The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-10-06


ones state of mind, the conclusion
can be drawn that Hall Green, on
trial for murder at LIE Sueur Gen.
ter, is not worrying over his fate.
During the hours while the jury
was being drawn the youth appear
ed to be rs unconcerned as an
Egyptian mummy. He laughed heart
lily at the jocular remarks that were
passed between the lawyers and the
talesmen as the latter were being
examined as to their fitness to sit
as jurors in the case.
The taking of testimony was begun
this morning. James F. Miner, G.
Z. Price, Sam b. Swiningson, James
Reilly and John McLeary, all rail-
road men, testified to the finding OF
the dead body of Harry Rugs at LIE
Sueur on the night of July 20. Moth
ing of sensational character was
developed in this examination.
That the defense will attempt to
show that Hall Green did not slay
Harry Rugs at lie Sueur on the
night of July 80 last, but will try
to prove that someone else COM
mitted the deed, is indicted by the
line of cross-examination that At
torney Thomas Hessian is taking
up with the states witnesses. Oh
lection will be made by the de-
tense to the introduction of the con-
fession that Green is alleged to
have made to Detective J. C. Field
ing of the Pinkerton agency and
others. The claim of the defense
viii be that the confession was OBJ
tanned while the defendant was IL
duress: that the defendant is boy
and did not know what he was do
ing.
The trial of Green is proceeding
with despatch at LIE Sueur Center
A number of witnesses for the state
were examined yesterday and to-
day.
The state was expecting it's star
witness, Detective ]. G. Fielding, to
arrive in LIE Sueur Center this aft
ernoon. With his testimony in it
is expected that the state will give
way to the introduction of the story
that is to be told by the defense.
= Testimony of Railroad Men.
James F. Miner am a brakeman
and on July 20, 1911. l went west on
No. II, through lie Sueur. At 12:40
I i'm the night / was looking over the
train when l saw dead man lying
on the track fiat on his back, face
turned up, head scalped off. l called
another brakeman and the conductor
on the same freight train and We
took the body to the depot. Blood
and matter were between the tracks,
the matter being of a white color
which looked like brain. The conduct
or felt of the body and said it was
perfectly cold. / thought that the
man was killed by No. 8, but the
position in which he was lying show
ed that he could not have been kill
ed by train.
G.. Z. PRICE, am an operator at
lie Sueur depot. worked from 5 p. m.
to 2 p m. July 20, 1911. Train No. IL
arrived at l2:4O and left at lis. 1
called Max Distel to get him to call
Mr. Swiningson. I saw the dead
man when they brought him into the
depot when Mr.. Distel and Mr.. Swim
ingson arrived l went down the
tracks and saw some foot tracks
near the coal chutes. had lantern
nv nv>l ~
end OF the shed. Now the main track
is east OF the coal chutes.l l saw
quite a pool of blood in the middle
of the track and also blood on a
pillar. / saw tracks under the coal
sheds and later found a letter on a
sill under the coal sheds. Beside it
lay a bench and stick of timber.
The track started from the shed and
lead TO the main railroad track, the
train appearing as if someone had
been dragged. found half of a
hat that must have been cut by the
train. The station is about 800 or
400 feet from the coal sheds. The
body weighed about 175 pounds.
Sam B. Swiningson-I am station
agent. / worked from a. m. to
1890 that night. / came when call
ed at about 1880 a. m. / saw the
dead body on the baggage truck out
side, when went outside to make
my usual report to the superintend-
ent. / noticed that the top of the
: dead mans head was entirely gone.
i, went to the coal sheds with sew.
,eral. other men about an hour later.
We started for the west end Of the
coal sheds and followed the track
trail to the tracks where the body
was found. / saw a pool of blood
there and also blood stains on the