The Ward County independent., 1922-02-23
CUMMER'S FATE WILL BE IN
HANDS OF THE JURY FRIDAY

Valley City, N. D., Feb. 21.-The
last bit Of evidence in the case against
William GUNNER, charged with the
murder of Marie Wick, went to the
jury today, and at 1O:45 this morn
ing the case was adjourned over
Washington's birthday. Thursday
morning at 10 o'clock the argument
Of States Attorney w: C. Green will
the address to the jury of Judge w.
H. Barnett for the defendant.
A factor in taking the adjournment,
was the condition Of Mr.. Green, who
was again running temperature this
morning. 1t was feared that if he
should go into the climax Of the bat
tie with relapse threatening, that
a serious situation might develop.
There is now the possibility that
Gummer's fate may get into the hands
of the jury late Thursday, but more
likely early Friday morning with the
last word in the form of the charge
from Judge C. NJ. Cooley.
With the evidence all completed, it
now appears certain that the defense
proposes to hang it's case on the
James Farrell theory. The introduce
tion of some new element, which was
looked for by some, failed to develop.
The last stroke of the defense today
was to reinforce the Farrell theory
Of the murder by introducing testi-
mony to show that there once was
a man named Farrell who lived at
Willmar, MINI.
The last witness for the defense
was A. B. Bergeson, former chief
of police at Willmar, Minn., who tes-
I'D hot h1 nd
by the name of James Farrell, who
was then working as a brakeman on
the Great Northern railway. Berge-
son did not state the offense the man
was charged with. The man has not
been seen in Willmar since 1918. The
only purpose of the testimony was
to show that there was man NAM
ed Farrell who once lived at Will
mar. The state showed little interest
in the introduction of this testimony.
Sheriff Fred Kraemer was on the
stand this morning. He testified
that GUNNER told him that he, Gum
mer, had turned off the light in front
of the room occupied by Marie Wick
at 4 a. m. On the stand GUNNER de-
MED he made any such statement as
this.
Valley City, N. D., Feb. 2O.-The
William GUNNER murder trial was
resumed in the Barnes county district
court today with GUNNER on the
stand under crossexamination.
Court had been in recess since last
Thursday because of the illness of R.
r. Kane, member of the jury. He
The defense still has three or four
witnesses who will follow GUNNER to
the stand.
GUNNER refuted his own direct tes-
timony today when he asserted he had
not told his companion, Andy Brown,
about calling the murder victim, Miss
Marie Wick of Grygla, Minn., by tele-
phone the night she was killed.
He testified on direct examination
last Wednesday that he had told
Brown that he had called her up.
When asked why he had said that
Brown had been told of the telephone
call he answered that he could not
explain.
GUNNER continued his denial Of
various phases of the conversations
officials have testified took place be-
tween himself and officers on June IA,
and at one point asserted that GER
tain question and answer propounded
to him was "the makeup" of the
states attorney, w. C. Green.
Questioned concerning his visit to
the girls room soon after 6 a. M. on
June 7, when he says he first found
the girl, GUNNER asserted that he did
not know at that time that the girl
was dead, but he maintained that he
was afraid to tell anybody that he
alone had found her ''in that con-
dition." He could not tell what he
meant by ''that condition" repeatedly
insisting that he did not know she was
dead or had been murdered.