The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-06
Wife Of SLAYER
TAKES STAND IN
DEFENSE Of HIN
Mrs. Henry Pankow is Relating in
Burleigh County Court Story
of Anamoose Tragedy
ASSERTS B0RCHERT USED
SOME AWFUL BAD WORDS
Tells of Cursing which Visitor
Gave Husband for Driving
Him from the Country


You damned, crooked-legged -
of -, you and your women folks
were the cause of my leaving this
country were the first words Charles
iorchert addressed to Henry Pankow
when the latter's wife hau LEI Dor
ebert into their home near AnamOOse
tie night of May 20, testified Mrs.
ankow, who this morning took the
stand in the Burleigh county district
court in defense Of her husband,
charged with the murder of Mrs. bol'
chert's former admirer.
The state rested its case this morn
ing after completing the examination
Of William B. Miller and Of two Bor'
cherts, brothers OF the deceased. Mrs.
fankow was the first witness put on
by the defense. Her examination will
continue this afternoon.
Testifying with a pretty petulance
which is rather effective, Mrs. Pan
kow told the court that Charley said
some awfully bad words to her hus-
band. His favorite epfthet when
mad" she said, was that quartet OF
words of one syllable which never mas
failed to provoke a fight when ad-
dressed to an American. t5" .a
She told how she was aroused In
the night by Borchert's rap at the win
dow, and how she insisted that she
go to the kitchen door and let him in,
fearing he would "do something to
her husband.
Borchert objected to the lamp for
fear somebody would see him back
here" Br g.
"iou didn't expect to see me bacl
SO soon, did you?" he said to Pankow,
when the latter came out.
Pankow' did not expect to see Bor
ebert back because 1S neighbors had
come:ito sthe Pankow home with b
signed notice warning Borchert away
and advising him not to return.
Borchert blamed Pankow for this
notice, said the witness this morning
The defendant in the case has a
twisted leg 1t was to this deformity
that Mrs. PankOw claims Borchert
referred, when he shouted bad words
at Henry, just before the shooting
that night of May 20.
A dramatic incident of the trial OF
Henry Pankow, charged with the mur
der of Charles Borchert, IA miles
southwest of AnamOose on May ~
was the demand of E. r. Sinkler, at
torney for the defense, late Wednes
day afternoon that the state call to
the stand the only eyewitness of the
tragedy, Mrs. Henry Pankow. Assist
ant Attorney General Brennan, hand
ling the prosecution, demurred, deny
ing the necessity of calling an eye
witness, and citing the many reasons
given in law for not calling to the
stand the wife of principal in &
criminal action. The state then clOsec
it's case to reopen it after Attorney
Sinkler, in the absence OF the jury
had convinced the court that the STATE
had not established the corpus de
licti.
Story Of Crime.
Upon reopening the state called u
the stand William B. Miller OF Ana
moose, relative Of Charles Borchert
and the complaining witness in tni
action. Miller told of being called II
the Pankow home about II o'clocf
the night of May 29, and Of finding
Charles Borchert stretched out on {
couch there with three bullet.holes II
him. He told of Mrs. Pankows gra
phic description of the shooting. The
family had retired when there came
tan on the window, and Borchert, who
had been warned from the neighbor
hood in a signed notice from eightee1
families of the community, revealed
himself and asked admittance.
w asked Henry to let me 60 to the
door so that if Charlie was going t.
do anything he would do 1t to me ant
not to Henry" Miller testified Mrs
Pankow told him the night of the ira
gedy. c,.,
81 went to the door and let Charlie
into the kitchen. We had talked there
hut a minute when Henry came Out
and the men took seats at either side
IF a table. They had said only fe"
words when Henry started to shoot
10 shot so fast | thought he never
would stop. 4.
Mrs. Pankow added, according t
Miller. 81 don't know what the 100
wanted to shoot him for" and this
never would have happened but 10Y
our kind neighbOrs.'
Miller admitted that when he was
informed Borchert had been shot ne
remarked: "Just what 1 expected
and that he had known of criticism
Borchert because of his alleged reia
tions with Mrs. Pankow. Borcher'
made his home with the Pankow's 10,
Eve wears prior to his departure from
the community, at the request of his
neiehhnrs. He came back IN tne