The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-07
FACTS IN The
ANETA CASE
suMMERFIELD is ENTITLED TO A
FULL MISUNDERSTANDING
HAS BEEN PROVED AGAINST
HIM-AcTIoN FOR DAMAGES
MAY BE THE RESULT,

The Grand Forks Herald says edi-
torially:
THE Herald has had access to the
testimony taken at the hearing of
young Summerfield at Aneta in con-
nection with the death of the McKen-
zie boy more than a year ago. A sum-
mary of that testimony is given in the
news department of the paper this
morning. 1t Is not the province of a
newspaper to try this or any other
case in it's columns. But when grave
charges are formally made it is the
province of a newspaper to take no.
tice of them, and join in the demand
that there be a full and proper inves-
tigation to the end first, that the
guilty be punished, and second that
there remain no possibility of suspi-
cion attaching to the innocent.
"As has been said Ii is not the prov
ince Of the newspaper to try the case,
but in view of the fact that a grave
charge has been made against Louis
Summerfield, and that this charge has
been given wide publicity, 1t is only
fair to the young man to point out
that in the evidence brought out at
NAlC AANn4Ah6 NhNAS II 6boDIuNGAy AlOL&l-
ing to connect either Summerffeld or
young Sperry with the death of the
Mckenzie lad. On the other hand, in
so far as the evidence sheds any light
on the affair at ALL IL points to the
conclusion that these two boys could
not have had anything to do with the
affair. The only reason that has ever
existed for assuming that the burn
ing, was other than an accident was
the statements of the injured boy him
self, to the effect that he was attacked
by two men who threw him down,
poured oil on him and set him on fire.
Those statements, IL appears, were not,
as has been commonly supposed, the
connected story Of person in the full
possession of his faculties, and made
in such manner that they could be re-
duced to writing and properly verified,
but rather the fragmentary talk of a
boy lowering between consciousness
and unconscfousness, and approaching
death. And the description given by
the boy of the persons who attacked
him does not tally in any particular
with the description of the two lads,
Summerfield and Sperry, VINO Rave
since been connected in a somewhat
remarkable manner with the case.
Nothing in the situation, however,
changes the truth of what has already
been said as to the necessity for a
searching investigation of the whole
matter. II Summerfield Is innocent
and all the facts on record tend TO
establish his innocence, he is entitled
to more complete vindication than
mere failure to convict"
The Herald's news story is as fol-
lows:
Possessing elements Of mystery
which probably never will be cleared
up the circumstances surrounding the
death of Kenneth, Mckenzie AT Anata
on the night OF Oct. I6. 1910 have
been brought back fresh to the minds
of all North Daketans as result Of
the hearing at Lakota Friday when
Louis Summerfeld, charged with the
ooys murder, was dismissed by Jus
tice Folger.
Summerfeld's arrest was made some
weeks ago at Minor, N. D.. and was
rolioWed. by an alleged confession IN
the part of Clyde Sperry, aged 10. an
other Aneta boy. The story of the con-
fession was given out by Atty 6. q
Skulason OF Nelson county and waa
TO the effect that Sperry told him that
he and Summerfleld had followed
young Mckenzie, that they had--or
rather .Summerfeld had--thrown him
to the ground and poured the kero.
sene on him; that he had then Hight
ed the boys clothing with j, match
and ran away. And now comes the
strange part OF the story. sperry was
not placed on the stand, the only two
witnesses produced by the state be-
Ing Dr. Darrow, who testified ais to the
boys Injuries and Mr.. Mckenzie. the
father of the dead bog. who told of his
sons ante-mortem statement. There
was not a shred OF evidence produced
at the hearing Friday to connect the
Summerfeid boy with the murder and
he was promptly dismissed.
Young Summerfield and his uncle.
Gus Kafka, q St Paul cigar maker.
do not propose however, to let the