The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-13
Lesser DECLARES
ANDERSON FIRED
SHOT THATKILLED
GEO. SHEFFIELD

Fred Anderson, or Donald Dowd,
was positively identified in Clay
county district court in Moorhead
this morning as the murderer of
George Sheffield at the Great North
ern depot on the night OF Sept. 1g.
That is the man sitting right over
there at the table," said r.. Z. Lesser,
pointing at the defendant who is
known as Fred Anderson but whose
true name is said TO Donald Dowd.
Lesser told how he looked into the
face Of AndersoE when the handker-
chief nask had Slipped doEgn below
Identification and said he knew him
as soon as he saw him in the Fargo
police station the day after the MUIR
der.
The defense was unable to shake
the testimony Of Lesser, and every
time the attempt was made to con-
fuse him it brought disaster. He
knew the man who held the gun on
him and shot George Sheffield to
death the night of Sept 19. He look
ed into his face only two or three
feet away and he never viii forget
that face.
The first witness examined this
morning was Eric Martinson, coun-
ty highway engineer, who had pre-
pared plat showing the plan OF the
Great Northern depot in Moorhead.
The witness identified the plat and
gave the location OF the room win
dows and furniture and the distances
between the several points.
Describes Shooting.
r. e. Lesser, the Great Northern
operator who was to relieve George
Sheffield the night of the murder,
was the second witness called. He
told Of his movements up to the time
a man with a mask over his face
ordered him to hold up his hands.
He did not pay attention to the
first order but looked around when
he heard the second command.
"What did you see when you turn-
ed a.round?" asked Assistant Attor-
ney General Palmer.
II saw a man standing at the con-
ductors' window pointing a revolver
what did you do then?'
"Stood up and put up my hands.
what, IL anything, did the man
at the window say?
Have the old man tourn around.
The witness then told how Sheffield
stood with his back towards the con-
ductors' window. How he turned 70
the left and looked towards the man
~ the window pointing the gun. The
witness was explaining how Shefneld
reached for the gun on the shelf in
eront Of him. He said it was kept in q
large pigeonhole that is part OF the
Mr. Lesser told of the gun being
loaned by Rhea to some person and
how IL had not been loaded AFTER It's
re5u t..L,l - .,,a storv az the hoIdup.
Mr.. Palmer asked what Mr.. Shefneld
did when Lesser called to him 70
The witness testified that he turn
a. around and looked towards the
man AT the conductors window.
"What happened then?' asked hr.
Palmer.
Sheffield just as he grabbed the gun
The course Of the puliss . was es-
scrIbed and Mr.. Shefneld's move
ments after the first snot were toio
When Mr.. sheffield got across 70
the west side of the ticket otlice he
crouched behind the desk and snap
ped the empty gun at the man at the
Did YOU see the man at the win
dow fire another shotg
YES
'Did he fire at Shefneld?'
aYes. the flame from the shot ex-
tended almost TO Shefheid.
ssTIoug ala the man IRE the shot2"
ssHe leaned through the window,
and held the gun right over the edge
~ fhe desk and close TO the wall SO
~ could point it at Shenield.'
what tben7"
AFTER the man at the window shot
shef7eld raised up straight and kept
snapping the empty gun. The man
al the window shot twice more and
missed shefleld each time.
eDid the man at the window say
-T-1,-9Irred on pare 41l