The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-12-26


charged with the murder of John
Steen. to be collapse of the case
on the part of the defense took
place this morning. VirgenS was
on the stand in his own behalf.
The state did net offer any evil
dence in rebuttal.
At 10:25 a. m. the court took
recess until eleven o'clock, when
Prosecuting Attorney Dean of Mar
tin county, commenced his address
to the jury. Without doubt the
case will so to the jury before
night.
Blue Earth, Mimi, December 49,
For five hours yesterday Chris Vir-
gems was on the witness stand bat
Ting for his liberty in his trial here
for the murder OF John Steen.
Replying to the questions of his
own attorney, Mr.. Allen, the defend
ant answered quite readily but
under cross-eXamination by Mr.. Dean
was frequently driven to the wall
and resorted with great persistency
TO such answers as Il don't just re-
member, Il can't say as to that /,
Il amt just sure" 81 don't remember
If ii was just that way or not"
4 don't just remember what he did
say" Il haint certain" Il can't say
exactly"
Virgens related what he was doing
the evening of May Z, when John
Steen was killed. By this testimony
he sought to show an alibi.
Attempted to Prove Abb.
q worked in the field dragging in
my last piece of oats the afternoon Of
May 9TH until seven O'Clock. After
that | loaded up a load of corn [
had sold to Mr.. Meyers. The man
left with the corn about a quarter
past eight | then did my chores
and finished at nine o'clock when |
had supper. / sat in the rocking
chair while the woman washed the
dishes. She went to bed first and
said don't forget to wind the clock.
| wound the clock before / went to
bed and noticed the time and it was
just ten o'clock | left the light
burning all night on account Of the
baby.
Slept All Night.
i slept all night and woke up
about five o'clock the morning of the
Sth. I woke about five o'clock but
it was raining so / lay in the bed
until about six Had breakfast about
seven. After breakfast ! went out
10 work around the place A little
while afteTward my wife came to the
door and called TO me that she heard
over the phCne that John Steen was
dead. | said ! couldn't believe it,
had seen him working in his field
with couple OF the little boys the
afternoon before. They seemed to
be digging quack grass. l told her
TO ask again aud find out for sure
If it was true. She did SO and said
it was true.
Was Going Over To Steen's.
Il hitched right UP to go over to
Stems. l saw BloomQuist over at his
place and as he had no phone
thought lie had not heard and drove
in and told him. He got in and rode
with me over to Stems. On the
way over we talked about corn plant.
ing.
when we got to Stems | went
out to the hog house. DR.. Butt and
some others were there. / stepped
into the barn where Stems body lay
and helped get the SO and pigs out
into the next pen. / did not touch
Mr.. Steen. | didn't go around the
hog house at all. 1t ~as pretty mud
dy. | went into the house through
the east door into the Kitchen and
TO the southwest room wher Mrs
Steen was. Mrs. Steen and | said
good morning. / sat down. They
were all talking their own language
so took no part in the talk. / do
not understand Swedish but little
and do not know what they were talk
ing about
Roads Were Muddy.
Il drove back to my place about
ten o'clock The roads were muddy
and j. was too wet to work in the
fields. | went to the granary and
shelled seed corn till noon. After
dinner | went out and got a jag of
hay and then shelled seed corn again
till night.
Mr. Dean and Mr.. Carver were
on my place that afternoon. | didn't
know Mr.. Carver. 1t was the first
time / saw him. They came between
three and four o'clock. | met them
near the gate.
Mr. Dean told me they were look
ing for guns and were hunting up all
in the neighborhood He said some
thing about Mr. Stems death, that
they were looking for evidence. He
asked me about revolvers, if | had
one. | told him | didn't have one.
told him | had a shot gun i told
him then | didn't have a gun because
| was excited. They were there
about fifteen minutes
Talked With Carver.