The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-07-31
MUCH EVIDENCE POINTS
TO STAFF'S GUILT

oHu PuIS HIS 1OOI UOWn OH all KINGS Oh
'horse play"
The jury comprises farmers of Nc
Henry county. They all appear to be
men of intelligence and will no doubt
weigh the evidence we'll when it comes
time for them to return verdict.
Staff generally sits as tho indiffer-
ent in the court room, but occasionally
some bright idea penetrates his era
mum and he confers with his attor-
ney. Staff appears fat and red of
face. Life in Jail seemingly has agreed
with him. He gets lonesome when in
Jail for he is the only prisoner in the
McHenry county Jail and not caring
for books or newspapers, he spends
his idle moments sucking an old pipe.
Gives His Children Money.
Staff's children occasionally see
their father when he is being taken
from the Jail to the court room and
it has been his custom to give them
nickles and dimes. Whether he hoped
thereby to produce any effect on their
testimony or not, is not known.
Many Women Attend Court.
The court room is we'll filled daily.
Many Of the women of Towner have
taken great interest in the trial. Ev-
erywhere one can hear expressions
regarding Stats guilt. 1t is gener-
ally conceded that Staff will be found
guilty of murder or at any rate man
slaughter, but it is freely predicted
that he will get the limit.
May Put Staff on Stand.
Atty. Sinkler has remarked num-
Der of times that he intends to put
Staff on the stand in his own defense.
This would be very much out of the
ordinary and the result would be
watched with interest.
Twenty-eight witnesses have been
summoned by the state but not all of
them have testified.
Coroner Doe was one of the first
witnesses called. He identified the
photographs of the body in the bar
rel, scenes about the farm and the gun
with which Staff shot his wife.
l.. V. Parker, state chemist, testi-
fed as to the strychnine contained in
the bottle that Staff gave to Albert
Susak early Sunday morning, after
Staff had driven to Susak's farm and
informed his neighbor that he had
killed his wife. Staff told Susak he
intended to end his own life with the
poison but Susak advised him to wait,
that the courts might help him out
Staff followed Susaks advice and
handed him the bottle.
Deputy Sheriff Dan Dougherty tes-
titled as to the position of the body in
the barrel and as to Staff's action af-
ter his arrest. what is that, to kill
a woman in barrel?" Dougherty
says Staff said to him.
E. ]. Thomas, city engineer, testi-
fed as to the distance the barrel was
located from the house and that from
the place Staff is alleged to have
stood and the barrel.
Frank Slatky, interpreter, had to
return to Minot for business reasons
and Miss Alta Hronas, an employee at
the Register of Deeds office was Sc
cured. VIM. Laskowski has been in
for the Polish witnesses.
Woman's Damaging Testimony.
Mrs. Frank Linha Sr. gave very
damaging testimony. She told of
Stats visit to her home the Sunday
after the shooting. He was
accompanied by Albert Susak and was
on his way to Minot to give himself
up. On his return he stopped again.
When Mrs. Linha expressed her sor-
row at the shooting of Mrs Staff, she
claims that Staff replied: "She de-
served it, but the barrel didn't" He
explained to Mrs. Linha, however,
that he didn't know she was in the
barrel, and that she must have been
playing hide and seek with the chill
dren.
Mrs. Philhemina Linha, who lives
with Mrs. Frank Linha, corroborated
her testimony and said she had heard
Staff say his wife deserved it.
Urban Told Of Family Quarrels.
Andy Urban, who worked for Staff
% days in the winter hauling grain,
told Of frequent quarrels the couple
had. Once when STAFF and Urban
we're sitting about the supper table.
Staff grew angry because his wife had
not had supper ready and pulling
some cartridges from his pocket he
shook them in his hand.
what are you going to do with
them?" little Johnnie asked.
Continued on page 16.)