The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-17
KELLER GUILTY
+. FIRST DECREE.
LIFE SENTENCE
Murder Followed Row at Wilton
Dance when George Dixon
Was Killed ...
CONSTABLE VICTIM OF .
ESCAPED INSANE PATIENT
State 8 Attorney Williams Assisted
by Attorney General LANCER
-. Try Case

Washburn, n. D., Nov. 17.-Josepll
Keller VINO was put on trial yesterday
for the alleged murder Of George Dix
on, deputy constable, at Wilton. on
June 50 last, following an alterca
tloA between the two a. dance, was
found guilty last evening.
he will be sentenced to life i'm
prisonment oy Judge Nuessle.
one of the dramatic features OF the
trial was the testimony OF the defend
AIT himself, who admitted that he had
a row with Dixon but denied any re
menlbrance OF getting into a hgnt with
him and inflicting fatal blow. In
fact, from the time he was thrown out
OF the dance hall, Keller testified his
whole mind was blank until he found
himself facing the light in the county
Ja.i at Washburn. ...--..s. .-,
keller, wnen placed on the witness
sta..d, declared tnat he was forty-threG
years of age and had been in this
country fourteen years. He had
brought his wife with him across the
seas but she had left him in six
months after he had settled on his
claim near Wilton. He had been on
the farm, he said, seven years, whe.l
the authorities had taken him to the
state asylum at jamestown.
"How did yOu come to leave there?'
he was asked. ,af
81 didn't get any pay" he replied. Il
work in the kitchen and everywhere
but get nothing"
He ran away from the asylum
straight home, he said. The second
time he ran away from the state insH.
tuition, he had been assisted by some
Russian woman, whOgliyed on a farm
near Washburn!@ He had been work
ing at different jobs around Wilton
ever since. "a ser eA 4 GH IA
Memory Good in Spots.
He was questioned quite closely by
Attorney General Langer who assis!e.;
States Attorney Williams, as to the
facts and wages in connection with
the different jobs he had held during
these years of town life, and he re-
vealed remarkable memory for de-
tails. His mind was blank, however,
as to the details Of the staobing and
got quite dramatic in reciting the
events leading to the affray.
do you know that you are charged
with the murder of Dixon?" he was
asked.
Il know nothing" he asserted.
Keller said that on the day of the
dance he had been working at lum-
Der yard and quit at 6 o'clock. he
went to his shack, made supper here
and then went down town. He wen:
to the drug store, bought some tobac.
co and had smoke He met friend,
who gave him a couple of drinks.
Then he was invited to go to the Sat
urday night dance. He was asked for
a dollar to participate in the festivi.
ties but it happened he had only sew
cnty-fve cents. This proved sufficient
to allow him floor space. Then he got
into an argument with Dixon, but kel'
Ter denied he saw Dixon come outside
with him. All he remembered was
that some people got on top OF him.
Acted Like Any Drunkard.
Mrs. barbara Edenger, twin sister
of Keller, declared that her brother in
recent years had been drinking con-
SANITY In fact, she testified he al
ways had a bottle with him.
"Fow did he act when he was
drunk ~ she was asked by Attorney
McCulloch. "Cross or ugly?"
Just as any other drunkard would"
she answered.
1t is alleged that Keller got the
knife with which he did the staboing
from a man who had been working
with the butcher at Wilton, for which,
it is claimed, he gave bottle of
beer.
Mrs. Edenger said she had never
seen the fatal knife, offered as exhibit
A by the sta.e. Instead, she had her
husband produce another butcher
knife which she had given her brother
and which he had kept around his
place. Adam and John Herdebue, two
nephews of Keller, called to the stan,.,
also testified they had never seen 'he
fatal knife before.
Charles Owens and Charles Eden
ger, Keller's brother-in-law, also testi-
fled that Keller had been drinking
quite a bit in late years.
"He was all right when he was not
drinking" said ,Fdenger, "but during
June he did not draw a sober breath"
States Attorney Williams is being
congratulated upon the conduct of th-
caSp