The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-07-06

Florence Gravely, the little girl who
is said to have been the victim of
criminal assault was the first wit
ness on the stand today In the case
of the state against Carl Gunderson.
Each Of the cases are separate ones
and the one Of Carl, the younger of
the three Gunderson boys, was called
first.
The little GraveIy girl told the court
that Carl Gunderson committed an as
sault upon her about three or four
years ago and had been doing the
same continually ever since until about
last December. She stated that the
assaults were committed by Carl at
intervals Of two or three times each
month.
When asked If the other Gunderson
boys, George and Gunder, had COM
mitted a criminal assault upon her
person she told the court that each
Of them had once, and only once.
Aside from these she said she had
never been criminally assaulted.
When the little girl, who is now
13 years old, but was only IL years
old when her baby was born, May 90,
first got into trouble she told the
different members of the Gunderson
family regarding 1t. She stated to the
court that she made up a story to the
effect that the hired man at Hegg-
stroms, a neighboring farm, had been
the cause OF her trouble. Not until
she was questioned by States At
torney Fowler did she tell Of the Gun
derson boys being implicated in the
affair.
The complaining witness stated
that she did not want anyone to know
who had been the cause Of her trouble
and for that reason she made up the
story which she told regarding the
hired man. She declares that all the
stories she related regarding a hired
man were false.
She also stated that she had told
a story regarding a man meeting her
on the road and committing a crimi-
nal assault upon her person. This
story according to her testimony, to-
day was suggested to her by Tillie
Gunderson who, the GraveIy girl says.
told her to make this statement re-
garding the cause of the birth Of her
child.
Florence Gravely and her brothers,
of whom there are two, are orphans.
according to the story she told on the
witness stand. She stated that they
had been living at the Gunderson home
for about five years and during all of
that time Mr.. and Mrs. Gunderson had
been very good to her and that she
loved them very much.
She said that she slept in room up
stairs with the two Gunderson girls
and around the house performed the
same duties as did the members of
the household.
The fact that she was about to give
birth to a child was unknown to her
until about three weeks before she
came to Fargo, the child being born
in a maternity hospital here. Mrs.
Gunderson was the first person to tell
her about the coming of her baby girl.
Title Gunderson, sister of the ac-
cused brothers brought Florence
Gravely to Fargo, according to the
story Of the little girl, and placed her
in the maternity hospital where her
baby was born May 20, last. About
ten days later she was removed to the
Crittenton home where she has re-
manned since.
There were number Of ministers
and friends of the little girl in the
courtroom when the trial was called.
Several of the friends were ardent
supporters Of the Crittenton home
work and came to the courtroom to
show their sentiment regarding the
support of the work of the home.
The little girl while on the witness
stand WAS fraafad with the yraofast
consideration on both sides Of the case.
She was very tinid and her answers
to the questions put to her were given
In very low tone. Atty. s. ID. Rich
ardson, representing the defense. did
not abuse her In any way in plying
tn complaining witness with questions.
States Attorney Fowler acting for the
prosecution also showed the little girl
every consideration possible.
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