The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-12-19

es across. the beel- Mr., Allen, agaon
objected With great ,vigor stating it
was a violation of the defendants
constitutional rights to strip him of
his clothing and use it in this way.v
conversed With Prisoner.
"On the night of May Is, Mr.. Dean,
Mr. Nicholas, Mr.. Lawler, Deputy
Sheriff John Ebben and myself had
a conversation with defendant at the
jail which lasted until about two
o'clock in the morning He denied re-
peatedly ever having had fiashlight
When it was produced he admitted
that it was his but said it was an
old one and no good. He denied
having an extra bulb and batteries
for it."
"On May 81, Fred REIN came to
| Fairmont from Twin Lakes. 1t was
agreed that he was to go to the
Jail and see Virgens and try to get
something out of him. He did go
to the Jail and stayed until between
one and two o'clock. He told me
he had found out nothing of import
ance. The next night he went back to
Virgens cell about nine o'clock and
stayed an hour and a half. He then
reported to me that Virgens had told
him where gun was hidden at a
certain place on his farm under
the south line fence near bull ditch
also where cartridges had been
buried With Mr.. Dean and Mr.
Lawler, Rein and drove to the
spot, reaching the place about two
o'clock in the morning. 1t was bright
moonlight. REIN went directly to
the place indicated, got down on his
hand and knees, scratched away the
grass and disclosed a place where
there was spade cut in the sod.
We inserted spade and disclosed
thirty-two caliber Colt automatic.
Pistol Is Produced.
The pistol was produced and offer
ed in evidence without objection.
when found the pistol was well
creased inside and out and wrapped
in this CLOTH"
Mr.. Allen cross examined Sheriff
arver exhaustively, going over all OF
the testimony carefully and elaborat-
ing some points. Witness stated that
at the time he measured Virgens' boots
on his feet he said to Virgens: 81
will find the man that murdered
John Steen just as sure as the world. y
Virgens made no reply but his face
/ took on an awful expression. Sheriff
said he had seen the same express
sion on defendants face frequently
since when he was excited.
Mr.. Allen pointed out certain
points in Sheriff Carver's testimony
which he claimed were at variance
with statements he had made at the
preliminary examination.
Others on Stand.
Among other witnesses yesterday
were Dr. G. E. Merrick of Dunnell and
DIR. J. A. Butz Of Montgomery who
gave testimony as to the nature of
the wound found in Stems head.
They had examined the body of the
dead man, and both physicians de-
clared that they considered it inn
possible FOR the wound to have been
self inflicted. Attorney Allen tried
to show that it was possible for Mr..
Steen to have inflicted the wound
himself.
The doctors pointed out the course
of the bullet in this manner: it en-
tered at the top of the head, passed
through the brain and down through
the neck and through the body to
the right shoulder blade near the
lung.
Editor on the Stand.
A. N. Nelson, one of the editors
of The Fairmont Sentinel, testified
that he had visited the Steen place
the morning the dead body of Steen
was found He said that he had
gone to the east side of the hog
house, and found that by looking
through a window in the direction OF
the Virgens farm he could see the
farm buildings, and that he believed
it would have been possible for a
person in or near those buildings
to see a light in Stems hog house
Sheriff Carver of Martin county
testified to going to the Steen farm
on the morning after Stems death
as has been told in the Free Press
previously.
Judge Quinn sentenced Lloyd Har
desty and Fritz Steed of Lakefeld tC
term in the state reformatory, they
having pleaded guilty to a charge
of grand larceny in the first degree
Hardesty stole a shot gun and Steed
some clothing.
Told Dramatic Story.
Court Reporter w. l.. Nicholas
was on the witness stand all of this
morning. He told his story in most
dramatic manner and made deep
impression ON the jury. He de-
scribed the arrest of Virgens by
himself, Sheriff Carver and Detect.
i've Iawler, and said that they had
fierce fight before they over
powered him. In the tussle Mr..
Nicholas, according to his testimony,
sustained a broken finger, Mr.. Car
yer was bitten on the neck and the
detective was bitten on the wrist.
He told of their loading Virgens