Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-05-01

9o1141n xA1n11ox1Ax
or zalAL ron Au1O61
Continued from page y
The above trial took place at Tomp-
kins last Friday. in Whips Hall, be-
fore Magistrates Ferguson. Rrenton
and Edwards.
N. r. Hoffman. barrister. Gull Lake.
prosecuted on behalf Of the crown.
The prisoner was undefended. 81
The charge against the prisoner was.
THAT on March 9Th. information was
laid that he did unlawfully abuse q
child until It died" ss
N. r.. HOFFMAN then rose and said that.
as the prisoner had entered in his plea
LOT mot guilty" he would call his first
witness, DR.. Kerr. Of Maple Creek who
conducted the post-mortem on the body
on the 9th Of March, and who said that
he found the child lying in bed dead at
the home OF the accused. on March the
9Th, and after making an external ex-
animation found on face and back Of
head bone cuts and bruises Of severe
character. and that death had evidently
been finally caused by clot Of blood
pressing on the brain. caused by large
scalp wound on the back Of head. At
the post-mortem he also found that the
skin over the face was cut and SCARED,
the nose was hattened and bleeding. the
left shoulder was dislocated, the hips
were raw, the tips of the fingers were
black from frost bites, and black and
blue bruises all over the body. He said
that on examination Of the organs he
found no disease. ~- Eth. .:l
The next witness called was Albert
Lett, who said that on the last occasion
he saw the child alive was about q week
before it died, and 1t was in bed. He
said that about three weeks before the
child's death, he saw accused beat the
child with his open hand while he was
dressing it there being no provocation
whatever. He told him to quit, which
he did, though he was angry at me. He
saw the child on March 5th in bed dead,
and noticed large scars on the face. He
went to town with Erickson for the doc
tor. He also said that he only saw
accused beat the child on one occasion.
Mrs. Erickson was then called and
said she Was married to her husband
on December 18th last, and that he had
always treated her good and began to
ill-treat the child about three weeks af-
ter their marriage, and only then when
he had crazy spells-otherwise he was
good to the child. Asked If she ever
objected to his beating the child, she
said that she always tried to protect It,
lin fact on one occasion, she was pushed
|against the window. the window being
smashed, whilst protecting the child
She said that on the morning of the 5th
Erickson shook the child SO violently
that it became unconscious. She also
said that Erickson had kicked the chile
all over the body on several occasions
She testified that Erickson expressed
deep sorrow when he had seen what h.
had done.
The next witness was Gus Lofgren
who said that three weeks before tn,
Ichild died he was at Erickson's and saw
its hands tied together, and Erickson
was beating the child with his hands
which lasted for about five minutes.
Constable Balsdon next appeared ant
lsaid that he received instructions OF
March 9Th, to investigate case of sus
|pected murder. He visited the Erick
son shack. and found the child dead II
bed. On examining the body it showed
Isigns Of foul play. There was large
lcut on the back of the head, and scars
on face. the lips we're raw, the LEFT
shoulder dislocated, and other bruises
lall over the body. He came back ant
Informed T. D. Edwards, j. p. and &C.
cused the prisoner Of suspected muir
lder. After giving the prisoner usua
warning that anything he said would b.
brought up against him at the trial, tn
lprisoner said that he did not know wha
made him do it.
Constable Salt, of Gull Lake, the1
gave evidence and informed the cour
that on March the 18th he went out t,
the shack and found underneath the be,
a lot Of clothes covered with blood. H
spoke to the accused at the Cypress Ho
tel, who said, Il do not know how
came to 1t, and did not know I had don
lit until my wife told me. I expect t.
get life sentence, but after putting
in six or seven years, hope to get
petition for my release" Constable Sal
also procured statement from Mrs
Erickson against her husband, which
was given as evidence.
We may say that Constable Salt o
Gull Lake, did we'll on this case, a.
when he got there there was no evidence
whatever secured, and he had to star
right at the beginning Of the case.
N. r. Hoffman then summed up tn
case on behalf Of the crown, arguinl
that some one must have committed tn
crime, and that according to the state
ments of the many sworn witnesses
] present, the prisoner was the only ma,
that could have done SO. He furthe
said that the prisoner himself, ate
, being warned to refrain from implicit
ling himself had practically admitted
. the crime. The child came to it's dealt
by violence, and as there was no othe
: person who could have done the deed
, Mr.. Hoffman contended that the pris
, oner was the only person who coul
have done SO. The doctors evidence
without a doubt, showed that the chill
. had received very violent handling, an,
= as the prisoner has no evidence for hi
, defence but the plea of mot guilty. he
therefore. charged him with the murde
iof his step-daughter, Viola. = -
The prisoner, who had nothing to sa
against the charge against him, wa
therefore committed on the charge o
murder to the Regina Jail, to come vi
) before the sittings Of the Supreme Cour
at Moose Jaw to be held on May 4th.
FL Mr.. and Mrs. Erickson were marrie
: about the 10th Of December, 1911, Mrs
! Erickson having one little child, Viola
i The newly married couple lived happil
I together for about three weeks, whe
! Victor Erickson commenced to ill-trea