Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-25
Arrest DELAYED,
(By STAFF Correspondent.)

Valley City, n. d., Feb. 2o.-Wll-
liam GUNNER Of MayVille, \. d., was
convicted early this morning OF MUIR
derins Marie Wick of Gygla, Mimi,
in the Hotel Prescott at Fargo, n. y /,
on the night of June 6, 1921. The
o'clock, fixing the penalty at lille i'm
prisonment. 1t is understood that
only one ballot was taken.
The verdict of the jury, which was
brought in the court room at 12:46
O'Clock. was:
State OF North Dakota. plaintiff,
VS.. William GUNNER, defendant.
I'VE, the jury, duly impaneled to
try the above entitled action, find the
defendant, William GUNNER. guilty of
murder in the first degree as charged
in the information and fix the penalty
of Imprisonment in the state peniten-
tiary for life,
The verdict was signed by Henry G.
Helmars of Wimbledon. who was fore
man. The jury retired at 500 O'Clock
and at 12:15 informed the bailiff that
it was ready to report. Judge Cooley
who had retired: was called and went
Immediately to the court house.
In ~discharging the jury, Judge
Cooley thanked them for the careful
attention, they had paid to tho evil
dence and to the arguments and he
congratulated them on their verdict
He said that it was a. righteous one,
States Attorney Green said this
morning that he was confident Of the
outcome oil the case, that he was con-
fident from the very start that Cum.
mer was the guilty man.
w. IL. Barnett, chief counsel fol
the defendant, was not in the court
room ,and no statement could be Sc.
cured from him.
Exhibits in Jury Room.
Judge Cooley instructed the jury or
murder in the first degree and muir
der in the second degree, and gave
| them three blank verdicts, n fol
each degree Of murder, and one fol
an acauittal.
Owing to the fact hat the regular
jury loom is very small and uncom'
Portable. the, court took possession o.
the county agents office for jury pur'
poses. The room had been previousl,
prepared for that, and the jurors i'm
mediaxely retired thereto and bcga,
deliberations. All OF the exhibits. in,
Guiding the head of the bed to which
| Marie Wick's hands were tied; tn,
mattress, bloody sheets and othel
gruesome articles, were taken into tn
room. The jury remained in theil
room during dinner hour, and theil
meals were taken in to them.
GUNNER Dances Jig-
Gummer's stoicism never de-
serted him throughout States At
torncy Green's final argument,
and when the prisoner was taken
into the Barnes county Jail by
Sheriff Larson, he danced a jig
upon the Jail floor. Even when
the states attorney directed at
tcntion of the jurors to Gum
mer's face and declared that tha4
was the face Marie Wick saw IS
she lay helpless upon her bed.
the prisoner Mnched. And
when Mr.. Green demanded that
the jury convict him SO that other.
girls wonld be protected from
such . man. he was as firm rs
cver.
A few feet behind GUNNER sat hi
mother and father. Mr.. and Mrs. N
u GUNNER, and his two brothers AM
his sister. and with the exception o
the sister there was no display o
emotion from them. Throughout MI
| Green's final argument. when b
spoke again and again of GUNNER
connection with the crime, the prison
er's sister sat with bowed head, ant
several times she wept quietly. Blu
through it all Gummer's mother 'sa
without changing her expression an
without taking her eyes off the state
attorney. Her attitude Throughout
the trial, and especially during tn
final week. has been Just as much
problem as that Of her SON. ;
Hans Wick 81 Grygh, MINI. fathe
Of the murdered girl, remained unit
the trial was completed. He left Valle
Saty last ntsa rt Tor ,H h,s hems' y Th e
outcome of the trial