The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-27


Sylvia Mostad. charged with killing
her baby in a Grand Forks hotel,
IA found not guilty. After being out
Elk hours, the jury returned its YER
diet at s o'clock Monday afternoon.
Immediately after the verdict had
been read by Clerk of Court Spauld-
ing. States Attorney Burtness moved
to have the case against Harry Rees.
Miss Mostad's sweetheart, also charg-
cd with murder in the first degree,
dismissed. The motion was granted.
Monday night Harry Rees tried to
get a license to marry Miss Mostad.
lie found that under the laws Of
North Dakota he could not secure tho
permit here. as n of tho contracting
parties must be a resident Of the
county in which the license Is issued.
The girl Is a resident Of Cavalier
county and the man Is from Ramsey
county.
the father and mother of the girl.
left for the Mostad home at Wang to.
day, where the marriage is expected
to take place this week.
Evening shadows were creeping In.
to the court 10 when the prisoner
was led In to hear the decision Of the
twelve mel who had her fate in their
ed the stirs n walked along the mar
row hall to the court room. AS she
neared the room where she would
soon hear the words that would make
her free Of keep her behind the bars.
she staggered. 1t seemed that she
would collapse. She was supported
by the arm Of her father and the COM
A>~kf~- -,A~a AYaa 1AANn xhA
sheriff's wife.
She almost fell into a chair that
had been set for her. BY her side
was her father. who had loved her
and encouraged her each long day Of
dark hours that she was forced to he
present in the court room. Sometimes
1t seemed the girl herself didn't know
SO hazy to her in the past couple Of
months. The father seemed hopeful
but he was a strong man and 1t was
up to him to show no misgivings as
to the outcome of the trial. He plac-
ed his arm gently. very gently. about
his little daughters shoulders. He
patted her head and he kissed her.
The girl looked up M for a minute
the tears failed to come.
A few spectators assembled in the
court room. Attorneys, newspaper
men, county employees and men from
the sherif's office sat inside the rail-
ing.
Harry Rees. also charged with muir
der. was brought into the room. He
OF the girls case meant everything to
him.
Everything vas still. Even a clock
tick could be heard. The quiet
vas broken by tho voice Of Judge
Templeton. He was asking the jury
II they had reached a verdict.
The foreman. w. G. Hostetter Of
men on the jury. stood up and said
that a verdict had been reached.
Sheriff Benson took the verdict from
the foreman and handed It to the
Judge. The judge glanced at the doc
urnent and passed 1t along to Clerk Of
Court s%pauldinE.
Mr.. spaulding read the verdict
aloud. Everybody there was informa-
ton hungry by this time. The clerk
then read: I'VE. the jury in the
above entitled action, and the defend.
ant not guilty."
Sylvia Mostad nestled closer to her
father. who by this time was crying.
1t was all over now and the tired head
Of a weary and heart sick woman rest
ed at ease.
States Attorney Burtness then
moved that the case against Harry
Rees be dismissed. The motion was
granted. az the boy. with the tears
streaming down hts cheeks. dashed
across he court room Dol and
clasped his sweetheart to his breast.
Men standing in the doorway part
ed and Sylvia Mostad's mother enter
ed the room. She had been in the
sherin's once while the verdict was
given out. Smiling and. sobbing. Mrs.
Mostad took her little girl in her
arms.
Big. strong men who nhd families
Of their own, hurried out Of that court
NAN.