Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1916-02-17
WOMAN WHO SHOT
ANOTHER TALKS
MRS. CHRISTENSEN TELLS OF
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE NEAR
TRAGEDY AT LEHiGH.
EXPECTS TO GIVE BONDS TODAY

Mrs. Minnie Christensen, who has
been cinfined in the county all since
couple OF days after she shot Mrs
Kirkpatrick at the hotel in Lehigh a
short time ago. expects to be released
today on bonds. The recovery of Mrs
Kirkpatrick now being assured, Mrs
Christensen stands charged with as
sault in the first degree and Judge
Roy Ayers has fixed her bonds at
$4,000, which she is preparing to fur
nish.
This case has, Of course, attracted
"a great deal OF attention and since
she has been in the county Jail Mrs.
Christensen has been visited by many
Lewistown women who sympathize
deeply with her in her trouble.
Mrs Christensen is woman of
proposing appearance and fine
personality. In speaking of her case,
she displays an earnestness that car.
ries conviction with everything she
says. The general facts regarding the
near tragedy are pretty well known
by this time but the actual details
have not before been printed. Briefly,
Mrs. Christensen left her homestead
near PlentywOod for Lehigh, where her
husband was employed as an cleo
trician, about the first of the year
An entire stranger in that part OF the
country, she received some vague in
tilnations after she reached Windham
and immediately on arriving at Lee
high, OF intimacy between her husband
and Mrs. Kirkpatrick employed as a
4
been at the hotel many hours when
all this was to some extent confirmed
In the days and weeks following this
fact caused her a great deal of worry
and sorrow and led to many unpleas-
ant experiences, in which Mrs Kirk
patrick scofIed at her. All this cul-
minated In tie suit filed the morning
OF the shooting by Mr. Christensen,
in which he asked for Il divorce on
the ground of cruelty.
Mrs. Christensen had arranged to
leave the hotel and come to Lewis
town that day. but Il girl employed at
the place and who had been friendly
with her. asked her to see about some
pay due her and which remained un-
settled when this girl left. Mrs Mat
son, the proprietor. was not in the
place that day and Mrs. Kirkpatrick
had this matter in hand Mrs. Chris
tensen had packed her things and was
leaving the hotel to get an express
wagon to take them down. AS she
stepped from her room on the ground
floor, il chanced that Mrs. Kirkpatrick
stepped from her room, directly op-
pOsite. the hallway being only about
three feet wide Mrs. Christensen
took up this matter of the girls pay
when, as she relates, the other woman
made leap at her and struck her
heavy blow on the leit eye. She had
IN her hand a large bunch of keys and
one of these cut a cash over the eye,
from which the blood spurted. The
blow was heavy enough to knock Mrs
Christensen to her knees. She had
small automatic revolver with her, as
she says she feared Mrs. Kirkpatrick
and as she arose the other woman
made movement which seemed to
indicate she was going to draw a re-
volver. Instantly Mrs. Christensen
drew her weapon and fired five shots.
When brought here. a couple of days
after the affair, Mrs. Christensen's
eye was blackened and it is still dis.
colored. while the cut over the eye,
inflicted by Mrs. Kirkpatrick with the
keys, Is only now healed, the scar still
showing.
AS stated, there is a long and Il
short to Mrs. Christensen, a very pain.
full story back of all this, but those
matters are left for development at the
trial. For the present all she cares
to present Is that she fired the shots
only after she had herself been as.
saulted by the woman who had tried
to destroy her home and wreck her
life.