The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-03-02

ger committing the murder, would
not have gone to all this trouble, Mr.
Green stated, for what difference
would it have made to him had the
nozzle been found in the room?
With GUNNER, it was different. He
knew THAT the authorities would sus-
pect him Immediately, as he was about
the only one about the .hotel, who
might be suspected, and who knew
where the hose nozzle could be found.
This point must have had consider
able effect on the jury.
Green dwelt at length on Gummer's
character and the court permitted evi-
dence to be introduced showing that
GUNNER was man who made it "a
practice Of dating up every likely
looking young woman who entered
the hotel. -
No murder trial in the state has
ever attracted so much attention as
this one and the public has been unan-
imous in its opinion as to Gummer's
guilt ever since the trail started.
The trial has cost Cass county
$4,000 or $4,000. The trial has been
long drawn out, delay being caused
by the illness of States Attorney
Green, and later by the illness of
juror. The trial lasted six weeks.
No crime known to Fargo authori-
ties was perpetrated with such bru-
tality as was the crime that, ended
the life of Marie Wick.
Eighteen years old, pretty, unso-
phisticated, her first visit to city,
happy in the anticipation of vaca-
tion visit with relatives in North Da-
>keta, Marie went to her room in the
Prescott hotel about II p. M, on June
6, after spending an hour or so with
Arnold Rasmussen, boy from her
home town who had met her as she
arrived on an evening train.
1t had been an evening Of unusual
things for Marie; she had seen her
first streetcar, and she had seen her
first electric piano.
Marie Wick left Arnold Rasmussen
with light heart, happy in her plans
for the journey of the next day that
was, to take her to Pettibone, N. D.,
to visit an aunt.
But Marie didn't make the trip.
Instead, the next morning she was
cold in death.
Officials who were called to the
Prescott hotel found the girls body
in such condition, that Immediately
the facts became known, excitement
in Fargo became intense, and Off
cials admit that had there at that
time been any definite evidence to
connect anyone with the crime,
lynching would almost certainly have
ensued.
The city, the state and the north
west, became inflamed with rage at
the monstrous crime.
For Marie Wick had died at the
hands of rapist and murderer, in a
manner so coldblooded, so inhuman,
that it seemed impossible that a
crime of that nature could have been
conjured up in the mind of human
being.
~ Facts of the Crime
Officials worked rapidly, and soon
they established the theory of the
manner in which Miss Wick was kill
ed-the theory that the jury that held
William GUNNER responsible accept
ed as fact. F..
Miss Wick's door was opened by the
criminal bent on the crime of rape.
She was pounced on as she slept,
the fingers of her assailant's hands
clutching her throat and sinking deep
into the soft flesh, until conscious
ness left her.
More than half a FELLOWSHIP was
stuffed into her mouth.
Three separate strips of the bed
sheet, torn by the assailant, were
wrapped around the gag and her head
holding the gag firmly in place.
Strips of the sheet were used in
tying the girls arms to the bedposts.
Thus was Marie Wick maltreated
by the man who stole his way into
her room and accomplished his mo-
tive.
Then some time later in the night
at a. nj, the man came back.
He was recognized, and then came
to him the thought that Miss Wick,
if alive in the morning, would put
him in the penitentiary.
So the murder was determined up.
on.
The 14-inch brass hose nozzle from
standard nearly 60 feet from the
room was obtained.
As she lay on her bed, face up
turned, conscious, the murderer brot
his weapon into the room.
He raised it above her head to
strike.
In her terror. she wrenched one
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herself away from him toward the
other side of the bed, but incapable of
shouting for assistance as the gag
still was in place.
Then came blow after. blow; IA dis
tinct blows, said the witness who pre-
pared the body for burial.
One of them cracked the skull.
More than $50 stitches were re-
quired to close the wounds.
Then, long enough after death 80
that blood on one hand had dried, the
body Of Miss Wick was placed back
in the middle of the bed, and the arm
that she had broken loose, was re-
tied to the bedpost.
The hose nozzle was wiped and
cleaned and returned to It's place.
The bed clothing was smoothed.
The light was turned on.
The door was locked.
And soon after $50 =. M, Gunner
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