Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-23

Mr.. Green began his argument with
q discussion OF the force of crcum-
stantial evidence, asserting that cir
cumstantial evidence is evidence OF
facts from which men, by reason of
experience as human beings draw
conclusions as to facts not shown by
direct evidence"
He illustrated that point by calling
attention to the fact that while there
was no evidence from n person who
saw Marie Wick choked, yet, from
the facts developed, it il known that
she was choked. This illustration he
repeated as relating to b chaste life
Of Miss Wick, with relation to the
fact of the violation of her body. and
with respect also to the u0o q tAo
nozzle as the instrument BY which she
was done to death.
Asserting that he asked only that
the jurymen apply to this case the
same degree Of reason that they would
apply to any transaction in their Or
binary affairs, Mr.. Green said:
You might guess that some myster-
ious stranger had the desire to satisfy
his passions on the body of this girl,
but you know from the evidence that
one man did have that desire, and
that was the defendant, William Cum
mer. You cannot say and satisfy your
own conscience that any n else had
that desire, because there is no testi-
mony to justify you in so saying. And
when I speak of the defendant in this
connection, I, of course, refer to hin,
in connection with his friend and
roommate, Andy Brown"
Nothing Mysterious
MI. Green insisted there was moth
ing mysterious about this murder,
stating that it was "a horrible muir
der. a brutal murder" but a crime
lacking mystery so far as the murder
committed by a man with ape as the
motive and who as a stirling point
had the desire.
The prosecutor asked the jury for
a moment to recall t o mind the girl
in this cas-the girl who left her
home at Grygla, Mimi, on June S and
who was murdered in Fargo on the
morning of June Z. He. said:
Marie wick-Mary her father
called her, 1 suppose because she was
Mary to them when she was a little
girl at home. Mary Wick was a good
girl She was the kind Of a good girl
we all want our girls to be when they
grow up-and b~ecausesshe was a good
6IA Suc II Aylu6 III ueE grave al
Grygla today, a victim of the passions
meant only one thing-to whom good
ness, and purity and a virtue in a
woman meant nothing. and her father
and mother have not any Mary al
home today. Is this an important
case? Is this a case where justice
should be done?
Relating the fact that Miss Wicx's
trip to Grygla. Mimi, to Fargo or
June s had been without event, tina,
she conducted herself in modesty and
in such manner as to attract the at.
tention of no persons, Mr.. Green sale
she came into the Prescott hote
which was not in charge of som.
mysterious stranger, but a hote
which. from the time she went t. hel
room that second time was in charg,
of the man Upon whom she had tn,
right to depend for protection and be
tween that time and 7 the next morn
ing, this girl from the country town
who had never been in q town as BIZ
as Fargo, who had never seen a stree
car or an electric piano. with her hap
~ dreams of her long vacation trip
pure as the day she vas Dorn-w.
murdered, was choked and strangle,
and gagged and raped and beaten
Until merciful death came to her res
cue"
Prejudice Not His Plan
He said hat he did not say thes
things for the purpose of prejudicinI
the jury but only for the purpose O
~impressing them with the seriousness
OF the case and of its Importance t.
every girl and woman in the north
west.
Mr.. Green reconstructed the seen,
that o place in room 80 the nigh
Miss Wick was killed 80 that it woul,
be better to understand who did tn,
work and easier to understand II
When the officers entered that room
on the morning of June Z, they fount
no living witness to what had takel
place, but they did find in that roon
and on her dead body evidence which
could be read by them, and can b,
read by you, which told at least a par
of the story" r
Miss Wick. Mr.. Green maintained
was choke into Inconsistencies afte
being attacked while she was asleep
for there was no opportunity for a
outcy. The deep finger-nail mark
IN her throat, said Green, were NUT
witnesses to the name in which sh
was choked into Inconsistencies
There vas no struggle, he said, TO
her body bore no indication of a strug
gle such as h would have been cap
able Of putting UP had she beel
a The gag. the bandaxes tina
held it and the linen strips by whtcl
her hands were tied to the bed wer
all placed while she was unconscious
Finger Prints On Throat.
The nature of the finger prints il
her throat, showing that the murdere
had used his right hand indicated tina
during at least part Of the attack, h
stood west Of the bed and between
The bed and the wall, along which
steam pipes were located. This. h
declared, was important because it ex
planned why Mrs. John Van Worst, re
siding in the annex on the other sid
of that west wall of 30. heard tn
noises, or at least part Of the noise
that were made that night.
The fact that the gag that was tax
en- from her mouth was free fron
blood, so far as that portion which
was in her mouth showed that sh
had been gagged before she had bee
struck. Also at least her right han,
was tied to the bed before she wa
struck or the head because it wa
free from blood. 1t was following thj
attack when she was gagged and tie
--|I ,- -