The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-11-29
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily. 3
p The case of the state versus
Thomas B. Moon was brought up in
district court yesterday afternoon
and went to the jury this afternoon.
The first witness for the plaintiff
was Erick Erickson, who gave his
testimony yesterday. Others who
were called by the state were II. B.
Moore. a bartender in Lorentz' sa-
loon, Ernest Sorrell, Dan Bowen, DIR.
A. f. Schmitt and Frank G. Lor-
entz. The only witness for the de-
tense was the defendant himself.
The states witnesses showed that
SorreH. hada been siashed with a
razor in the hands: of Thomas B.
Moon in Frank g. Lorentz' saloon
on the night of October IL, and that
Sorrell had suffered serious injury.
The state 'claims that the only cause
for the trouble was that Sorrell
called Moon names after Moon had
thrown upon the floor glass of
beer, which Sorrel had bought for
him, at Moons request for a drink.
Later in the evening without fur
Their provocation, the plaintiff claims,
Moon approached him without fur
Their demonstration and slashed him
with the razor. Employees of the
saloon claim that there was no sign
of any 'scuffle until Moon was seen
slashing Sorrell. Moon i'm his testi-
mony claims that he did not know
that; SorreH had bought the beer for
him, and that it was spilled upon the
floor as a. result of Sorrell jogging
Moons elbow. Sorrell, Moon alleges,
swore at him then, and later i'm the
evening called him names again, and
attempted, to choke him. 1t was at
that time that Moon says he drew
his. razor in selfdefense. Attorney
G. j. Laurisch appeared for the de-
Tense. i- 90
The jurors in the case were Ed
Naylor. Chas. Cole. Mack Atcherson,
Swan l.. Johnson. Hubert Bruels Jo-:
seph Ransch, II. w. Madigan, William
Fox, W. e. Edwards. David Il.
Evans, William Ward, and Henry
Shallow. '.~lt,.,a 7
Proceedings in the Moon case
commenced at the district court
yesterday afternoon The jury was
sworn in with comparatively little
difficulty, nearly every man called
succeeding i'll qualifying to sit on
the case. County Attorney J. W.
Sehmitt related the, story of the
case briefly to the jury. On the
night of October. II, Thomas Moon
came into Frank G. Lorentz' saloon
on Front street in a condition bear
ing all too conclusive evidence of.
many visits to red liquor dispen.
series. de approached young man,
Ernest SorreH, by tansme, from
South Bend and asked him for. a
drink. Sorrell was inclined to shawl
out" the "moocher' at first but on
second thought he bought Moon a.
glass of beer. Moon was not sat
isfiedatwith an ordinary drink, how
eyer, and, was inclined to be fastidi.d
Gus. Accordingly he proceeded to
dump the contents OF the glass dis
danfully upon the floor. Sorrell
took the insult i'm good part, know
ing that there was full Moon in
the horizon, and said nothing Al
little later in 1.-THE same saloon Sor.
rel was standing near the bar and
seemingly without provocations or
warning Moon drew a real African
razor from his pocket and byst4nd.
ers saw it fash in the air twice
Sorrell was the victim of the fiend-
ish onslaught and very nearly bled
to death before his wounds could
be sewed up. In the meantime
Moon was grabbed by several by.
ISLANDERS and escorted unwillingly
over to the police station. Sorrell
had to be taken to the hospital
with forty stitches in his face and
neck. He remained there for over
a week. The parents of the injured
man swOre out a warrant for Moon,
charging him with assault In the
first degree. Moon was arraigned