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

said in a threatening way that he
would like to see Neary come in, and
would like to see me try to leave. ]
hoped that Marshal Neary would not
come. Alma Crook on the telephone
asked what had happened, but Hall
was standing behind me with his gun;
and said only family row. Finally
we got ready to go, and he let me
telephone to Mrs. Crook that we were
leaving and that she could come soon
to look for Crook. He seemed more
interest in my patient than in his
own situation. He seemed to forget.
Hall again thought of his shoes and
we looked again. Mrs. Crook came
and stumbled upon her husbands body
and screamed loudly that 'he's killed.
Hall at first did not seem to hear her
and 1 tried to force him out before
the people came in, fearing that some
one would get hurt. / was trying to
get Hall out of the front door, when
Neary and James Mape came in the
front way, knocked loudly and walked
through the house. Hall sat down on
the trunk. in the dining room. Neary
was grinning, and said, "Hellow, Hail."
and Hall said, "Hello, Neary" Mape
went out and returned and said. 'He's
dead" Neary promptly told Hall to
come with him, and Hall made no re-
sistance. l went out then and looked
at the corpse and found no sign of life
Witness would not say how soon
death had ensued. without knowing
where the bullet went. He thought
that Crook must have died very
quickly. Rigor mortis had set in, which
indicated a quick death.
Both the hammers Of the shotgun
were up when / first saw it in Halls
hands. 1 persuaded him to let down
the hammers, which he did carefully
There was cork in the end of each
barrel, probably to keep the bore clean
The stock of the rifle was about five
feet from Crooks hand, when the BODY
was found.
PoStm0rtem Ordered.
| examined the body and found a
small bullet wound four inches to the
left and one inch above the naval. ]
cannot tell whether this was the cause
of DEATH
County Attorney Plymat informed
Coroner Kennedy that there would have
to be postmortem examination, to de.
termine the cause of death.
DIR. Bigelow said that Mrs. Crook
had that night told her story the same
as she had on the witness. stand.
Powder burns We're found on the
outer and under clothing and on the
flesh ITSELF indicating that the CUR
was very close to Crooks body when
found.
Marshal Neary's Testimony.
Marshal John Neary of Madison Lake
testified to going to the house and ar,
resting Hall. Hall had one shoe off
The doctor told where the gun was as
soon as he could. James Mape stayed
with the body until the coroner ar
rived. Witness locked Hall up. Hal
made some remarks about shooting
Crook and used abusive language about
Crook. The shotgun was an old muzzlt
loader and was loaded and had caps
on. The shooting was done with &
rifle.
Frank Franciscus told of converse
ton which he and others had had will
Hall in the county jail, in which Hal
had said that he had shot Crook.
| A recess was taken until after TIN
postmortem examination could be held
When this was finally through with
the jury reassembled.
Artery Was Cut.
! DR.. Bigelow then testified that th
cause of death was the perforation of
large artery, and very great interna
hemorrhage. The abdominal cavity ha,
been found full of great clots of blood
The artery was button holed aroun,
the edge, that is, it was cut half Il
two. The bullet entered four inches t,
the left of the naval and one inch be
| low it and was DETECTED an inch o
more downward by the cartilaginou
lining under the skin, and then passe
downward and through the body, cut
ting the artery where it branches OIL
in the right groin. The bullet fattene
where it struck on the opposite sid
from where it entered and made
little pocket in the bone, and wa
found there. No large nerves wer
struck. and only one bowel was per
forated.
This concluded the testimony, and til
jury returned the verdict given above
Halls Victim Buried.
The remains of the. late George Z
Crook were laid away today, The