Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-04-05
LETTER ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN
WRITTEN BY sRoUFE IN
EVIDENCE.

Darlington, N. D., April To-day i
is expected that THE evidence in tn,
Frank Sroufe murder case will be
completed and the case given to tn.
jury. Sroufe is on trial for the KILN,
of John Mclaughlin, the affair occur
ring at McHenry, this county.
Mrs. Mclaughlin, wife of the mar
killed, is in attendance at court and
weeps most of the time. It is alleged
that her presence as an employee 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. Sroufe is in a hospital in the
east, it is reported, and will not be at
the trial. She is well known here as
Josie Babcock, former telephone op
orator in Darlington.
Sroufe is an interested but not ex
tremely nervous spectator in the court
room. He chews gum continuously and
was alert to hear all the testimony in.
troduced.
The case opened by introducing the
testimony of Doctors King and Lee
Bein and DR.. Mackenzie, coroner of
Darlington. Their evidence went to
show that Mclaughlin came to his
death from a bullet wound, and testi,
mony was had upon the wound that
was inflicted on Mclaughlin g head by
the piece of rubber hose with which
Sroufe first assaulted the deceased.
Joe Greb, the village marshal at Nc
Henry was the rst witness introduced
whose testimony had to deal with the
shooting. He arrived at the hotel
shortly after the shot was fred.
Through Mr.. Greb's testimony the
state introduced several exhibits, in
Guiding: The bullet that was taken
from Mclaughlin g head at the autop-
sy; plat of the interior of the U. C.
7. hotel at McHenry, where the shoot
ing occurred; the revolver used in the
shooting; the piece Of rubber 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 coal pail, torn to
pieces, and was resurrected from there
by Greb and patched together. The
letter tells of the conversation that
took place that evening at the hotel,
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 avair that
seemed to be very fair to both sides.
James was with his father at the time
of the shooting and had supper with
him at the hotel. He told of the move.
ments Of the two and of the alteration
that ensued in the lobby after supper.
The little fellow broke down and cried
just before the story of the shooting
was reached. Many of the women in
the court room had moist eyes in SYM
pathy with the young man.
Miss Alta Conway, an employe of
the U. G. T. hotel and the only other
witness to the shooting except the
two principals and the boy, was placed
on the stand. She was called as a wit
ness by the court and the prosecution
and the defd OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
and the defense will each have equal
opportunities in examining her.
Brief Story Of the Case.
John Mclaughlin, who was employ.
ed in a McHenry elevator as secoid
man, met his death Saturday evening
February "a in the U. G. T. hotel at
McHenry. It seems that there he'd
been bad blood between Sroufe and
Mclaughlin for some time Mrs. Nc.
Laughlin had left her home, it is said
and was working at the hotel Alter.
cations had taken place before between
the two men. On the eventful evening
Mclaughlin and his son went to the
hotel for supper. Coming out of the
dinini room some words were had, and
Mclaughlin was ordered from the no.
tel. He started to go butt lame back.
Sroufe attacked him with piece of
wire bound hose in one hand and a re.
volver in the left hand. He hit Nc.
Laughlin over the head with the hose
and accidentally or otherwise, the gun
was discharged and the bullet went
through Mclaughlin IS eye and lodged
in the back Of his head. He died with.
in few minutes. Mclaughlin had been
drinking the afternoon of the tragedy,
The jury is as follows:
Charley Graoencamp, E. S. Andrews
e. A. Wentland, Frank Multi, A. J.
schusler, VIM. Thurston, Mack Nichol-
son, J. P. Zimmerman, John Imler
John Summers, A. J. Vance and Henry
Bowman.