The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-07

were taken to the home in LeRay this
morning, where a prayer was said.
The funeral party, including many
Madison Lake people, went to Elysian,
where services were held in the Metho-
dist church. The interment was made
there. 1t was sad gathering, and
much sympathy was felt for the widow
and fatherless children.
Relatives from abroad who attended
were C. n. Crook of Minneapolis, ABB
ner Crook of Rugby, n. d., and Clark
Crook of Montgomery, brothers of the
deceased, and Mrs. Bell of Montgomery
and George Brannigan of Minneapolis,
cousins of the deceased.
Hall More Serious.
Since recovering from his excitement
and the effects of drink, Hall has taken
much more serious view of the shoot
ing than he was inclined to at first,
and realizes that he is in serious
predicament. He has negotiated with
three prominent attorneys of this city
to take his case.
Hall is not thought to have much
property. All that now stands in his
name is q dwelling in the village of
Madison Lake, and this has a $500
mortgage against it. He had mort
gagged the place that he transferred to
MRS. Crook, just outside the village
in LeRay township.
| A division of opinion has arisen as
| to how the rifle came to be five feet
from Crooks hand when the latter's
body was found in the yard. The first
supposition was that Hall had followed
him and upon finding him dead had
carelessly tossed the rifle down. This
theory does not seem to be borne out
by the evidence, however.
In the first place, Hall states that
he did not follow Crook out and did
not leave the rifle there. The fact
that he was willing to help DIR. Bige-
low hunt for Crook and his statement
that if the man was found alive he
would kill him with the shotgun indi-
Gates that he did not know that Crook
was dead. The rifle was found with an
empty she'll in it, and if Hall had
! followed Crook with the idea of killing
him if he had not aready done so he
would have reloaded the weapon before
starting.
May Have Secured Rifle.
1t is now thought by many that
Crook either arose after falling on the
! dining room floor and sliced the rifle
and wrenched it from Halls hands and
started to follow his wife to the Fred
| ericks' home, or else that Hall laid the
weapon down and went into another
room, thinking Crook dead, and that
before he returned Crook, recovering
picked it up and started away. Near
the tree, he became weak from loss
of blood and dropped the gun and
clutched at the tree for support, and
then sank down and expired.
The question of generalization will
| be involved in charge of murder in
the first degree, and the threats claim.
ed to have been heard by different PEG,
pie will go a long ways towards sub.
stantiating that. Still, it is thought
likely that Hall came to sudden de
termination just before the shooting
his jealousy and hatred for Crook be
ing inllamed by the liquor that he hat
drank.
1t is thought by some that Hall!
attorney will attempt defense based
on alleged temporary insanity. Thi;
seems about the only defense available
but if that plea was not resorted to
an effort to secure a conviction OH +;
lesser charge than murder in the frs
degree might be made with some SHOW
of success, it is surmised.
First Degree Murder
Coroner Z. r. Kennedy this morn
ing swore to complaint, charging
w. NJ. Hall with the murder of George
Crook, Oct. l, in the town at LeRay
by shooting him with a rifle, with the
premeditated design to effect his death
Hearing Set For October 10.
Hall was brought into the municipal
) court at eleven o'clock this forenoon
and arraigned on the warrant charg
ing first degree murder c. L. Bene
dict appeared for him for the purpos,
of the arraignment, remarking tina
others would probably be in the case
The warrant was read and Hall list
ened carefully to the reading, AM
seemed much interested in the word
ing.
Mr.. Benedict desired preliminar,
hearing. and it was set for Octobe
: IL at 9 a. m. Mr.. Hall was then re
manded to the custody of the sheriff
: The proceedings took but few INC
ments, and few witnessed them.
!: Widow Has Painting Spells.
Mrs. Crook was unable to 60 I
| EIVSian IN attend tho funeral sary;oa