The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-02-23
OPENS PLEA TO
/ JURY TO FIND
GUNNER GUILTY
States Attorney Green Says Only
One Familiar with Hotel
Could Commit Crime
FARRELL A MYTH, HE SAYS
Declares Fictitious Guest Great
ed in Order That Guilty
Might Escape
FARRELL A MYTH, HE SAYS

Valley City, Feb. 23.-Arguments tc
the jury in the William GUNNER
murder case were begun this morn.
ing. States Attorney w. C. Green, OF
Cass county, opening the plea for the
conviction of the accused man.
Inc argument Of Mr.. Green was ex-
pected to require four or five hours
and he will be followed by w. II. Bar
nett, counsel for the defendant. The
final plea OF the state may be made
late today with the probability that
the jury will be charged tonight or
early tomorrow.
In his argument Mr.. Green recited
the circumstances under which Miss
Marie Wick, Of Grygla, Mimi, was
killed in a room in the Prescott hotel
in Fargo on the night of June Z. last,
Of which hotel William GUNNER was
at that time might clerk.
Motive For Crime.
Mr.. Green asserted that the Ell
dence was conclusive on the PROPOSE
tion that there were two distinct as
saults on the girl-the first about
A. NJ, when she was gagged and tied
to the bed, and the second at about q
A, NJ. when she was beaten to death
with a hose nozzle by the man who
had determined upon murder, as the
means of closing the lips of his vic.
tim who would accuse him next morn
ing If she was still alive.
Mr.. Green maintained that the mo-
tive of the crime had been established
and that the admissions Of GUNNER
himself to the effect, particularly, that
he had called Miss Wick by telephone
from the hotel desk at 11:2Q p. NJ,
June 6, and from the fact that Other
unescorted women, who had come to
the hotel, had been similarly ap-
preached, must be accepted by the
jury as Identifying. the man with a
motive.
Felt Absolutely Secure.
Mr.. Green argued that no person
except one who was thoroughly famil-
lar with the hotel and one who felt
himself absolutely secure as against
or detection, would have
committed the crime in the manner
in which it was done. He cited the
fact that the criminal felt absolutely
secure in that the body OF the girl mad
been handled long enough after the
murder so that the coating Of blood
on one hand was thoroughly dried, 30
dry that it did not mark bandage
the murderer placed on the wrist In
relying her to the bed post. No per-
son from outside the hotel argued the
attorney, would remain in the room
a moment after the accomplishment
OF the original motive and no man.
if driven to murder, would remain
to clean up the room and try to re-
move traces Of the manner in Whlcn
she was killed.
The Farrell Signature.
AS to the James Farrell signature
Mr. Green said that even accepting
the proposition that there Is a per-
son by the name OF James Farrell,
who was a guest in the hotel that
night, this Farrell could not nave
the crime because ne did
not register until after 2 A. NJ, while
tho evidence is undisputed that the
first assault occurred at least an hour
earlier. ,,
Furthermore, said the attorney
Farrell if such person exists, in
fact came into the hotel q Stranger
not familiar with the habits or Gus
toms of the clerk, having no Knowl
edge whatsoever as to who the girl III
room 30 might be unless told by the
night clerk. ,,,,os
Mr. Green contended that James
Farrell was the name put down on
the register by the night clerk anu a
his roommate, Andy Brown, for tne Inc
n,rnose @ Of creating fictitious guest
Who would be missing when the o.
Scia1s entered upon discovery OF the
murder. H,