Inkster, and during the absence
of the divine, Henry Hutchinson of
Inkster carried the mail to the house.
He noticed for several days the mail
had been undisturbed and notified the
neighbors who Immediately visited the
premises to ascertain what might be
wrong. They entered the barn to find
the stock in a famished condition.
Then they broke down the doors of
the residence and were treated to
horrible sight. The body of Mrs.
Smell was found stretched face down.
ward on the floor, while not far away
lay the mutilated corpse of two child.
rem. Robbery had been the motive.
David Lemery (deceased) came to the
city and gave description of the
suspected murderer and of the horses
which had been taken in his flight.
These were later located by Deputy
Sheriff M. ]. O'Conner, now proprie-
tor of the Imperial hotel of this city.
McLain, hotel keeper of Brainer6,
Mimi, noting the murder and the de-
scription and linking several impli-
eating threads, caused the arrest of
| Muller who was registered at the
hotel. Muller was brought to this
city and arraigned before Justice VIM
Dewey. Attorney G. B. Pratt was as
signed by Presiding Judge Mcconnell
to defend the suspect Muller en-
tered a plea of not guilty. The case
was prosecuted by the late, w. A.
Selby, county attorney at that time.
The jury after long trial brought
In a verdict of guilty and Sheriff
Jinks strung him by the neck until
dead. A very dramatic incident oc-
cured during the last moment of his
life. Judge Mclaughlin of this cit1
stood but a few feet away as the
doomed man stepped to the platform
on the scaffold and witnessed Null
lens frantic efforts to throw the
blame on the mail carrier. AS the
murderer stepped to the trap he
raised his right hand pointed It to
Rutherford and exclaiming dramati-
cally: There is the man that did
the deed. 1 gave my consent and
gave him the axe. The family was
kind to me. We divided the money"
Sensational BassaneIla Case.
j OF the more recent events, the
Bassanella case was the most inter-
esting. The history of the arrest of
the two brothers, their daring and re-
sourceful escape and the final chron-
ology would make good food for a
novel of the yellow variety.
On the morning of March 20, 1901
freight train sped southwark from
the junction west of town. In the
train was car of stock tended nv the
owner Axel Anderson. When the car
reached Thompson a town fourteen
miles from this city, Anderson was
found dead in the car. When the
freight pulled in to Thompson the au-
thorities in this city were notified. A