The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-09

dlcted TO the use OF intoxicating uquOr.
From the time Hall came to live with
us, he drank some on the start, but
not as much as toward the last. He
drank considerable most of the time,
latterly.
| The witness identified plat of the
! first floor of the house.
On October l, last, my husband was
working on a farm two miles away,
leaving at Z a. m. and returning about
6 p. m. or little later. Hall went
to the village about 0:30 a. m. and
returned about $50 p. m. somewhat
intoxicated. He said that he would like
his supper, and i prepared it at once
and he ate it alone. The rest of the
family sat down just before he got
up. When my husband returned he
did the milking, and down cellar ]
told him that uncle was pretty we'll
shot, or something to that effect, and
for him not to say anything, and he
said he wouldn't. There had been some
trouble between the two and week
or so before the shooting Hail said that
she was going to clean up this bust
ness" and made threats like this. He
did not say that he was going to shoot
! Crook.
! Hall made some playful remark to
Pearl, and then got up and walked
around with what l think was wad
of tobacco in his hand. He went ont,
came back and walked around, then
went back into the sitting room and
slammed the door. Then he came back
into the dining room with rifle in
his hand, and said, II have heard
enough down town today"
| A. Anderson, the engraver, was call
cd TO testify to making plat of the
! first floor of the Crook house. The de-
Tense made no objection to the plat,
provided certain additional measure
ments were placed on it, which the
state consented to. Mr.. Anderson said
that the door out from the dining room
leads to porch from which walk
leads west, and the tree near which
Crooks body was found is northerly
/ from the walk.
| Mrs. Crook then resumed the witness
stand and further described the prem.
ises as they were on the evening of
October /. Alma was not present that
evening.
How Crook Was Shot.
When Hall came into the room with
rifle. | jumped up and ran to him
and said, "Uncle, what are You going
to do with that gum" and put my
hand on the gun. He said, '.Lct 90 of
that gum Crook got up and stepped
to near the porch door and turned to-
ward Hall. The latter then stepped
two feet to one side, raised the gun
and fired and shot Crook, who fell to
the floor. When uncle came out with
the gun, Pearl cried out, 'Don't uncle /!
Don't, uncle!" Hall replied, Shut up
Then Pearl ran out upon the porch.
After Crook fell, ran with Pearl TO
Stephen Frederick's, the next house.
Coming back later, / found my. hus-
bands body lying by the tree near the
corner of the house.
The witness identified the rifle with
which the shooting was done. She was
affected to tears at this juncture.
| The witness said that she had known
Hall ever since she was a little child
and lived in his family when about
fourteen years old. His wife died five
years ago, and the following year he
came to near Greenland, where l was
living with my family, and proposed to
provide place and give it to me if |
! made home for him. He bought the
place near Madison Lake and promised
to give me a deed to the place. | was
to take care of him while he lived and
| bury him when he was dead, as the
consideration. He did not give me a
deed at that time, but did in March
last. ] recorded the deed and it is aft
home. There was a mortgage on the
place, for $500, when he decided it to
me, but | did not know of it at the
time | got the deed. Mr.. Swearngen
the Madison Lake banker, told me of it
After getting the deed, / did not
write or send for my husband to come
home, or have anyone else do it. and
he did not write. He could not write.
He was living in Wisconsin. When he
came back he said that he was coming
to remain at home the last DAYS of
his life. He lacked one month of being
sixty years old on October /.
! Thoroughly Cross Examined.
On cross examination, Mrs. Crook said
that she was fifty-four years of age.
She was in her uncle's family only
about two months, when fourteen years
old. She was with them about two
weeks in Nebraska. Mrs. Hall was not
living then, Mr.. Hall being there alone
lie came back from his farm in Ne
braska with me, and in about two
weeks bought the Madison Lake place.
My husband went to the Hall farm in
Nebraska a week after i, was there
| don't know why he came. Hall sold
the farm while | was there. Crook
stayed three or four days and helped
uncle during the SALE We then all
went home together to the rented farm
a mile and a half from Greenland
Mimi. In two or three weeks, we
moved to the Madison Lake place.
Mr.. Hall, after we got back, said
that he would buy us little home if
would take care of him the rest of
his days. l never told him in Nebraska
that he ought to provide a home for
me. l went to Nebraska at his re-
quest. After / went to Nebraska, Mr..