The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-11
George Bangs n Final Argu-
nent, Makes Plea For Ex-
treme Punishment
TRACY BANGS, FOR DEFENDANT,
PICTURES HORRORS Of GAll0WS
Declares Case Is One in Which Justice
Demands Verdict Of Not Guilty
Made Attack Upon Character of the
Shots Victim.

Pleading for the infiiction Of the
death penalty upon McLain Cooper.
charged with numbering James Frank
making the closing argument for the
prosecution this afternoon. He may
complete the address by the hour OF
adjournment this evening. in which
event Judge Templeton will charge the
Jury at the opening of the court on
Tuesday morning. In the event that
Mr.. Bangs does not complete his ad-
Jury will not be charged until the
opening Of the afternoon session.
The plea Of Attorney George Bangs
for the infection Of the death penalty
upon the young defendant was made a
few minutes after he commenced his
address this morning. Referring to the
argument that had been made by
first hour Of today. the prosecuting at
torney declared that in the event the
facts presented to the jury through
the several witnesses who had been
called on the stand were as they ap-
peared. from the states viewpoint.
then this was a case in which the PEN
atty Of death should be meted out.
Equally as brilliant was the plea Of
Tracy Bangs for the defense. For the
FIRST time during the entire trial did
Mrs. H. J. Cooper. mother Of the de-
fendant, break down and weep. as she
heard the counsel pleading for the pre-
servance Of the life which she had
brought into this world-for the ac-
Quittal Of her own hoy.
Pictures Gallows Scene
''They ask you. gentlemen Of the
Jury. to infiict upon this boy the death
penalty" said Tracy Bangs. What do
they ask yot to do? They ask you to
say that this boy, whose choking was
begun by Ross on the night of the
tenth Of March shall be finished by the
state in a few days later. They ask
you to say that this boy shall be led
up to the ga!lows with his hands
dropped from life to death by the tick
Of the hangman's lever.
Ask State 10 Finish Choking
'"They ask you to say that this boy
who was battered and beaten by Ross;
this boy who was reviled and insulted;
this boy who was assaulted; this boy
who was threatened: this boy who
did the only thing that he could do
to protect himself. they ask you to say
that this boy shall be taken from his
parents by the officers Of this state and
his lifeless body returned to the MOTH
or who bore him a. few hours after
wards. with features distorted and
neck discolored by the hangman's
rope. That is what Mr.. Lyche asks
you to do"
Court Room Again FILLED
The court room was again filled to
capacity this morning long before the
hour set for the opening of the case.
People came carly to gain points of
vantage where they could see and
hear all and they remained in their
n{S~ep
sion. Shortly after o'clock the
courtroom hegau filling again for the
afternoon session.
Both pleas which have been made
today were brilliant. Tracy Bangs,
leading counsel for the defense, con-
cluded the argument which he COM
menced last Saturday. while George A.
Bangs followed with an analysis of that
argument, as It appeared to the prose-
cution.
Asks Verdict of Not Guilty
It was an extremely strong plea. that
Tracy Bangs made for the acquittal
Of the young defendant whom he has
fought for during the last three weeks.
1t was with the request that the jury
return verdict of not guilty, that he
boy who stood accused of murder
might go hack to his parents and that
some semblance of the spirit Of the
season now SO close at hand might en-
ter that household because Of the ver-
dict, that he ended his address.
Attacks Huelet Testimony.
In opening his argument this morn
ing Tracy Bangs made an attack up
on the evidence of John Huelet. He
pointed out several instances in
which Huelet had been mistaken as
TO the time on which incidents had
happened, and declared that fact was
suificient in itself to do away with
the discrepancies that had been made
apparent as between Huelet's testi-
mony and the testimony Of McLain
Cooper concerning the affairs on the
morning of the shooting.
That McLain Cooper had sought, at
every point. to avoid trouble that day.
was the contention OF MIR. Bangs. His
plea with the sheriff he nigh before.
and his plea win Ross the morning
Of the shooting. were all pointed to
as indicating such condition. Had
McLain intended to do murder. Mr..
Bangs said. his opportunities were
many and he pointed to rushes that
had been made by Ross at Cooper in
the barns that morning.
II Ross movement on the morning
Of the shooting was peaceable. the
his jacket. just as both McLain Coop
er and Huelet had testified to. Ross
had removed his jacket in the barn
Just as he was making rush at
Cooper, and Mr.. Bangs contended
that II Ross WAS really about to leave
the farm. he would have left his
clothing lying in the harm.
Again Points Out Discrepancies.
Once more the defendants counsel
pointed out discrepancies in the dy-
Ing declaration. In this declaration
Ross says Cooper was making for
him the night before the shooting
when they had their fight. He said
sheepbarn. at a point where Cooper
was standing. and that Ross had heen
forty feet away when he started mov-
ing toward Cooper. This condition
was pointed to az clearly indicative