The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-02-25

Neither of Gummer's parents were
in the court room when the verdict
that condemned their son to HE Inn
prisonment was reported.
They had attended all sessions of
the trial.
1t is understood the jury Voted NJ
first on q verdict OF guilty, with
unanimous ballot.
The second ballot was on the
degree and the result was unani-
nous.
A ''clincher'' ballot was taken
and less than an hour dfter the
jury had retired the result had
been established.
Will Appeal. Case.
The jury, however, remained out
until 1890 A. M. before advising bail
lifts it was ready to report.
Ten minutes later the verdict was
read in court.
Judge Cooley refused to grant n
motion of the counsel for the defense
for stay Of sentence pending ap-
peal, allowing only the statutory
period of two days.
w. H. Barnett, chief counsel for
GUNNER said the case would go to
the supreme court.
w. G. Green, states attorney of
Cass county, prosecutor OF the case
declared his complete satisfaction at
the verdict
II have always felt that we had the
right man and the fact that the jury
agreed SO early in it's deliberations is
doubly pleasing he said.
The staying of Marie Wick at q
hotel in Fargo in June, 1921, for which
William GUNNER, the hotel clerk, was
held, created a sensation in the north
west and city and county officials
characterized the crime as one Of the
most brutal ever committed In this
section.
The body Of Miss Wick. who was
18 years old, was found in room No.
30 Of the Prescott Hotel about a. m.
June Z, after she had registered at the
hotel the previous night. She was on
her way to Pettibone, N. D., from her
home in Grygla, Mimi, to spend a va
cation with an aunt, and had stopped
in Fargo to make train connections.
Gagged with parts Of the bed cloth
ing ard trussed to the bed with blood
soaked pillow cases. investigation
showed that the girl had been attacked
before being beaten to death with the
nozzle OF fire hose. She had OeeE
dead from four to six hours, according
to DR.. P. H. Burton, county physician,
who made the examination.
No Clues Lett
Authorities Immediately plunged IT,
to the work Of attempting to find the
slayer who apparently left no clues,
and after eight days Of investigation
GUNNER was arrested June is on q
charge of murder in the first degree
on complaint Of William Green, states
attorney for Cass county.
GUNNER, who is % years old and
the son of farmer living near May.
Vile, N. D., strongly maintained his
innocence, but after the state at a
preliminary hearing had submitted
what it termed 'incrinNnating evil
dence," he was ordered bound over to
the Cass county district court for
trial in November.
When his case came up at the No
vember term Of county court, GUNNER.
through his attorneys, asked for a
change of venue, claiming that preju-
dice was so great in Fargo that Sc
lection of an impartial jury would be
virtually impossible. He was granted
the change by Judge C. N. Cooley OF
the county district court and the case
ordered transferred to the Barnes
county district court at Valley City
to be heard during the January term,
The case was expected to be the first
heard from the Barnes county docket
early in January.
Preliminary June %.
The hotel clerks preliminary hear
ing began June 20, after having been
postponed from June 81 at the re-
quest Of the state, and ended after four
days when he was ordered bound ovel
for trial before a coroner's. verde
was returned holding him responsible
for the slain girls death.
The verdict reached by the coron
er's jury, withheld until after the pre-
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