The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-07-31

TRIAL AT TOWNER WILL BE
FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER.
ING HIS WIFE.
The state will probably conclude its
case Friday but the defense is expect
ed to require Saturday and Monday
to complete its testimony.
1t is expected that the case will not
go to the jury before Tuesday, althO
is is possible that it may be sooner.
Assistant States Attorney Carroll
will go over the states case thOroly
and L. ]. PaIda will give the cOnclud-
ing plea to the jury. A. Nj. Chris
Hanson for the defense will review
the case at length and E. r. Sinkler
will conclude for the defense. Mr..
Sinkler states that he is confident of
acquittal or at least disagreement.
Staff, the defendant, is growing
weary and complains of backache and
stiffness in his joints from inactivity.
He spends his leisure moments walk
ing up and down the corridor.
Stats ten-year-old son Johnnie
went to the stand this morning and
testified constantly all day long. The
lad spoke in clear tones and told a
straightforward story. Upon cross
examination Atty. Sinkler was unable
to bulge him except in few minor
statements. The boy proved a dandy
witness for the state. He told of his
father and Piekos returning from Mi
not Saturday afternoon and said his
parents had quarreled that evening,
when his father struck his mother
twice in the face with his fist. He told
of the resumption of the quarrel the
following morning and says he was
present when his father pulled
cartridge for the rifle and the bottle
of strychnine from his pocket and
said, "This is for you (referring to
the cartridge), and this is for me-"
(meaning the poison).
The boy told of his father bringing
home case of beer from Minot and
says that upon his fathers orders, he
hid four bottles in the oats.
In the morning he says his father
picked up calf's leg and struck his
mother with it. Staff then grabbed
his wife by the hair and dragged her
into the shed.
He told of his father throwing Dat
ka's clothing and trunk into the yard
and Johnnie was ordered to shoot the
trunk full of holes. He did not obey,
however.
His mother threatened to run away,
he said, whereupon the father threat
ened to shoot her if she did. His faith
er got the gun and the lad tried to
take it from him. "Let the gun alone
or l will shoot you before do your
mother" the lad alleges the father
said.
The mother told the boys to go to
the pasture with the small rife and
while Johnnie was there, he heard a
shot. He thot his father had shot
Datka's trunk.
He went to the we'll where PiekOs
was watering the horses and the hir-
ed man said, "Your mamma is shot.
l saw her kick"
He went to the house and found
Annie and her sister crying. They
said the mother had been shot in the
barrel, and then Johnnie began to
cry.
The father then appeared and said,
Goodbye, my children, will not see
you any more.
Johnnie replied, Il don't care for
you have shot my mamma"
Upon cross examination the boy de-
clared he had seen his father walk
around the house twice with the rife
looking for the mother, and then walk
towards the barn and come back near
the house, then shoot into the barrel.
Atty. Palda created some excite
ment when he asked Johnnie if it were
true that Attys. Sinkler and Chris
tiansOn had called him into an Office
Wednesday night and asked him if
he wanted to see his father go to the
for life or be hung. The
court sustained the objection of the
defense.
Palda created another stir in the
court room, while the cross examina-
ton was in progress, when he ad-
dressed the boy saying. Don't be
afraid of him (meaning Sinkler) when
he looks at you with those eyes.
And to the court Palda explained,
II object to him staring at the boy In
that manner, we expect the protection
Of the court"
The crOss.examinatiOn of the boy
will require most of Friday.
The case against John Staff, the
north prairie farmer charged with
his wife, is progressing
slowly at Towner and it is believed
that it will not go to the jury before
Tuesday. Assistant States Attor-
ney Carroll and Atty. L. ]. Palda
seem to have the states case pretty
we'll their own way, despite the fight
that Attys. E. r. Sinkler Of Minot and
A. M. Christianson of Towner are put
ting up to save the neck Of the defend
ant.
The defense is sparring for time at
every turn Of the road, evidently hop
ing to bewilder the jury. Judge Burr,
before whom the case is being tried,
is. doing the best that he can to conf