Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-19
new ]|''W,|| TRIAL FOR
!. THRONDSON Is
!. APPLIED FOR
IN -"..
Slayer Of Emerald Farmer
Abnormal Says Physi-
clans Report.

Application for a new trial has been
made to the state supreme COURT in
behalf Of Joseph Throndson, who
pleaded guilty in December, 1919, to
the killing Of Elmer Dezell, farmer Of
Emerado, and was sentenced to a HE
term in the state p~enitentiary.
According to the statements made
in the application for a new trial
Throndson had worked for Dezell six
years before the world war and after
the war returned to his old Job. He
declares that he found himself an OBJ
ject Of suspicion to Dezell who once
threatened to kill both T~hrondson and
his wife. a
Family Quarrel.
Throndson was in a particularly
nervous state, says the affidavit. and
when after a violent family quarrel
he saw hiy employer struggling with
his wife, he shot Dezell in protection
as he thought Of both himself and
the m He hen attempted un-
successfully to kill himself.
His mental state at the time OF
the shooting is given as n Of the
grounds on which a new trial is
asked.
Throndson was brought to Grand
Forks and spent some two weeks In
a hospital following the shooting. He
then of his own desire entered a plea
Of guilty to a murder charge in the
district court and was sentenced to
life imprisonment.
Physicians Report.
A PHYSICIANS report by DR.. J. E.
Engstad accompanying the applica-
ton for a new trial takes up Thrond-
sons mental condition in detail.
blaming 1t to a large extent on his
army life. 1t says in part:
Said Throndson Is a typical typi-
calexopthalmic. He has'at one time
in his life suffered from thyroidism,
due to a large and active thyroid
gland. His eyes are both p%rotruding
to a marked extent ~(pop-eyed),
showing unmistakable evidence Of
previous systematic arrangements
due toxa disease of the endocrine sys-
tenn. No o~bservant surgeon would
I have admitted him in the service of
the army. Mentally, he is subnormal,
with the calculating and planning
mind of Il ~15-year-old boy. He has
had no vision of life; no incentive to
save or to establish a home for him
self. All that we consider life worth
living for. he didn't give a thought.
He did not-1mbibe liquor. He just
spent his savings as a child would.
Army Neurosis.
HE is a typical case of army neu-
rosis. subjected to activating influ-
ences by superiors, obeying orders
without a thought. He was peculiarly
influenced by the i~nhumanity Of all
war. killing Of fellow human beings,
whereby a temporary settlement
might be made, Of problems a COM
! munity could have settled peacefully
and satisfactory to all.
Said Throndson's brain cells were,
to a certain extent, injured in the bat
tie. Then superimposed on this Ian
! ger was the training Of the officers
to kill. kill, the call of the primeval
to slay his opponent. This produced
q typical case of war neurosis, with
q distinct loss Of the inhibiting i'm
pulses that guide every normal mans
actions.
Subject to Insanity.
Mr.. Throndson has suffered a dis
tinct loss Of said inhibiting impulses
to his nervous system, or in plain
words, he is subject to impulsive in
sanity, as the margin between sanity
and insanity in his case is very mar
row; and, under stress and mental ex-
! element due to the war neurosis.
when the image of the skull Of the
fallen soldier appears before his Wis
ual consciousness, his inner animal
self prompts him to take a club and
kill. kill"
In concluding. DR.. Engstad was of
the opinion that the man should be
paroled from the penitentiary and i'm
mediately placed in a government