The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-03-20
From thursdays Daily.


according to the natural order of
events this defendant is lucky to be
alive was D comment made by
Judge comstock of the municipal
court this morning. when he requlr-
ed Bert Valentine, known to the po-
lice OF Mankato and police OF other
cities. to furnish a peace bond in
the sum OF $500 for the period of
six months.
Valentine was under. arrest on the
complaint OF Rene D'opre, farmer
of Cambria, who stated that valen.
tine had threatened his life. yalen.
tine was apprehended by Deputy
Sheriff Nerdahl last evening in a
saloon at courtland.
D'opre on the stand testified that
Valentine persisted in coming TO the
Dopre farm, although Valentine
made II very plain TO him that he
was not wanted and had ordered
him away. Valentine persisted in
coming to call on Mrs. D'Opre, and
when p'opre early yesterday morn.
ing talked Of the brothers OF Mrs.
.Dopre coming over there. and said
there was likely to be trouble II Val.
entine was there when they came,
Valentine threatened to kill him.
Valentine had been at the house the
greater part Of the night. :. .-
Called on the Wife. 49,
Valentine admitted on the stand
that he had come to call on Mrs,
Dopre. as she was a friend OF his.
and she was sick. He stated under
cross examination that he had FIRE.
quently gone riding with Mrs.
D'opre and had taken her to Man.
kato more than once. he said the
two had remained In Mankato as
long as two days at a time. He said
he had paid the hotel bills for both.
lie admitted that he had said he
was going TO marry Mrs. D'Opre and
said that she had made the state
ment that she was going to marry
him as soon as she could get a
divorce from D'opre. -''.
Valentine denied that he had
raised any trouble with D'Opre. but
he said that he told D'opre that II
Dopre was going TO get his wife's
brothers II would be case Of three
to one. hut he admitted that he re-
marked, but viii get you" Val.
entine said he had no weapon on
him when he came to the D'opre
farm. He said he never had car
ried weapons since the cutting az.
fray he had I'm Mankato last sum.
mer. a.
Admitted Serving Time. ..
Valentine admitted that he had
served two and a half years in pri-
son in Kansas for stealing a team
of horses. He also admitted that he
had been arrested in many different
places for great many drunken
fifths and brawls. He named among
them the cutting ARRAY he had In
Mankato last summer, when another
man received a bad cash across the
stomach with a sharp knife. He
said on that occasion he paid fine.
This was true. .a'.t .H,.
On being asked whether he was
ever married before, he replied that
he was. He admitted that he mar
ried a fifteen.year-old girl In South
Dakota. a Miss Grace Hill of Bloom
field, Neb., without the consent Of
her. parents. He said the parents
afterwards gave consent to their
living together. At that time he
was thirty-three years old. They lived
together for two years at Sioux City,
Iowa. Later the girl got divorce.
There were no children by this mar
riage. but he admitted that he had
had a child by another woman, to
whom be was not married.
Woman Took Revolver.
Deputy Sheriff Nerdnhl. being cali
cd to the stand, testified that when
he arrested Valentine. be inquired
whether he had any weapons upon
him. Valentine replied that he had
a p, revolver when he went TO the
D'Opre farm. but. 'tbe Mrs., mean.
ing Mrs. D'opre. had taken II and
thrown IL into the stove.
Judge Comstock remanded vsien-
tine to the custody OF the sheriff.
instructing him to keep Valentine
in Jail until the bond was furnished.
or until the six mouths period was up.
II suppose ought 10 go 10 St
Peter. Valentine remarked after the
trial, -. H :