Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1908-07-09
SURPRISE SPRUNG
BY STATE
In Stephen Bank Robbery Case
One of the Accused turns States
Evidence and helps convict his
Pal. Abrupt close Of a Sensa'
tional case. Ten. Years
for Silinski.

for Silinski.
The trial of Joseph E. Silinski.
one Of the men charged with rob-
bing the Stephen bank was begun
before Judge Grindeland on Tuesday
morning. County attorney VIM. ].
Brown assisted by Julius J. Olson
appeared for the state and Geo. J.
Cannon, of Crookston, for the
prisoner. The court appointed J. 2.
Easton, John keenan, and G. G.
Winchester, as tries. After con-
siderable scrutiny jury was selected
consisting of the following gentle
en-: Oscar E. Swanson, E. T.
Hagerty, John Flann, Osmund Enge,
S. J. Stevenson. Aaron Johnson, J.
W. Field, B. Grumpy. Hans G.
Hanson. Ole L. Olson, D. Farrell.
E. NJ. Thompson, and Nels Johnson.
On Tuesday afternoon after jury
had been selected the state COM.
menced to pile circumstantial
evidence against Silinski. Thomas
Olson. Odin Olson. VIM. Merdink.
NJ. G. Johnson, A. A. Dickinson.
Emil L. Frand. Frank Seign, Chas.
W. Erickson. Hjalmar Peterson,
Mattson. Alfred A. Berke, VIM.
Forsberg and Andrew Bjurseth tes-
titled for the state. The most
damaging testimony was furnished
lby G. W. Erickson and Hjalmar
Peterson. clerks In Taralseth' s
store in this CITY, who had sold tc
Silinski. six small boxes Of crackers
and two cans of beans on the eve
= ming before the robbery, and posi-
, lively identified the prisoner as the
, purchaser. These groceries had beer
, put by them in a sugar sack. having
the name. X. J. Taralseth Co.
s marked thereon. This sack an(
contents was found near the banl
Oh the morning after the robbery
: Mr.. Merdink' promiscuous shootin!
no doubt caused the gang to leav'
=, with the BOOTY in hurry and in tn
excitement thev forgot their lunch
A sack of pennies that had been lef
in the buggy which they stole an
y abandoned was identified by cashie
y Olson. Mattson. the farmer wit
whom Siinski and Nolan rode int
e Greenbush. testified as to their sus
~ picious actions. This evidence an
u more of a corroborative nature wa
woven into a web around Silinsk
and would have been hard to explai
"a awav, vet it left some loon hole
'. through which he might have escape
II conviction bv jury.
70 The county attorney and tl
10 attorney for the defense were busi
'e engaged in presenting and sitting a
10 this mass of circumstantial evideDt
er until Yesterday afternoon when tt
state asked permission to bring
- James A. Nolan. the other prisone
as witness. After few prelimina
questions. Mr.. Brown asked tt
question: What did you go to St
phen for? ITO rob that bank "
= the answer that came clear and dl
tinct from Mr.. Nolan's lips and #
as thunderbolt from clear s.
upon the defendant and his attorne
Nolan had turned states evidenc
He told all about the robbery a
how he and Silinski and two othe
whom they knew as Dan and Sho1
had met at Thief River Falls in t
latter part of March. Befe
coming to Thief River Falls. Mol
and Siiinski had been together
/ West Superior. Wis. Nolan said
i held the dark lantern while Silinl
! handled the explosives. Shel
Forsberg testified as to the tindi
/ of some of the money. 1886. IS
silver and some spoiled bills that h
been planted short distance fr
the grove where the stolen bug
had been abandoned by the robbie
part Of the loot had been buried
the woods south of Greenbush.
when the officers came to the spot
which Nolan had led them on a t
there, it was gone had eviden
been found and appropriated
some one else. The silver was
hibited In court and filled . &
sized satchel.
After the introduction Of this