The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-12-04

ldlo Jugs. !tdt >uc ~ M
went to the on
was erected as a s.o.e Ju.-.l4s
Harry Godfrey, and which was abou
a mile from where she found Ran
dali. That it was raining and chill,
and that after arriving at the ston,
house she set out the dinner, Will,
Randall started with the bucket t.
call Bright and then get some wa
ter from the RUNAWAY" springs
which are considerably over a hal
mile west of the house. She sale
that Randall was not gone over two
minutes when he returned apparent
ly agitated, and said that there was
a dead man down in the field, and
later said that the dead man was
Bright. Attorney Soule read from
the transcript of the coroner's in.
quest that at that time she had said
Randall was gone few minutes, in.
stead Of two minutes, as she now
stated. but she reiterated that 1t was
from the stone house to the body was
about SO rods,) She said that Ran
dali tried to keep her from going
to where the body laid, but that she
went anyway and found Bright Is.
ing on his back on the plowed
ground, near his corn planter. When
asked about a sack which Bright car
ried around his neck, the witness
said that he carried little SACK
which. when she found that he was
dead. she took off, together with his
watch. and carried them to the shack.
She insisted that the little sack con-
tanned nothing but band ring and
denied that It contained any ,..uney
although she admitted that Bright
had at times carried money there.
Miss Bartonne told of her trip to
the shack on July Sth, with Sheriff
Bangs and Attorney Nelson. when the
revolver and piece Of watch chain
were found She said that to her
knowledge there had been no shoot
ing around Inlay on that day, that
the revolver was fully loaded and
that Bright had not shot It, In her
direct testimony she told Of having
seen Randall's coat and saddle near
the pasture where Randall's horses
were kept, upon her return from the
field where she saw the dead body.
There was much questioning as to
the saddle and saddle blanket and
where it had been the custom to keep
them.
With reference to what Randall
was doing when she came to him in
the field, she stated that he appar-
emily was picking bugs from potato
vines, but she said that she walked
between the rows and could not see
where he had removed many bugs
although he had few in his pail.
AT 5:10 court adjourned until nine
O'Clock this morning.
At exactly four o'clock Saturday
afternoon the state rested its case
against Ernest B. Randall for the
murder of Marion Francis Dragoo,
commonly known as Frank Bright,
near Inlay on July 5th, last. In
presenting It's case, the state used
nine witnesses, including Winnifred
Bartonne. Sheriff Bangs and Deputy
Sheriff Hewitt. The opening state
ment for the defense was made by
Attorney Soule, who stated that the
defense would show that it would
have been physical impossibilty
for the defendant to have commit
ted the crime at the place, at the
time and in the manner charged.
Whether it was expected to prove an
alibi or not, he did not state.
When court convened Saturday
morning the cross examination of
Winnifred Bartonne. known prior to
the shooting as Mrs. Bright, was re-
sumed by Attorney Soule.
Winnefrcd Bartonnc.
Attorney Soule questioned the wit
ness closely as to the money that
was In the safe in the post office at
INLAY at the time Of the shooting,
but she insisted that Bright had no
money there.
The redirect examination of Miss
Bartonne was commenced at $50
by Attorney Wood and she was ask
ed to tell why she had refused to
answer some questions at the cor
oner's inquest, to which she replied
that Randall and Attorney Nelson
had advised her not to tell. She
said that Randall took her up to
Nelson's office and that they both ad-
vised her not to answer. She said
that Randall followed her around
almost every waking moment, after
they came to Rapid City and before
he was arrested, and that she was
in fear OF him then.
Miss Bartonne told OF wordy en-
counter at the claim shack with
Randall and that as she turned and
walked along the path, toward the
house, he struck her and knocked
her down. She said that she at that
time had the revolver in the holster
and he jerked the revolver out and
pointed it at her, but that she ran
around the hay stack and finally got
the gun away from him. She said
that that was about six weeks before
the murder and that she never wore
the gun again. She said that short
ly after that Randall took the gun
cut Of the shack one day with the
statement that he was going shoot
some Indians but that in a few days
he brought it back into the house
and that Bright hung it on the wall
When questioned, she acknowl,
edged her marriage to man named
Lewis in 1904 and of their subse.
/ ruant caparatinp Che coid ,b,t ~ r