The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-03-11
PRISONER WAS ON THE STAND
Testified in Own Behalf That He Did
Not Remember Hearing Shot Fired
lis Son Of Insane Man.
The Verdict.
Guilty as charged in the indict-
ment."

X1E1xla 4&a sHE -r[~H s-S 49,
August Johnson was convicted for
the murder of Sam Marin the night
of Feb. 1 in the shortest murder
trial eve held in this county and one
of the shortest on record in the state.
Just twenty-five hours from the time
the drawing of the jury was started,
the jury returned a verdict of guilty.
At 9 a. m. Monday morning the
court raped for order and the Sc
Letting of the jury was started. BY
noon, the Jury box was full. At
$3.50 p. M; the witnesses had been.
heard and johnson was on the stand
in his W behalf. County Attorney
Torrance finished for the state at 6
pm A recess vas taken until 1910
when the attorney for the defense
was heard and the jury charged.
Court adjourned At 3 p. m. and the.
verdict wash ateten this morning.
The jury viewed the Marin premises
during the afternoon.
In the court room which was
crowded to its capacity, a pin could
have been heard to drop while John
son was telling his story on the
stand. After a few questions from
his attorney, he traced his move
ments from the time he came into
Bemidji until he was arrested in
Wilton. According to johnson, he
arrived here at 1920 the night of
January 81 and went to the Brink
man to sleep.
In the morning he went out for
breakfast and while waiting had
several drinks. Later he went to
Palmer's hardware store and bought
a box of cartridges and from there
went to the Svea hotel where he
drank some more About noon, he
went to Marin's place and offered to
shake the bartender for the drinks.
The bartender refused but Marin
stepped up and did the shaking.
From this point to the time of the
arrest in Wilton, Johnson's story
was the same as that printed in the
Pioneer the first issue following the
murder. johnson claimed on the
stand that he went up stairs to get
his Overcoat, in which he had the
gun, SO that he could go out to call
the police. Shortly after his arrest,
he told the police that he intended
to make Marin gave up the SIT,
which he claimed Marin owed him,
at the point of the gun. In this one
instance, his story on the stand
varied from that printed at the time
of the shooting.
johnson claimed that he had no
recollection of having fired the shot
and did not know of 1t until he heard
Marin cry out. He further stated
that he was born in Denmark, had
lived in this country twent years,
and that his father had committed
suicide in an insane hospital. The
fact that johnson had acted queer
while In the saloon was brought out
by both witnesses for the defense and
the state. There was an attempt on
the part of the defense to bring.
simpulsive insanity before the jury
as applying to this case.
The jury retired at nine O'clock
last night and took eighteen ballots
before arriving at a unanimous con
clusion. At the start the Jury was
divided az. many believed the e
tence under the indictment was too
severe but rather than let johnson
go free, the verdict Of guilty was
brought in. The sentence will be
from Ave to twenty years at Still
water.
The following witnesses were ex-
amined: for the state, Christ Olson,
Dick Brascamp. Marion Hazen, F. L.
Bursley, D. T. Keane, Carl Lund-.
baum, Dr.L. a. Ward, Adolph Guis-
ness, and ]. E. Cahill; for the de-.
tense, Ole Gennes, Nels Layon. Chas.
Nelson, Nels Olson, August Johnson
and pr. Henderson,