The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-12-04

On Wednesday next, at Brainerd,
in the district court before Judge w.
B. McClenahan, Paul Fourier will
be given new trial on the charge OF
having killed N. 0. Dahl, of which
crime he was convicted in 1907 and
sentenced to term of Imprisonment
for life in the state penitentiary.
Fournier was granted a new trial
through the efforts of his attorney,
Charles w. Scrutchin, who applied
to the supreme court to give his
client another chance for bis liberty,
the court giving as its reason for
granting the trial the methods of the
county attorney at the first trial.
County Attorney McKusick will
conduct the new trial against
Fourier and will be assisted by G..
Lewis Weeks of St. Paul, assistant
attorney general.
Fourier will be defended by his
former counsel, Charles w. Scrutchin.
The killing of N. O. Dahl and his
daughter Aagot was one of the most
cold-blooded and brutal murders in
the annals of crime in northern
Minnesota.
An almost helpless old man, white
haired and past 81 years of age,
weighing but $50 pounds; and a
young woman. % years old, sickly,
and frail and without suspicion as to
danger of any kind-the victims of
unknown murderers who shed blood
in the hope of obtaining few paltry
dollars, believing that their identity
would never be discovered, and,
knowing we'll the isolated condi-
ton of the country, were confident
that the bodies of the old man and
his daughter would never be found.
N. O. Dahl was for many years a
resident of Polk county, and was in
Crookston for months at time. Mr..
Dahl, whose wife was dead, decided
in 1902 to file on claim in northern
Beltrami county. He came to Be-
midi, and later filed on a claim about
a mile and half east of During
postoffice and fifteen miles north
west of the village of Blackjack.
At that time there were very few
settlers in the vicinity of During and
the aged Dahl decided to induce his
daughter Aagot (who was in poor
health) to come from Crookston and
take a claim near his, in the bracing
air of the pines, where she could re-
gain her strength. Miss Dahl came
from her home and filed on a claim
adjoining that of her father.
Mr.. Dahl and his daughter lived
in shacks on their claims, and were
apparently on very friendly terms
with all their neighbors. Miss Dab
visited in Crookston, during the
month of September, 1908 with he1
relatives and that was the last time
she was seen there alive. She re-
turned to her claim, and was never
seen again outside the home of the
neighbors in the vicinity of During
Mr.. Dahl was seen in Crookston
uring the month of January, 1904 ,
having sold the timber on his claim
while he was in that city, realizing
$1,000 therefor. Mr.. Dahl returned
to During, taking only about $50
of the sum realized by the sale O.
his timber.
The Dahl's mingled with Their
neighbors quite freely, in the neigh
horhood of During, and were otter
seen at the During postofice, unit
the month of March, 1904. wher
their visits ceased, about the last O
the month.
Letters of inquiry addressed t
the relatives of the Dahls residing
at Crookston brought replies to the
effect that neither the father no.
daughter had been in that city fol
some time.
Nothing in the form of clue a!
to the whereabouts of the missing
Dahl's was unearthed until the even
ing of July 26, 1904, when Eugene
Caldwell and Owen French, two
homesteaders living near the Dab
claims, came to Blackjack and re
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