Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-19
MCRANN HIT AT BANNER
Physician Says He Opened Eyes of
Girls Mother.
DEFENDANT BEGINS TESTIMONY
Mrs. Banner Follows Marjorie kinH
on stand In Murder Trial, Latter
Telling shocking Tale BE-
tween sobs and Tears.
DEFENDANT BEGINS TESTIMONY

NV puIhS ana innocence, injected her
with disease, thrown her onto the operat-
Ing table Of a criminal physician; cast her
back into your lap to die like a dog. and
then by using his father and mother
against you, prejudices your husband and
tears him away from you, breaking up your
home. But. for heavens sake. woman.
use some Judgment"
Dr. H. j. McCrann of South Omaha tes-
titled in Judge Sears court Thursday aft
ernoon that he made this summar Of Fred
Banners conduct in conversation with Mrs.
Frank Banner a short time before the
woman shot Fred Banner dead on the
streets Of South Omaha last July.
An hour later Mrs. Banner testified:
Until that moment | knew nothing pos
itively Of what had happened to Marjorie
and it was the first intimation | had that
my daughter was infected with disease
besides suffering from the operation"
What did you then do?' asked Attorney
Gering.
Il DO not know exactly"
How did It affect you when the physl-
clan made the statement"
We'll, | just seemed to be lifted into
the air and my head turned cold"
Defendants Tale Not Ended.
49, ~ VI WIN DtF
only by Mrs. Banners sobs, Attorney Ger
ing asked that court adjourn for the day.
Mrs. Banner had not gone further in her
story than to tell Of the conversation in
DR.. McCrann's office. which was not much
more than an hour before she shot Fred
Banner.
The doctor had been treating Marjorie
for what he called septic peritonitis. l was
sure he had been deceiving me, after Mar
jorie had told me her story and | went to
DR.. McCrann's office and told him that he
lied. and he asked me in to sit down in his
private office and told me several times to
keep cool"
The woman then repeated a part of what
DR.. McCrann testified he had told her.
Mrs. Banner was called to the stand I'M
expetcedly after a recess when it was ex-
pected DR.. McCrann would be cross-ques-
toned. The South Omaha physician had a
hard time on the stand. He always began
his story one word too far back for County
Attorney English and at one time the
county attorney and Attorney Gering for
the defense were both shouting objections
at the court, DR.. McCrann was Keeling off
testimony like a photograph and Judge
Sears was threatening to fine the witness
II he did not be good.
you are intelligent enough to answer
the questions without going too far said
Judge Sears.
IL am not intelligent enough to tell what
these lawyers and the court want me to
do" retorted the physician.
Mrs. Banner stepped ON the stand at APO
and testified for Just one hour when court
adjourned. She told of her early life on a
ranch near Newport. Neb, and Of marry
ing Fred King when she was Is years Of
age. After the family moved to South
Omaha and King entered the wholesale
meat business, the girl Marjorie was born
and a boy whom they called Fred. Soon
after the girl was born King began to
stay out nights and many times all night
The closer companions in their little home
during nights when Kine was away some
where, Then they separated and Mrs.
King went to her fathers home in Coun-
Gil Bluffs, where the little girl was placed
in school and later in the st. Francis
academy.
Frank banner Unkind to Girl.
1t was in 1905 that Mrs. King, clerk in
an Omaha clothing house, met Frank Ran
ner. trader of South Omaha, according tn
her testimony and a year later they were
maj AVNt al NIX tlil III TIA
Marjorie should have a nome with them
when she left the convent.
1T was not long after she came ia
live with us until Frank complained about
having my girl around as he thought she
occupied too much OF my time and at
tention," said Mrs. Banner. when We
were living in Wheeler county and
Marjorie wanted T. come out and visit us
Krank did not want her to come
Questioned as to the first meeting OF
Marjorie and Fred Banner. Mrs. Banner
said the girl met Banner at their home In
South Omaha after the family returned
there to live in September. 1907, going out
with him in December OF the same year.
Did Frank warn you about your
daughter going out with Fred?" the wit.
ness was asked.
YES. he said Fred did not go Will
Marjorie for any good purpose. that h,
would not go with any woman for gooc
and II he had two drinks of whisky in him
|, he would drag any little girl into tn,
gutter"
Did you tell Marjorie this''
II did, and she said she did not believ,
Il because Fred had treated her all RICH
, and Frank tore down every man or woman
|, whom he discussed
/ Says Girl Called Vile Names.
Mrs. Banner told of the day Frank Ban
/ ner came home and packed up his trunk
taking II over to his mothers home, an,
! then returned TO grab Marjorie by tn
shoulder, call her indecent names and tel
) her that Fred had told him about tn
1 operation. Mrs. Banner said she tried L
reach Frank the next day and called u
the home OF Joseph f.. Banne severa
times. "Once some OF his folks said bac.
over the telephone. II you know what I
good for you, you will not call up thi
number again"
The witness told Of the visit Of Mrs
Joseph Banner TO her rome when Ere
I Banners own mother said her son wa
a net a ut person to keep company wit
Marjorie and also testified that Mrs. Bar
c ner had told her, Marjorie is Fred
r mistress md everyone in South Oman
knows IT,"
e The story Of Marjorie King was told q
the morning session almost without ques
: tioning. The girl told Of meeting Ere
& Banner first at the home Of her mothC
80 49,