Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-04-04
FRANK SR0uFE
GIVEN Y YEARS
McHENRY MAN CHARGED WITH
MURDER FOUND GUILTY OF
MANSLAUGHTER IN
1ST DEGREE

val lAuStOu, ~. - ApIll 1 uc
conclusion of busy term of four
weeks court at Darlington was the
reading of the verdict of the jury in
the famous Frank S. Stroufe murder
case at 9 o. clock Saturday night
when the defendant was found guilty
of manslaughter in the first degree
and sentenced to II years in the peni-
stentiary. The jury determined the
sentence.
Sroufe was charged with the kill
ing of John Mclaughlin and the wife
of the dead man was in court
throughout the trial, weeping al
most continually. 1t was alleged
that her presence as an employe in
the hotel run by Sroufe was the
cause of the bad blood that existed
some weeks prior to the shooting
between the two men who met in
deadly conflict in the hotel lobby.
Mrs. SrouLe is IN hospital in the
east, it is reported, and was not
atthe trial. She is we'll known here
as Josie Babcock, former telephone
operator in Darlington.
Thecase opened by introducing the
testimony of Doctors King and Le-
Bein of McHenry and DR.. Mackenzie
coroner of Darlington. Their evil
dence went to show that Mclaughlin
came to his death from a bullet
wound, and testimony was had upon
the wound that was inflicted on Nc
Loughlin's head by the piece of rub
Der hose with which Sroufe was
charged with first assaulting the de-
ceased.
Joe Greb, the village marshal at
McHenry, was the first witness in
troduced whose testimony had to deal
with the shooting. He arrived at the
hotel shortly after the shot was fired.
Through Mr.. Greb's testimony the
state introduced several exhibits, in
Guiding: The bullet that was taken
from McLoughlin's head at the
autopsy; plat of the interior of the
U. T. G. hotel at McHenry, where the
shooting occurred; the revolver used
in the shooting; the piece of hose
used and letter purported to have
been written by Sroufe in Jail telling
how and why the killing took place.
The letter was found in a coal pail,
torn to pieces, and was resurrected
from there by Greb and patched to-
gether. The letter tells of the con-
versation that took place at the hotel
that evening, of the assault with the
hose and the shooting, stating that
the writer did not know how or when
the gun went off. The letter was not
signed.
Following the cross examination
of Greb, Master James Mclaughlin,
son of deceased, was put on the stand
and told a clean cut story of the af-
fair. James said he was with his
father at the time of the shooting and
had supper with him at the hotel. He
told of the movements of the two and
of the alteration that ensued in the
lobby after supper. The little fellow
broke down and wept just before the
story of the shooting was reached.
Many of the women in the court room
had moist eyes in sympathy.
Miss Alta Conway, an employe of
the U. c. T. hotel and the only other
witness to the shooting except the
two principals and the boy, was plac-
ed on the stand. She was called as
a witness by the court and the prose-
cution and the defense did each
have equal opportunities in examin-
ing her.
John Mclaughlin, who was en-
ployed in a McHenry elevator, as
second man, met his death Saturday
evening, Feb. "a in the U. G. T. hotel
at McHenry. 1t seems that there had
been bad blood between Sroufe and
Mclaughlin for some time. Mrs. Nc
Loughlin had left her home. it is
said, and was working at the hotel.
Alterations had taken place before
between the two men. On the event.
full evening, Mclaughlin and his son
went to the hotel for supper. Coming
out Of the dining room some words
were had. and Mclaughlin was order
ed from the hotel. He started to go
but, came back. sroufe attacked him
with piece Of wire bound hose in