New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-02-24
SUPREME COURT SENDsvERcINs
TosTILLWATER.
Other Decisions of Public Interest
Rendered.

follows:
1. The purpose of part 2 of the
Workman's Compensation Act was to
secure the widow or dependent next
of kin, of an employee who should meet
an accidental death while engaged in
the line of his employment, percentage
income based upon their pecuniary
loss, and the salary or compensation
actually received by such employee at
the time of his death represents such
loss.
2. Where an employer pays to an
employee having general charge Of the
affairs of the employers business a
fixed sum of money each month, from
which the employee is required to pay
an assistant, if one is employed by him
to assist in the work, such sum as may
be agreed upon between the employee
and the assistant, the sum so paid the
assistant forms no part of the salary
or compensation of the employee, and
in determining the salary of such en-
ploye the amount paid the assistant
must be deducted from the total amount
paid by the employer.
Remanded with directions,
Brown, C. J.
Christian S. Virgens, Martin Coun-
ty farmer, convicted of murder in the
first degree, will have to serve a life
sentence in the penitentiary at Still
water. This is the findings of the SUI
preme Court in an opinion handed down
yesterday.
Virgens was charged with the murder
in May, 1913, of John Steen, a neigh
boring farmer. Steen was found dead
in his Lighthouse with bullet through
his head, Virgenss denied the charge
but the County authorities, through
the aid of detectives and forced con-
fession, fastened the crime upon him.
Prior to the murder of Steen, Virgens
had purchased from a Chicago mail
order house two revolvers and consider
able ammunition. Following the MUIR
der, he buried the revolvers and the
ammunition on various parts of his
farm. The guns and ammunition were
unearthed and their ownership traced
to Virgens. The bullet found in Stems
head fitted exactly the bore of one of
the revolvers. The County authori-
ties, in their efforts to fasten the crime
on Virgens, even went to far as to trace
up the purchase and brought the pro-
prietors of the mail order house to Mar
tin County, where they identified not
only the guns but Virgens as purchaser.
Virgens asserted he was the victim
of plot in which his wife was involved.
He also protested the evidence given
by the mail order house. The Court
in it's findings says the murder was a
cold FLOODED one and that the evidence
points directly to Virgens as the one
who committed the deed.
1t was shown that Steen and Virgens
quarreled frequently, though the muir
.dered man at times, showed considerable
friendship to Virgens.
The trial was held in Faribault
County, where it was taken on change
of venue.
According to the Supreme Court the
furnishing of electric light and power
to the public is public service and
land or water taken to provide such is
taken for public use. Further, cor
poration desiring to take such land or
water may do SO without authorizing
by the Board of Directors
In this language the Supreme Court
yesterday disposed of the case of the
Ottertail Power Company against Ed
ward A. Bradtad, who protested the
company's right to condemn certain
land belonging to him along the Ottertail
River.
Bradtad claimed that not only did
the company lack the right to make such
condemnation, but that it was powerless
in the matter because it's board of di-
rectors had not authorized such condem-
nation.
The Supreme Court holds that the
power company was well within it's
ri hit.
Major Albert Pfaender inspected
the Fairmont militia company Monday
night and the Worthington company
last night. This is the regular annual
battalion inspectionwhich precedes the
inspection by regular army officer.
Tonight wednesday, Major Pfaender
will inspect Co. "A". Last Wednesday
he inspected the Machine Gun Com
pany and the new Headquarters Com
pany which was recently organized.